Collins Decides Not to Air Any Problems With Angels

Maybe if Terry Collins writes a tell-all book about his life as a big league manager, he’ll reveal exactly what happened that fateful week in Cleveland, when a series of tense moments further divided his clubhouse and solidified his decision to resign as Angel manager on Sept. 3.

There was closer Troy Percival questioning whether some teammates backed him up in a bench-clearing brawl against the Indians on Aug. 31, and Mo Vaughn, believing the criticism was pointed at him, ripping teammates in two pregame tirades the next day.

There was Collins pulling Vaughn from the lineup on Sept. 1 and Vaughn slamming the door to Collins’ office after a meeting with the manager.

That much is known. What is unknown is if there was some other conflict, some other strife, that so disturbed Collins he lost the desire to manage--the thing he loved to do more than anything in life.

And it will remain unknown, because Collins, as he did throughout his two-plus seasons in Anaheim, remained on the high road when it came to publicly discussing his players.

“I won’t talk about that right now--there were things that happened that I need to keep to myself,” Collins said by phone from Tampa, Fla., as he watched the Angels’ 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome on television Monday night. It was a victory that included three hits from Vaughn, including a home run, his fourth in his last four games.

“If I started coming out and pointing fingers, that would take away from all the fun I had there. I’ll never criticize a player in the media. With all that happened, I was the manager, I took the responsibility.”

Finger-pointing and back-biting were what Angel players seemed to do best during their second-half disappearing act, and in an strange way, it took Collins’ tearful resignation for them to realize how childish their behavior was.

“We’re pretty much embarrassed and ashamed with the way we’ve conducted ourselves,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “Terry deserved better.”

Collins, though, said he didn’t want to be viewed as a martyr.

“I felt if I stepped down they could look at it and say, ‘Let’s just play,’ ” Collins said. “I watch them now, and it looks like they’re playing hard. Seeing them do well makes me feel better.”

The Angels are 7-3 since Collins’ resignation, and Collins has watched most of the team’s games on television.

“It’s hard,” Collins acknowledged, “but I’m just glad they’re playing better, hitting better, scoring some more runs. . . . I’m not bitter. It was my decision, no one forced me into it. I looked at a lot of things, and nothing was working.

“I felt it was time to move on, to get past all the disgruntled feelings. I may regret it down the road because it could be the last chance I’ll have to manage, but I gave this some good thought.”

The memories of 1997 and ‘98, when Angel teams remained in the playoff hunt deep into September despite being battered by injuries, helped buoy Collins’ spirits since he stepped down toward the end of what may be the worst season in franchise history.

“Even though we had injuries in those seasons, we still competed,” Collins said. “But for some reason, with all the injuries we had this year, playing the game wasn’t the No. 1 issue for the guys.

“Some of the things that were said in the middle of the season, I think some players forgot what we didn’t have. To win at the major league level, you have to have your good players.”

Collins, who will be paid by the Angels the rest of this season and next season, hopes to remain in baseball as a manager or coach, and he didn’t rule out a possible return to the minor leagues.

The thing he has missed the most since his resignation is being in the dugout and with his players.

“I enjoyed every one of them,” said Collins, who will probably attend a game in Anaheim this weekend. “No matter how mad I got at them at times or how tough times were handled, that didn’t change my feelings toward them.”

Did he have a message for the Angels?

“All I want them to know is I appreciate everything they did for me,” Collins said. “I want them to play well. Some of these guys may end up playing again for me. I’m not mad or angry at anyone. I just hope they enjoy playing, because respect for the game is the most important thing.”