If Angels honor Derek Jeter, it’ll be an unceremonious kind

Would Derek Jeter appreciate the Angels’ saluting his 3,000 career hits in front of the Anaheim fans?

“If they cheered,” Jeter said Wednesday, with a smile.

The New York Yankees visit Angel Stadium next month, their first trip since Jeter got his milestone hit. Angels Vice President Tim Mead told The Times last week that the team wants “to honor the man, the player and the person in some form.”

Mead said the Angels subsequently received about 100 calls and emails from fans concerned that the team would go out of its way to fete an opposing player, perhaps with a pregame ceremony.

“I think it had as much to do with it being the Yankees as much as anything,” Mead said.

He said the Angels might acknowledge Jeter but had no plans for any kind of ceremony. Jeter said he had not heard about what the Angels might do before a reporter asked him about it Wednesday and had no convictions one way or the other. He is the first player in Yankees history and 28th overall with 3,000 hits.

“I think baseball fans appreciate things like that,” Jeter said. “But in terms of being honored by another team, I haven’t thought about it.”

Stolen signs?

Vernon Wells shook his head at what he perceived was the absurdity of the question. No, he said, he never had paused during an at-bat last year to see if a man wearing white was raising his hands.

An ESPN story Wednesday alleged that the Toronto Blue Jays have stolen signs for more than a year, stationing a man in the Rogers Centre bleachers who would lift his hands to signal an off-speed pitch was coming but do nothing before a fastball. The Blue Jays, for whom Wells played from 1999 to 2010, denied the allegation.

“It’s pretty funny,” said Wells, who played with Toronto from 1999 to 2010. “There’s always a conspiracy somewhere.”

Wells was cited in the ESPN story as one of several Toronto hitters, including home run champion Jose Bautista, to perform much better at home last season than on the road. Wells hit .321 with 20 home runs in Toronto, .227 with 11 home runs on the road.

The Blue Jays traded Wells to the Angels in January. He is batting .200 with five home runs in Anaheim this season, .220 with 11 home runs on the road.

Short hops

Owner Arte Moreno joined Major League Baseball Executive Vice President Rob Manfred and players’ association Executive Director Michael Weiner, among others, in a collective bargaining session Wednesday. Moreno, who is on the owners’ labor committee, also attended the Angels’ game at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night. … Shortstop Erick Aybar is hitless in his past 28 at-bats, the longest hitless streak of his career. … Angels minor league director Abe Flores said the club is still waiting to see whether C.J. Cron, the top pick in the June draft, can return this season. Cron dislocated his right kneecap in a minor league game Sunday; Flores said team medical director Lewis Yocum is expected to review MRI results and evaluate any damage to surrounding ligaments and tendons.

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

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