AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES : California vs. Boston : AL Playoff Notebook : Who’s on First? Where Is Who? What’s Going On?

Where’s Wally?

He wasn’t in Boston on Tuesday, contrary to what Angel publicist Tim Mead told reporters late Monday night.

He wasn’t at his Anaheim home, contrary to what Angel Manager Gene Mauch told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

He hadn’t checked out of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, contrary to what a hospital spokesman told one reporter.

He wasn’t in the starting lineup, he wasn’t in uniform, he wasn’t feeling well enough to get anywhere near a baseball field.

So where in the world was Wally Joyner, the Angels’ rookie first baseman and leading hitter?

After a confusing and often comical saga of rumors and misinformation, it was finally determined that Joyner, at game time, was still at St. Joseph, where his infected right leg had been lanced twice Monday.

“He was never discharged and he was never re-admitted,” Mead said. “He had to have the leg lanced a second time, and now the doctors are monitoring him. He’s fine, he’s resting comfortably and we’re hopeful he’ll rejoin the team tomorrow.”

Of course, that’s what Mead said Monday. In fact, at 11 p.m. (EDT), Mead had said Joyner was on a late flight to Boston, accompanied by Angel team physician Dr. Jules Rasinski.

“He’s coming to play,” Mead had announced. “He has no fever, the swelling is down. We’re very, very optimistic.”

Also very, very wrong.

Mauch said Joyner phoned him in his Boston hotel room at 3 a.m. Tuesday to tell the manager he wasn’t flying east.

“He was all torn up and distraught,” Mauch said. “He said he was going to get on a flight late (Monday) night, but then he tried to get up and walk and he couldn’t. He sat down, tried it again and still couldn’t.

“I told him, ‘Get well and stay there until you do get well.’ ”

So why was Mead telling the press Joyner was en route to Boston?

“When we left on the team flight at 10:30 in the morning, we had heard Wally was physically sound,” Mead said. “The plan was for Wally to make a 7 or 8 o’clock flight with Dr. Jules Rasinski when his tests were finished. The situation changed after we left.”

Once arriving in Boston, why hadn’t Mead called Anaheim for an update?

“There was no reason to call back,” Mead said. “The assumption was that he was flying out. If there was a problem, I assumed Dr. Rasinski would call Mike (Angel general manager Mike Port). If Wally wasn’t going to be here, you figure somebody is going to tell me.

“I woke up this morning thinking Wally Joyner was here.”

Reporters then went to Port, asking him when he learned Joyner wouldn’t be available for Game 6.

“I don’t remember,” said Port, typically tight-lipped. “I took a lot of phone calls, ticket requests and such yesterday. I just don’t know.”

The team’s general manager doesn’t remember when he first found out the status of his team’s RBI leader?

“Didn’t I just say that?” said Port, who then turned and walked away.

In another huddle, Mauch was telling writers that Joyner was out of the hospital. “He’s in Anaheim, in his home,” Mauch said.

Someone informed Mauch of the publicity staff’s version, that Joyner was still hospitalized.

Mauch shook his head. “He never left his living room,” he said.

Mauch was told Joyner had to have his leg lanced a second time.

“Nonsense,” Mauch said.

Moments later, Mead walked up and listened in. Soon, Mauch and Mead were acting like puppet and puppeteer.

“He’s still in the hospital,” Mead told Mauch.

“He’s still in the hospital,” Mauch told the press.

“He was never discharged,” Mead told Mauch.

“He was never discharged,” Mauch told the press.

The circus finally broke up when batting practice ended. Some writers, miffed at the runaround, began using such terms as coverup.

Wallygate?

“We didn’t concoct anything,” a weary Mead said. “This is no great escapade. There were just complications.”

The Angels’ publicity staff also claimed to have no knowledge of the two cortisone injections relief pitcher Donnie Moore received Sunday night. On Monday, Mead was saying everything with Moore was fine.

Then Moore walks onto the field before Game 6 and reveals he was injected twice after he lost Game 5 in Anaheim--once in his right shoulder and once in his rib cage, an injury incurred during spring training.

“My arm has been hurting me all year,” Moore said. “The rib cage has been bothering me lately.”

The injections were news to Mead.

“You found it out before me,” Mead told reporters. “But there are a lot of times during the year when I don’t find out about injuries.”

Moore’s shoulder problem, a condition caused by cartilage deterioration, necessitated three cortisone shots during the regular season. After the third, which he received in late August, Moore promised it would be his last.

“Well, I lied,” Moore said, grinning.

To help fill the bullpen void created by Moore’s uncertain status, Angel starters Mike Witt and Don Sutton have volunteered to pitch in relief if needed tonight.

After pitching 8 innings in Game 5 Sunday, Witt said: “That may not be (my last appearance). I may relieve. In between starts, I usually throw on the sidelines two days after I pitch anyway. I could pitch to a couple of batters.”

According to Mauch, Sutton told pitching coach Marcel Lachemann after his start in Game 4 that “I can get a man or two in relief.”

Said Mauch: “Then he kinda rolled his eyes, like, ‘I’d just as soon you didn’t ask me.’ But now, it may be different.”