DeCinces Finds Way Around Bases : Rangers Run Into an Angel They Have Trouble Stopping

During 13 seasons in the major leagues, Doug DeCinces has won a lot of games with his bat. And he has saved quite a few with his glove, too. But you can count on your toes the times his feet have provided the margin of victory.

Simply put, DeCinces is not a baserunner extraordinaire. He has stolen only 57 bases in his career, and you can bet that most of those were busted hit-and-run plays. Sure, he knows to always turn left when he gets to a bag, but he’s never once been compared to Maury Wills or Tim Raines.

Wednesday night at Anaheim Stadium, however, the Angels’ third baseman was wreaking havoc on the basepaths during the Angels’ 6-1 victory over Texas. Well, maybe he didn’t exactly intend to, but twice he was in the right place at the right time, or, maybe the wrong place at the right time is a better description.

DeCinces, who appears to be emerging from an extended batting slump, singled to center to score Brian Downing in the third inning. It was his sixth RBI in three nights.

With Devon White on third and DeCinces stepping off to a modest lead at first, Texas pitcher Greg Harris faked a pickoff throw to third and then wheeled and fired to first, catching DeCinces wandering toward second. The 36-year-old DeCinces, who never got out of the blocks like a sprinter, anyway, gamely took off for second. There was no vapor trail.

But Ranger first baseman Pete O’Brien threw high and wide to shortstop Scott Fletcher, and the ball glanced off his glove. White scored as Fletcher retrieved the ball, and then Fletcher decided he still had a shot at DeCinces, who still was hurtling toward second. His throw was less accurate than O’Brien’s, however, and it sailed right by second baseman Jerry Browne into right field. DeCinces wearily picked himself up and ran to third, where he ignored coach Moose Stubing’s “stand up” sign and collapsed into the bag.

Neither slide would make even Pedro Guerrero jealous.

“After the inning,” Manager Gene Mauch said, “he told me, ‘I had a great jump there, didn’t I?’ ”

But DeCinces, whose uniform looked as if a can of Nestle’s Quik had exploded in his face, wasn’t done terrorizing the Rangers with his “daring” baserunning.

Ranger left-hander Paul Kilgus intentionally walked DeCinces with White on third in the fourth. He also thought he had DeCinces picked off, but his throw struck DeCinces--who was diving back to first--squarely in the back of the helmet and popped about 20 feet in the air as White raced home.

This time, though, DeCinces was unable to advance. He stayed sprawled in the dirt near first with a “Why me?” expression on his face.

“I remembered diving back to the bag and grabbing it and then, ding, “ DeCinces said. “That hit me square and it rang my bell. I’ve still got a little bit of a headache.

“I think they ought to have a category for that, like RHI . . . Run Headed In.”

DeCinces, who said that he was “playing pinball wizard around the bases,” was able to laugh at himself afterward. His baserunning plunders, er, tactics, had, after all, accounted for three Angel runs.

“Yeah, we had some trick baserunning plays for ‘em,” he said, smiling. “It was just one of those things where the ball is moving all around the infield and we just kept going from base to base. It worked out right for us this time, but if the defense makes the right moves, it would have been a different story.”

Of course, when you’ve got a baserunner of DeCinces’ prowess out there, you can expect the defense to be on edge.