TROY CANNON

By BILL SHAIKIN

July 3, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Mo Vaughn glances to his right. Troy Glaus is somewhere else right now, getting ready for the game, so Vaughn is happy to talk about him.

Vaughn, in fact, goes so far as to label Glaus “the next Mike Schmidt,” no small comparison considering that no third baseman hit more home runs than Schmidt, a Hall of Famer and 12-time all-star.

When Glaus returns to his locker, within earshot of Vaughn, someone asks Glaus about the possibility of playing in his first All-Star game. Vaughn overhears the question, swivels his head to the right and, in a very firm voice, instructs Glaus, “Don’t answer that!”

Vaughn need not worry about Glaus hyping himself, or drowning in the glory of his success. If you don’t know much about him, he’s not about to tell you. Ask him why, and you learn a little about him.

“That’s the way my mother raised me,” Glaus said. “It’s rude just to talk about what you’re doing.”

There is, of course, plenty to talk about. Glaus is expected to be selected to the American League All-Star team Wednesday, the first Angel third baseman so honored since Doug DeCinces in 1983. And, should Glaus replace the injured Cal Ripken in the AL starting lineup, he would be the first Angel to start an All-Star game since pitcher Mark Langston in 1993. Glaus leads the Angels with 23 home runs, tied for third in the league and on pace to shatter Reggie Jackson’s franchise record of 39 by, say, Labor Day.

Jackson, whose Angel contract included an attendance bonus, would have fit better into this era of self-promotion, where athletes extend their celebrity into movie roles, music deals and personal Web sites.

Glaus is a throwback to an era when “baseball player” was a proud description and enough of an identity.

Said Tim Mead, the Angels’ vice president of communications, “Troy is not a guy that comes in the clubhouse and says, ‘What can you get for me today in terms of attention?’ ”

This is not simply an act of humility. He might be one of the best players in the clubhouse, but he never will be the life of the party.

“He’s more introverted than two-thirds of the guys on my team,” said UCLA Coach Gary Adams, for whom Glaus played from 1995-97. “He’s in the bottom third when it comes to being a gregarious and outgoing person. He’d just as soon let the other guy steal the show, from a vocal standpoint.

“In his freshman year at UCLA, if he had to give a speech, it would have been, ‘Uh, um . . . ‘ He’s a lot better about speaking. If you asked him, he would do a good job. But he’s the last guy to give the speech for the team. He’s just not that kind of a guy.

“He believes he’s a good player. He also believes he’s been given a lot of gifts that other people weren’t given. He doesn’t want to waste those gifts. He doesn’t like talking about them. He doesn’t mind showing them.”

The American League is rapidly becoming a personal showcase. Glaus ranks among league leaders in a cluster of offensive categories, including on-base percentage, slugging percentage and runs scored.

In his second full season, at 24, Schmidt hit .282 with 36 home runs and 116 runs batted in for the 1974 Philadelphia Phillies. In his second full season, at 23, Glaus is on pace to hit .301 with 47 homers and 107 RBI.

“It’s inevitable that, when you see a guy with his talent at third base, the first name that comes to your mind is Mike Schmidt,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He certainly has that potential.

“We keep talking about how good he is. It’s tough to remember he’s only 23. The guy is playing at a level that is far higher than any expectations you could have for a young player.

“The guy is a legitimate MVP candidate in the future. The guy is going to be a franchise player. He’ll be a guy that can hit fourth for a championship club.”

When the Schmidt comparisons are mentioned, Glaus does not blush. He shrugs.

“It’s a great compliment,” Glaus said. “Mike Schmidt is a great player, probably one of the best third basemen ever. I don’t put much weight in it. It’s only my second year. If I’m lucky enough to play the game for 12 or 13 years, that might be a comparison. Right now, they’re just speaking of potential.

“That’s the ugly P-word, potential. It would be great. I’ll do everything in my power to do that. But you never know.”

So he works on his discipline at the plate, even though teammates marvel at it.

“I’m just starting to figure out the strike zone,” Darin Erstad, 26 and in his fourth full season, said. “He’s 23, and he’s already got a pretty good idea.”

So Glaus works on his fielding, even though coaches marvel at it. Glaus leads American League third basemen with 15 errors, but his sure glove and strong arm remind you he grew up at shortstop. The Angels moved him to third base when he started his pro career two years ago.

“He’s the best in the league at his position already,” Angel coach Joe Maddon said.

So he works on hitting the ground ball that advances a runner, even though Vaughn reminds him that a home run advances a runner too.

“I want him to understand what his capabilities are,” Vaughn said. “You can’t be getting somebody over when it’s the second inning and we could be up 2-0. Late in the game, against somebody tough, that’s different. Early in the game, that’s too quick.

“Troy shouldn’t be concerned about hitting the ball the other way. He should be concerned about driving the ball out of all parts of the ballpark.”

Glaus also works on moderating his intensity, on developing a tolerance for making an out.

“You can’t prevent the implosion process,” Maddon said. “After a bad at-bat, I always say to Troy, ‘That’s one of 600 plate appearances.’ The most important thing you can do is turn the page. You can’t dwell on failure.”

Said Glaus, “Anybody that doesn’t get mad for getting out shouldn’t be playing.”

He ought to stop and catch his breath once in a while, considering how fast he got here.

In his last season at UCLA, in 1997, he hit 34 home runs, shattering Mark McGwire’s Pacific 10 record. In his last at-bat for the Bruins, in the College World Series, he hit a home run.

In 1998, he hit 19 homers in two months in double A and 16 in two months in triple A, ending his minor league apprenticeship after 109 games. In 1999, in his first full major league season, he hit 29 home runs.

The Angels selected Glaus with the third pick of the 1997 draft, after the Detroit Tigers had taken pitcher Matt Anderson and the Philadelphia Phillies had picked outfielder J.D. Drew. Neither will play in the All-Star game.

Glaus will, as Adams had predicted when the Angels asked about him before the draft.

“We were not talking about a guy I had any question would make it to the major leagues,” Adams said.

“The questions were: When does he win his first Gold Glove? When does he make his first All-Star game? When does he get into the Hall of Fame?”

One down, two to go.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Hot Corner

Where Troy Glaus ranks among all third basemen in various categories:

* Hits: 83. 5th (Jeff Cirillo, Joe Randa, Chipper Jones, Travis Fryman).

* Runs: 57. 2nd (Cirillo).

* Doubles: 21. 2nd (Cirillo)

* Home runs: 23. 1st

* RBIs: 53. 4th (Tony Batista, Jones, Phil Nevin, Cirillo)