Dodgers And Angels Open The Second Half As Contenders, But Do They Have Staying Power?

A team that once appeared built to lose 90 games, the Angels instead stood at the All-Star break on pace to win 87.

Remember the winter gloom?

General Manager Bill Stoneman, by one stern account, was “clueless.�

Manager Mike Scioscia was little more than Disney’s frugal alternative to Don Baylor, his hiring a transparent scheme to lure a few stray Dodger fans to Edison Field.

And the players, they were worst of all. They lacked the heart to even dress beside one another without griping, and therefore could never be counted on for a deed as dynamic as a pennant race.

Remember?

With 74 games remaining, they have embarrassed no one, least of all themselves.

They are five games out of first place in the remarkably competent American League West, and two games behind in the wild-card race. They have two all-stars, neither yet in his late 20s. They have two rookie-of-the-year prospects, neither of them Ramon Ortiz. And Scioscia has done more to stabilize their clubhouse in four months than Terry Collins did in three years.

As this club looks out over the remainder of the summer, its most daunting obstacle might be that it won’t have the luxury of chasing any of the previous Angel clubs, all eminently collapsible models.

BIGGEST FIRST-HALF SURPRISE

Jarrod Washburn, Scott Schoeneweis, Brian Cooper and Seth Etherton, 26 big league starts among them going into the season and all but five of those Washburn’s, were 16-11 in 40 starts.

So, contrary to popular and previously expert opinion, the organization did not burst into flames, it did not lose every single game before the break, and Michael Eisner was not forced to pitch in middle relief.

It’s not Maddux-Smoltz-Glavine-Avery. It’s not even Finley-Langston-Abbott-McCaskill. But there is hope for a group gradually finding its footing. It hasn’t always been simple: The staff is ranked 13th in the AL in home runs allowed and 12th in walks issued. The team earned-run average is just this side of 5.00.

Only Washburn’s ERA is below 4.00, and many of the Angels’ first-half victories were struck with the starting rotation only marginally involved. But there also is room for optimism, an emotion that does not often wend into Anaheim.

BIGGEST FIRST-HALF DISAPPOINTMENT

The rest of the starting rotation, the guys everyone counted on to take the big starts and kill the losing streaks and keep the kids learning their lessons in triple-A Edmonton, was abysmal.

Kent Bottenfield fought injuries and control problems and won five of 17 starts. Ken Hill did the same and won five of 11 starts. Tim Belcher made only four starts, won two of them, then went back to the disabled list.

“The biggest hurdle we’ve got to clear right now is the starting pitching,� Stoneman said. “It’s got to be more consistent. It’s got to be.�

DEFINING MOMENT

Long before the Angels put a ball in play, Stoneman riffled through the resumes one last time, relived the interviews once again, and chose Scioscia as his manager. That was in mid-November.

All Scioscia did was soothe the most volatile clubhouse in baseball.

The veterans admire him. The youngsters obey him. The organization trusts him.

Before they could win, or simply lose less often, the Angels required that.

AT THIS PACE

On the backs of Mo Vaughn, Troy Glaus, Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad, the Angels have their most prolific offensive team.

They hit 141 home runs in 88 games. At that rate, the club record of 192 would fall Aug. 16, with 42 games remaining. They also could establish team records for batting average, slugging percentage and runs.

There are other issues, however. The Angels also could set records for most home runs allowed, most walks allowed and highest team ERA.

REASON TO BE EXCITED

The all-stars, Erstad and Glaus. The rookies, Adam Kennedy and Bengie Molina. The forgotten, Anderson and Vaughn.

Kennedy and Molina might actually steal rookie-of-the-year votes from each other, freeing the award for Oakland outfielder Terrence Long or Seattle closer Kazuhiro Sasaki.

With 144 hits, Erstad is on pace for 266. George Sisler holds the major league record with 257 in 1920. More important, after a poor season, Erstad is again the soul of the Angels.

He often wills the team to win, with a lunging catch or an extra base or a late, gritty plate appearance. Among his greatest contributions, Erstad stole 17 bases in 22 attempts, batted .355 after the sixth inning, hit .370 with runners in scoring position and has eight outfield assists.

Glaus, the glum third baseman, batted .235 after May and already has 16 errors. His 25 home runs, however, are four fewer than he hit last season. Best of all, he won’t be 24 until Aug. 3.

It appears that Anderson will drive in 100 runs for the first time in his career, and Vaughn is healthy for the first time as an Angel. It will be a three-man race to become the first Angel to hit 40 home runs.

REASON TO BE CONCERNED

The Angels already have played 51 games at home, more than any team in baseball.

The schedule was kind for a team that needed it, for the young pitchers in particular. It gets dicey from here.

Starting with tonight’s interleague game at Dodger Stadium, the Angels will play 37 of 48 games against teams with winning records. In a span that won’t end until Sept. 3, the Angels get the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox seven times each, Boston and Cleveland six times each, Toronto five times and Oakland and the Dodgers three times each.

They also have five games against Texas, which is 42-43, 3 1/2 games behind the Angels.

If the Angels are resilient enough to reach mid-September with their postseason ambition intact, there’s still this: They’ll play 13 of their final 16 games on the road, and in unfriendly places such as Texas and Oakland.

MOVES TO PONDER

An AL general manager has a large tote board in his office. On it are the names of every pitcher he has been told is available leading to the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline.

Bottenfield, Belcher and Hill are there (as is Dodger right-hander Darren Dreifort).

The Angels’ wish list, in order: a shortstop, a designated hitter, a starting pitcher.

Stoneman will not trade a young pitcher, and so it appears the Angels will remain largely intact. Of the three veteran pitchers, Bottenfield easily has the most value, according to scouts, and several clubs have watched his last few starts.

The Angels have not contacted Bottenfield’s agent regarding a contract extension. To let Bottenfield walk--he can be a free agent after the season--would seem to do a terrible disservice to the Jim Edmonds trade.

They also have not made a decision on whether to bring back injured shortstop Gary DiSarcina.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER

Stoneman should have a clearer idea regarding DiSarcina by season’s end, at which point he might have another shortstop option in Justin Baughman.

Scioscia believes Baughman is better than he was before he broke his leg, and Baughman was impressive in a short July stint with the big club.

“That was the whole goal, to get back to where I was,� said Baughman, who is 25. “That some people, especially the people that count, think I’m better is very rewarding.

“Maybe I can stop telling myself I’m getting older and start telling myself I’m getting more mature.�

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

AL RACES

WEST

*--*

W L GB Seattle 51 35 -- Oakland 48 38 3 Angels 47 41 5 Texas 42 43 8 1/2

*--*

*

WILD-CARD RACE

*--*

W L GB Oakland 48 38 -- Toronto 48 41 1 1/2 Angels 47 41 2 Boston 43 41 4 Cleveland 44 42 4

*--*