Angel Notebook : Howell Has Bulked Up and Added Muscle to Left-Handed Platoon

When you ask Gene Mauch if he has picked a starting lineup yet, he says: “Yes . . . the nine players who have the best chance of winning.”

The Angel manager, who changes his lineup as often as he changes his socks, isn’t trying to be coy. Few players are fixtures on Mauch’s teams.

When you ask him if Jack Howell will be the starting left fielder, he says: “Jack Howell will hit right-handers and hit them very hard.”

Mauch also says that he has no intention of doing without “the 240 quality at-bats George Hendrick gave us against left-handers last year.”

All of which would seem to add up to a platoon situation in left.

Howell, however, is doing his best to complicate that computation.

Monday, for instance, he had two singles and a three-run homer as the Angels won a second straight game for the first time this spring, 6-5, over the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings.

Howell looks as if he spent the off-season in Gold’s Gym. Roger Williams, the Angels’ physical therapist, says Howell is the second-strongest player on the team, behind Brian Downing.

It’s showing in the box scores as well as the biceps.

Howell has hit in 7 straight games, has 9 hits in his last 18 at-bats, and 9 of his 19 spring hits have been for extra bases.

“Jack’s a good ballplayer and he’s really hitting the ball hard now,” Mauch said. “He earned his spurs in 1986 and this year I expect him to use them.”

Howell, of course, would like to be able to strap on those spurs every day.

“I don’t think any player would say he enjoys being platooned,” Howell said. “But if that’s what will help this team or what I have to do to break in, I sure won’t complain.”

Howell had a chance to break in last year when third baseman Doug DeCinces was out with a back injury. But he struggled at the plate, going 2 for 18 in six starts after being called up from the minors. He rallied at the plate, though, and finished the season with a .272 average.

Now, he should get a lot more playing time. And since Mauch seems satisfied with his play in the outfield, Howell, who has played third most of his pro career, should be a perfect piece for the lineup juggling manager’s jigsaw puzzle.

“Yes, he gives us some flexibility,” Mauch said, nodding.

Howell says he feels more comfortable in the outfield every day but adds: “If I could pick a spot, it’d be third because I’ve played there the most.”

Mainly, he’s eager to get a spot in the lineup and get the season under way.

“I’m still not happy with everything about my swing and I still have some little things to work on,” he said. “But, yeah, I do feel awfully good at the plate right now.”

Urbano Lugo has just about locked up the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation. He pitched six innings Monday and yielded six hits and three runs, striking out four and walking just one.

He was very impressive through five, but gave up two runs and two hits in the sixth.

“He pitched a hell of a game,” Mauch said. “If the season started tomorrow and we played our fifth game on Sunday, then Urbano Lugo would pitch it. That’s the most honest answer I can give you.”

Lugo isn’t taking any chances, though.

“I have to win the fifth (spot) in the rotation,” he said, softly. “I think I have pitched good. Today, I was a little tired in the sixth because of the (hot) weather.

“I know I have more experience than Willie Fraser (the other candidate for fifth starter), but I’m still working for winning the job.”

Lugo, who pitched all winter in Venezuela, is in mid-season form. He hasn’t had any arm problems, but he has been feeling the pressure.

Has this spring been nerve-wracking?

“Yes,” he said, managing a smile.

Angel Notes One Florida-based general manager is saying that the Angels would be willing to trade rookie Devon White for a proven starter to fill the No. 5 spot. After he stopped laughing, Angel General Manager Mike Port said: “First of all, the pitcher would have to be pitching better than Urbano Lugo and Willie Fraser. Second of all, we only have one Devon White.” . . . White, who leads the team with 14 runs batted in, pinch-hit Monday in the 10th and drove in George Hendrick with the winning run. . . . Catcher Butch Wynegar doesn’t know a lot about Anaheim, but he figures it has to be a huge improvement over playing in New York. “I finally told my wife I didn’t want her coming to the games anymore,” said Wynegar, who left the Yankees during a trip last July and never returned. “There were fights in the stands every night and people taking all their clothes off and waving them around. And after the game when you left the stadium, if you didn’t have a good game, you were verbally, sometimes physically, abused.”