Baylor, Garner May Top List

If Don Baylor is to be the Angels’ next manager, the process won’t begin until the Atlanta Braves are finished playing this season.

When Baylor was hired as the Braves’ hitting instructor last off-season, he promised Atlanta General Manager John Schuerholz he would not pursue another position during the regular or postseason.

“Right now, I’m interested in this job,” Baylor said before Wednesday night’s game against the New York Mets. “Not until my season is over, including the postseason and World Series, will I worry about anything else.”

In the meantime, the Angels appear to have narrowed their focus to Baylor and Phil Garner, who interviewed last week. General Manager Bill Bavasi has not asked for permission to speak to New York Yankee hitting instructor Chris Chambliss, Cincinnati Reds’ executive Buddy Bell or Oakland A’s bench coach Ken Macha, all believed to be candidates immediately after Terry Collins’ resignation.

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Chuck Finley, who will turn 37 in November, will pitch tonight in the face of free agency.

The Angels apparently have not approached Finley, who will help broker his own deal, about a new contract, leaving open the possibility that the veteran left-hander may leave the organization after 14 big-league seasons.

Finley, the organization’s career leader in wins, starts and innings pitched, hasn’t discussed the topic much, and that has agreed with him. He is 7-1 since the trading deadline.

“I respect everything Chuck has done,” interim manager Joe Maddon said. “I think his record speaks for itself.

“He’s wonderful. In regards to next year, that’s a decision that has to be made upstairs. I have no control over that whatsoever. We’ll have to see how that works out.”

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The Angels will decide today whether Troy Percival will pitch again this season, which ends Sunday. Percival had inflammation in his right shoulder. . . . Darin Erstad, who left Tuesday night’s game because of flu, was back at first base Wednesday. . . . Right-hander Mike James, released earlier this month, worked out for the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday. The Cardinals expected to offer him a contract. . . . Some five hours before every game, Trent Durrington and Jeff DaVanon stand out at second base and work the pivot, work the flip, work the footwork, all under the instruction of coach Larry Bowa. “Their work ethic,” Maddon said, “is fabulous.”

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (12-11, 4.41 ERA) vs. ATHLETICS’ GIL HEREDIA (13-8, 4.78 ERA)

Edison Field, 7

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Update--This could be Chuck Finley’s final start for the Angels. Eligible for free agency at season’s end, he is 7-19 with a 4.24 earned-run average lifetime against the Athletics, though much of the damage was done in the early 1990s, when good A’s teams routinely beat bad Angel teams.