Angels Earning Fun-to-Watch Label

The Angels have more wins than the New York Yankees and the same number as the Cleveland Indians. Anybody predict that last April? Anybody think that Chuck Finley, stuck in Cleveland with a team that gave away David Justice and has been accused of giving up in July, might actually wish he was still pitching for the Angels?

On the day when Darin Erstad and Troy Glaus, two young, earnest, polite, clean cut, immensely talented, incredibly dedicated Anaheim Angels got (deservedly) named to the American League All-Star team, let’s all take a moment and go “Huh?”

As in “Huh, how did this happen?”

How is it that the Angels, a team with hardly any pitching and hardly any hope in April, even before starting shortstop Gary DiSarcina was lost for the year, is trundling into the All-Star break within spitting distance of first place in the AL West and even closer in the race for a wild card spot?

How is it that this team is so much fun?

How is it that you can watch the Angels fall five, six, seven runs behind in the first inning, walk away from the TV or radio in disgust or despair or anger, then come back an hour later and see Adam Kennedy smashing a home run or see the score has become tied at 8-8?

Where do these guys get the idea that no deficit is too much to overcome? Where do these hitters get off thinking that it doesn’t matter how many runs their pitchers give up because they have an infinite number of hits in their own bats?

Do they get it from rookie manager Mike Scioscia? Scioscia is always up. Scioscia is always happy. Scioscia said in March that the Angels would hit and hit and hit and hit. So the Angels have hit and hit and hit and hit. Scioscia also said the pitching would be fine, that Ken Hill was an able ace, that Tim Belcher still had an arm. OK, so nobody is right all the time. But Scioscia must be given credit for something. For the attitude, for the Angels are always standing at the railing of the dugout, together, as if they actually like each other and want to root for each other. What a concept.

With the enthusiasm of these youngsters you also get the goofs. Kennedy, who hit two monster home runs to help the Angels beat Seattle Tuesday, made a bonehead play Wednesday night, a mental mistake, by going to cover second instead of first on a Mariner bunt. Glaus had the ball and no one to throw to. Kids. What are you gonna do with them?

You’re going to keep playing them.

The Angels got behind 2-0 in the first inning Wednesday night. Tied it 2-2 in the second. Got behind 6-2 in the top of the fifth inning. Got the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth with two outs and had some people mumbling about not having anyone to hit for Edgard Clemente, who was due up with his .190 average. And then Clemente singled in a run. Another scored when Erstad singled. Chip, chip, chip away at the lead. Never all the way out of it even when they’re not quite all the way in.

That’s how the Angels are. Nowhere near out of the races for division titles or wild card spots. Not quite all the way in the race either.

While it’s time to stop expecting the Clementes to weakly ground out instead of solidly singling, it might not be quite time to expect miracles.

And that’s what it would be if this Angel team makes the playoffs.

A miracle.

So now what?

Now that the Angels keep hanging around, what is management to do?

Time to ask the questions soon. Time to ask if General Manager Bill Stoneman will try to find a shortstop or another pitcher, make a trading deadline deal, one that might cost money or prospects. It’s what teams do when they have a chance in July.

It’s what teams do when these chances come along every so often. Try to win now.

Soon it will be time to decide if this is a real chance or not. Will this team find its way to the bottom of the AL West as we all expected or keep pushing its spiky little halo up?

The Angels couldn’t make it all the way back Wednesday night. They lost, 6-4, but Glaus and Bengie Molina sent Mariner left fielder Rickey Henderson up against one fence and Orlando Palmeiro sent right fielder Stan Javier up against another fence catching 1,000-plus feet of outs in the eighth inning.

Let’s hope there aren’t Disney folks happy about that and hoping the Angels take a fall so no decisions have to be made. For this team is pulling us in, becoming more fun to watch every day and more impossible not to root for.

*

Diane Pucin can be reached at her e-mail address: [email protected]