Bowa Wants Second Chance to Manage

Angel third-base coach Larry Bowa wants to manage in the major leagues again, a desire that burns so fiercely that Bowa plans to make like a hot prospect and manage in the Arizona Fall League after the end of the season.

Glamour? Not in a developmental league that features dozens of baseball’s top prospects playing in front of dozens of fans, on teams usually run by minor-league coaches and managers. If he must work with double-A and triple-A kids to prove he deserves a second chance to manage in the majors, Bowa figures, so be it.

Bowa, 52, managed the San Diego Padres’ triple-A affiliate to the Pacific Coast League championship in 1986, one year after retiring as a player. The Padres promoted him to the majors in 1987 but fired him two months into the 1988 season, with a record of 81-127, and his next chance will be his second.

“You get labeled in a day, and it takes 20 years to break that label,” Bowa said.

Critics charged Bowa with an inability to develop young players, though Roberto Alomar, Joey Cora and Benito Santiago started their major-league careers under Bowa. They also pointed to an intensity bordering on maniacal, a trait perhaps moderated by a decade subsequently spent coaching in Philadelphia and Anaheim.

“I came here with this big reputation as intense too,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said. “Yeah, I’m intense. You’ve got to be able to channel it and make sure it goes in the right direction.

“Larry has a great feel for judging players, the desire for success and the intensity about winning. Do I think he’ll get a chance to manage again? I think he should.”

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Disney management set an admittedly high attendance goal for the debut season of Edison Field. The Angels drew 1.76 million last season, but Disney spent $5 million on a winter marketing campaign and shot for 2.5 million.

They just might get there, with the Angels in first place and driving toward their first division championship in 12 years. With eight home games left, including three games against the second-place Texas Rangers and three more against Ken Griffey Jr. and the Seattle Mariners, the Angels need to average 32,783 a game to draw 2.5 million. The season average--30,654--is on pace for 2.48 million.

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The Angels assigned infielder Keith Luuloa to the Arizona Fall League, replacing Troy Glaus. The Angels changed their mind about assigning Glaus after promoting him to the majors and extending his first pro season well past Monday’s conclusion of the Pacific Coast League season. Luuloa, 23, batted .334 with 17 home runs and 102 runs batted in at double-A Midland and led the Texas League in doubles (43) and extra-base hits (70). . . .Before this year, only five players in franchise history had hit 36 doubles in a season. The injured Darin Erstad leads the Angels with 39 doubles, followed by Garret Anderson with 38 and Gary DiSarcina and Jim Edmonds at 36 each. The club record is 42, shared by Brian Downing (1982) and Johnny Ray (1988). . . . Chuck Finley laughed when someone asked whether he would spend Monday’s off day watching Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa play home run derby on television. “Ever since I got two little girls, that TV doesn’t stay on sports much,” Finley said.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Minnesota Twins, two games.

* Site--Edison Field.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Fox Sports West, both games.

* Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090).

* Records--Angels 79-64, Twins 64-79.

* Record vs. Twins--5-4.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (9-2, 4.47 ERA) vs. TWINS’ BRAD RADKE (10-13, 4.25 ERA)

* Update--The Twins played a day game in the 100-degree heat in Arlington, Texas, losing to the Rangers, 6-0. Now the Twins must face the knuckleball of Sparks, who has not lost since July 16.

* Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.--Ken Hill (9-5, 4.91) vs. Frank Rodriguez (4-4, 6.02).