Does Disney Have a Case of Buyer Remorse?

While the Angels continue to struggle on the field, Disney officials apparently are grappling with the idea of selling the team.

A baseball source said Sunday that club officials are entertaining the idea of leaving baseball after only three seasons.

If they do go on the market, the Angels are not exactly making themselves hot property. Their 9-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox Sunday in front of 31,664 at Edison Field was another example of buyer beware.

What can you get for a fixer-upper?

That Disney officials would consider a sale may be a sign the team’s problems go beyond the griping and finger-pointing that have dominated this season.

“I think there are some thoughts that they would like to sell,” a baseball official said. “But I’m also not sure that they are not changing their mind day-to-day.

“I think they are in the internal debate stage and haven’t gone so far as to listen to offers or talk to prospective buyers. I think it is a situation that should be watched closely.”

Angel President Tony Tavares declined interview requests. Other Angel officials said it was the first they had heard about a possible sale.

It would seem odd that Disney would give up on baseball so soon. The company is out of pocket about $70 million on stadium renovations alone.

Disney bought 25% and controlling interest from Gene Autry in 1996, with the option to buy the team outright after Autry’s death. Disney paid “significantly more” than the $120-million price originally agreed upon, according to a baseball source at the time.

The Angels’ attendance increased dramatically last season to 2,519,210, the highest since 1990. Attendance has leveled off this season, but it will probably top two million again.

But the team has been money loser in 1990s, dropping more than $12 million in 1995, the last year Autry controlled the team. The payroll has increased to nearly $60 million.

Still, Disney would be walking away from a significant investment in Edison Field, not to mention risking the good will among Anaheim residents--$30 million of the costs were supplied by the city. The make-over returned the stadium to a baseball-only facility.

Of course, the Red Sox seemed to be the only ones playing baseball the last three days.

They made fast work of the Angels on Sunday, and may have sent pitcher Jack McDowell out to pasture.

McDowell lasted four innings, giving up five runs, including solo home runs by Brian Daubach and Troy O’Leary. It was McDowell’s second consecutive poor performance, as he gave up nine runs in four innings on Monday.

“Last game, I was missing locations,” said McDowell, who had off-season shoulder surgery.

“This time, everything I threw up there, they just hit.”

Nomar Garciaparra had a run-scoring double and O’Leary followed with a single for a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Considering the Angels have been shutout by the Minnesota’s Eric Milton and Kansas City’s Jeff Suppan--career firsts for both--on this homestand, there seemed little hope against Boston’s Pedro Martinez.

“He doesn’t make that many mistakes,” Manager Terry Collins said. “When he does, you have to get to him.”

The Angels did score two runs--one unearned--off Martinez, who was making his second start since returning from the 15-day disabled list. He went five innings, striking out five, to improve to 16-3.

It was Martinez’s 100th victory, although it gave him no thought about reaching 300.

“Those guys all played 20 years,” Martinez said. “I’m not going to last that long. I’m going to be home raising my kids.”

The Red Sox may have sent McDowell (0-4) back to his family. Daubach buried a 1-and-0 pitch into the right-field seats. One out later, O’Leary homered down the right-field line. McDowell gave up three consecutive hits in the fourth, including Jose Offerman’s run-scoring single for a 5-1 lead. McDowell said afterward he would not get another start for the Angels.

It was Daubach’s third home run in the last three games and gave him 16 since being called up June 1. O’Leary has home runs in consecutive games and has 22 for the season.

Those two have certainly offset the loss of Mo Vaughn, who left the Red Sox and signed a a six-year, $80-million contract with the Angels in the off-season.