ANGELS REPORT : Garner Interviews for Manager Job

The Angels’ search for a new manager swung into full gear Thursday, as Phil Garner spent the first day of a two-day interview process meeting with front-office executives in Orange County.

Garner could not be reached for comment, but a source close to the recently fired Milwaukee Brewers manager said Garner would remain in the Anaheim area through today before returning to his home in the Houston area either tonight or Saturday morning.

Angel officials had said they would not begin serious discussions with potential candidates to replace Terry Collins until after the season, but there was no reason to wait to talk to Garner, who was fired Aug. 12 in the midst of his seventh consecutive losing season in Milwaukee.

Garner, whose Brewer teams went 563-617 from 1992-99, is believed to be a candidate for the vacant Colorado Rockies job, and if the Orioles fire Ray Miller and the Tigers fire Larry Parrish, as some have speculated, Garner would be a strong candidate in both Baltimore and Detroit.

The Angels, who interviewed 12 candidates before hiring Collins in the winter of 1996, are expected to interview only four or five candidates this time, with Atlanta Brave batting instructor Don Baylor and New York Yankee batting instructor Chris Chambliss believed to be high on their list.

Joe Maddon, who took over as Angel interim manager when Collins resigned Sept. 3, will also be considered. Other potential candidates are former Boston Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy, Oakland Athletic bench coach Ken Macha and San Diego Padre first base coach Davey Lopes.

Garner, 50, guided the Brewers to a 92-70 record and second-place finish in the American League East in 1992, his first year as a manager, but handcuffed by financial constraints in small-market Milwaukee, the Brewers never finished higher than third place since.

*

The Angels will exercise Jim Edmonds’ $4.65-million option for 2000 this winter, leaving the center fielder another year away from free agency, but the team may be forced to decide this off-season whether it wants to keep Edmonds.

Paul Cohen, Edmonds’ agent, said he will seek a contract extension this winter for a minimum of five years. He hasn’t discussed figures with the Angels, but he’s not expected to settle for less than $6.5 million a year.

“I think it has to come to a head this winter,” Cohen said. “If they don’t want to bring him back, the most value he’ll have [to the Angels] is in a trade this winter.”

If Edmonds plays out his contract and leaves as a free agent, the Angels would receive only draft picks as compensation.

On Deck

* Opponent--Seattle Mariners, three games.

* Site--Safeco Field, Seattle.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Channel 9 all three games.

* Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Records--Angels 64-89, Mariners 75-77.

* Record vs. Mariners--5-4.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ BRIAN COOPER

(1-1, 4.96 ERA)

vs.

MARINERS’ GIL MECHE

(7-4, 5.01 ERA)

* Update--The Angels must win four of their last nine games to avoid equaling the worst record in franchise history, 67-95 in 1968. Though they’ve been out of the pennant race for months, the Angels could have some say in who reaches the playoffs and who has home-field advantage. They close their season with three games against Oakland, which is bidding for a wild-card berth, and three games against Texas, which is trying to secure home-field advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs.

* Saturday, 6 p.m.--Chuck Finley (11-11, 4.47) vs. Jamie Moyer (14-7, 3.75).

* Sunday, 1:30 p.m.--Ramon Ortiz (2-3, 6.51) vs. Robert Ramsay (0-1, 8.22).