Angel Notebook : Downing Gets Down and Dirty as a DH

Some organizations give out gold watches. The Angels, in the case of Brian Downing, decided to move their 36-year-old left fielder into the role of full-time designated hitter, thus rewarding a longtime employee for years of meritorious service.

No more head-on collisions with outfield fences, the outfield grass or other outfielders. No more squinting into the lights and scrambling to make up for a lack of instinct. No more sore shoulders from having to crank up relays back to the infield.

Now is the time for Downing to sit back and relax, to take it easy, to give his body the proper care it has missed all these seasons.

Right.

Monday afternoon, in Downing’s spring debut as the heir to Reggie Jackson, on his very first at-bat as the Angels’ new designated hitter, Downing got hit by a pitch on his left elbow. He trotted to first base and, one out later, slid hard into second on a ground ball by Jack Howell. He broke up the double play but scraped his right hip.

Six innings passed and Downing stepped up for his final at-bat of the day. A new pitcher was working for the Milwaukee Brewers, but nothing else had changed. Downing was hit again by a pitch. On the same spot on his left elbow.

Is this any way to begin life as a designated hitter?

Downing shrugged as he sat in the visiting team’s locker room, an ice pack the size of a shoe box strapped to his elbow.

“That’s the way I play,” he said. “I got hit (by pitches) 17 or 18 times last year, almost all of them in the same identical place. It’s an occupational hazard. It’s gonna happen.

“I’m gonna get hit a lot. I’ve changed my (batting) style and now I stand right on top of the plate. I’m comfortable standing that close and pitchers pitch me in, anyway.

“Today, I may have brought it on a little bit. This being the first game, I stayed in the box a little longer than I should have. But I want to get a good look at the pitchers. And since it’s the first game, I’m probably not quite as adept in backing out as I will be.”

Downing hasn’t yet ruled out the possibility of a return to left field--”I’m still preparing myself mentally to be out there, just in case,” he said--but is eager to explore the world of designated hitting.

“I relish the role,” he said. “Emotionally, I have no problem with being the DH. Other guys feel like they’re not a part of the team if they’re not in the field. That’s one hurdle I don’t have to go over.

“I like to hit. I could hit all day long. I was never comfortable in the field. There were times out there where I’d throw the ball and tear my shoulder up. That affects your hitting.

“During games, I’d find that 75% of my idle time would be spent thinking about defense. The other 25% would be hitting. I’d much rather think hitting 100% of the time.”

Angel Notes Kirk McCaskill did not return to camp Monday and thus was assessed his first daily $1,000 fine. . . . Later in the afternoon, the Angels lost for the third time in four spring games, dropping an 8-5 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Angels blew a 5-3 lead when relief pitchers Todd Fischer and Marty Reed surrendered five earned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Fischer, who allowed a triple, three singles and four runs in two-thirds of an inning, was charged with the loss. . . . Reed gave up a three-run homer to that old Angel nemesis, Cecil Cooper, who was 4 for 4 with 4 RBIs. . . . Angel right fielder Devon White was also 4 for 4 with a triple, a double and two singles. He also robbed Tim Pyznarski with a running basket catch down the right-field line in the sixth inning. . . . Gary Pettis had two singles and Butch Wynegar drove in two runs with a sixth-inning double. . . . Angel starter Mike Witt allowed three hits, one run and struck out two in three innings. Urbano Lugo gave up four hits and two runs in three innings. . . . John Candelaria will make his second spring start today against the Chicago Cubs in Mesa.