BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Lachemann Won’t Return as Coach

Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann, whose work ethic and attention to detail helped launch Jim Abbott, Chuck Finley and Bryan Harvey to successful careers, will not return to the Angels’ coaching staff next season.

Lachemann said Tuesday he has no other job lined up and “possibly I could be raising tomatoes,” but acknowledged he might join his brother, Rene, as a pitching coach should Rene take a managerial job.

“Sometimes, you feel you’ve done what you can do and both sides might be better serviced this way,” said the 51-year-old Los Angeles native, who considered retirement a year ago but remained at the request of Manager Buck Rodgers.

A potential successor to Lachemann is Chuck Hernandez, the minor league pitching coach who was a bullpen coach much of the season.

Hilly Hathaway, who hasn’t pitched since giving up three runs to the A’s in an inning in his major league debut, will start against Texas Saturday. He’ll replace Abbott, who will finish at 7-15 with a 2.77 earned-run average. . . . Tuesday’s crowd of 17,440 was the smallest at Anaheim Stadium since a crowd of 16,769 on June 4, 1979. . . . Bert Blyleven’s complete game was the 242nd of his career. He threw 100 pitches; Dennis Rasmussen threw 96.