Angels Make Their Pitch to Bring Back Wild Thing

The Angels, who tried to coax closer Mitch Williams out of retirement last summer, are at it again. According to sources, they have offered Williams a non-guaranteed contract for the 1995 season.

The Angels hope to acquire Williams as their left-handed setup man, club officials said, and get free agent Lee Smith as their closer.

Williams, 30, retired from baseball last June after he was released by the Astros. The Angels telephoned at least 10 times to persuade him to be their closer, Williams said, but he had no interest in returning.

Now, after spending the last five months on his Texas ranch, Williams says he’s ready to pitch. He says he refuses to be haunted by two blown saves in the 1993 World Series. “I know I can still pitch,” he said.

In other news, the Angels have decided not to offer Bo Jackson and Rex Hudler arbitration by the Dec. 7 deadline, leaving them only eight days to reach an agreement with their free agents or lose the rights to negotiate with them until May 1, 1995. “We still have some interest in each of them,” General Manager Bill Bavasi said, “but we’re not going to offer arbitration. We’ll see what happens in the next week.”

Meanwhile, the Angels remain interested in free agent Mickey Tettleton. Tettleton, who is seeking a four-year, $12 million contract, has had preliminary talks with the Angels about a two-year contract with at least one option year.

Tettleton, 34, hit at least 31 homers in each of the last three seasons until the strike interrupted the 1994 season.

The Angels also released the official schedule for their 35th anniversary season. They’ll open the 1995 season against the Brewers April 4 at Anaheim Stadium.

The spring training schedule (all games noon PST unless indicated):

MARCH

1--vs. Arizona State, Tempe, 6 p.m.; 3--vs. Oakland, Tempe; 4--vs. Chicago Cubs, Mesa; 5--vs. Oakland, Tempe; 6--vs. Colorado (split squad), Tempe; vs. Oakland (split squad), Phoenix; 7--vs. Milwaukee, Tempe; 8--vs. San Francisco, Tempe; 9--vs. Colorado, Tucson; 10--vs. San Francisco, Scottsdale; 11--vs. San Diego, Peoria; 12--vs. Colorado, Tempe; 13--vs. Milwaukee, Chandler; 14--vs. Seattle, Tempe; 15--vs. Chicago Cubs, Mesa; 17--vs. Milwaukee, Chandler; 18--vs. Milwaukee, Tempe; 19--vs. Seattle (split squad), Peoria; vs. San Francisco (split squad), Scottsdale; 20--vs. San Diego, Tempe; 21--vs. Milwaukee, Tempe; 22--vs. Seattle, Peoria; 23--vs. Colorado, Tucson; 24--vs. Chicago Cubs, Tempe; 25--vs. Oakland, Phoenix; 26--vs. Seattle, Tempe; 27--vs. San Diego, Tempe; 28--vs. Chicago Cubs; Tempe; 29--vs. San Diego, Peoria; 31--vs. Dodgers, Anaheim Stadium, 7 p.m.

APRIL

1--vs. Dodgers, Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m.; 2--vs. Dodgers, Dodger Stadium, 1 p.m.

Here is the Angels’ 162-game schedule (all times p.m. and Pacific unless noted):

APRIL

4--Milwaukee, 1:05; 5--Milwaukee, 7:35; 6--Milwaukee, 7:05; 7--Cleveland, 7:05; 8--Cleveland, 7:05; 9--Cleveland, 1:05; 10--at Milwaukee, 11:05 a.m.; 12--at Milwaukee, 11:05 a.m.; 14--at Cleveland, 4:05; 15--at Cleveland, 10:05 a.m.; 16--at Cleveland, 10:05 a.m.; 17--at Cleveland, 10:05 a.m.; 18--at Detroit, 4:05; 19--at Detroit, 4:05; 21--Toronto, 7:05; 22--Toronto, 7:05; 23--Toronto, 1:05; 24--Detroit, 7:05: 25--Detroit, 7:05; 26--Detroit, 7:35; 28--at Toronto, 4:35; 29--at Toronto, 10:35 a.m.; 30--at Toronto, 10:35 a.m.

MAY

1--at Toronto, 9:35 a.m.; 2--Oakland, 7:05; 3--Oakland, 7:35; 4--Oakland, 7:05; 5--Seattle, 7:05; 6--Seattle, 7:05; 7--Seattle, 5:05; 9--Texas, 7:05; 10--Texas, 7:35; 11--Texas, 1:05; 12--at Kansas City, 5:05; 13--at Kansas City, 5:05; 14--at Kansas City, 11:35 a.m.; 15--at Minnesota, 5:05; 16--at Minnesota, 5:05; 17--at Minnesota, 5:05; 18--at Minnesota, 10:15 a.m.; 19--at Chicago, 5:05; 20--at Chicago, 4:05; 21--at Chicago, 11:05 a.m.; 23--New York, 7:05; 24--New York, 7:35; 25--New York 7:05; 26--Boston, 7:05; 27--Boston, 7:05; 28--Boston, 1:05; 29--Baltimore, 7:05; 30--Baltimore, 7:05; 31--Baltimore, 7:35.

JUNE

2--at New York, 4:35; 3--at New York, 10:35 a.m.; 4--at New York, 10:35 a.m.; 5--at Boston, 4:05; 6--at Boston, 4:05; 7--at Boston, 4:05; 8--at Boston, 3:05; 9--at Baltimore, 4:35; 10--at Baltimore, 4:05; 11--at Baltimore, 10:35 a.m.; 12--Minnesota, 7:05; 13--Minnesota, 7:05: 14--Minnesota, 7:35; 15--Chicago, 7:05; 16--Chicago, 7:05; 17--Chicago, 7:05; 18--Chicago, 1:05; 19--Kansas City, 7:05; 20--Kansas City, 7:05; 21--Kansas City, 7:35; 23--at Seattle, 7:35; 24--at Seattle, 7:05; 25--at Seattle, 1:35; 26--at Seattle, 7:05; 27--at Texas, 5:35; 28--at Texas, 5:35; 29--at Texas, 5:35; 30--at Oakland, 7:05.

JULY

1--at Oakland, 1:05; 2--at Oakland, 1:05; 4--Toronto, 6:05; 5--Toronto, 7:35; 6--Toronto, 7:05; 7--Milwaukee, 7:05; 8--Milwaukee, 7:05; 9--Milwaukee, 1:05; 11--All-Star Game, at Texas; 13--at Detroit, 4:05; 14--at Detroit, 4:05; 15--at Detroit, 5:05; 16--at Detroit, 10:15 a.m.; 17--at Cleveland, 5:05; 18--at Cleveland, 4:05; 19--at Toronto, 4:35; 20--at Toronto, 4:35; 21--Detroit, 7:05; 22--Detroit, 7:05; 23--Detroit, 1:05; 24--Cleveland, 8:05; 25--Cleveland, 7:05; 26--Cleveland, 1:05; 27--at Milwaukee, 5:05; 28--at Milwaukee, 5:05; 29--at Milwaukee, 5:05; 30--at Milwaukee, 11:05 a.m.

AUGUST

1--Seattle, 7:05; 2--Seattle, 7:35; 3--Seattle, 7:05; 4--Texas, 7:05; 5--Texas, 8:05; 6--Texas, 1:05; 7--Texas, 1:05; 8--at Kansas City, 5:05; 9--at Kansas City, 5:05; 10--at Kansas City, 11:35 a.m.; 11--at Minnesota, 5:05; 12--at Minnesota, 5:05; 13--at Minnesota, 11:05 a.m.; 14--at Chicago, 5:05; 15--at Chicago, 5:05; 16--at Chicago, 11:05 a.m.; 18--New York, 7:05; 19--New York, 8:05; 20--New York, 1:05; 21--Boston, 7:05; 22--Boston, 7:05; 23--Boston, 7:35; 24--Baltimore, 7:05; 25--Baltimore, 8:05; 26--Baltimore, 7:05; 27--Baltimore, 1:05; 29--at New York, 4:35; 30--at New York, 10:05 a.m.; 31--at New York, 4:35.

SEPTEMBER

1--at Boston, 5:05; 2--at Boston, 10:05 a.m.; 3--at Boston, 10:05 a.m.; 4--at Baltimore, 10:35 a.m.; 5--at Baltimore, 4:35; 6--at Baltimore, 4:35; 8--Minnesota, 8:05; 9--Minnesota, 7:05; 10--Minnesota, 1:05; 12--Chicago, 7:05; 13--Chicago, 7:35; 15--Kansas City, 8:05; 16--Kansas City, 7:05; 17--Kansas City, 1:05; 18--at Oakland, 7:05; 19--at Oakland, 7:05; 20--at Oakland, 12:15; 22--at Texas, 5:05; 23--at Texas, 5:05; 24--at Texas, 12:05; 25--at Seattle, 7:05; 26--at Seattle, 7:05; 27--at Seattle, 12:35; 28--Oakland, 7:05; 29--Oakland, 8:05; 30--Oakland, 7:05.

OCTOBER

1--Oakland, 1:05.