Angels : White Plans to Put Juggled Outfield in a Position for Success

Upon first inspection, Gene Mauch’s new Angel outfield alignment looks more like an exercise in anarchy.

Johnny Ray, who played nothing but second base during his six years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, is breaking in at left field.

Chili Davis, a longtime center fielder with the San Francisco Giants, is stationed in right.

And Devon White, described by Mauch as merely “the best right fielder in baseball,” is now starting in center.

Is this any way to assemble an Opening Day outfield?

What we have here, essentially, are three guys playing out of position. Yet, White, the newly christened choreographer of the group, believes the current makeup is probably the best available, considering the players at Mauch’s disposal.

“I’m confident in center field,” White said. “With Chili and Johnny Ray coming over from the National League, I’m the only one who really knows the hitters in this league. So, I’m the one that’s got to take charge. And the center fielder is the quarterback of the outfield.”

White, however, is still a mere youth at 25, having just completed his rookie season. Ray is 31, and Davis is 28 and a six-year major league veteran.

It can take time to get comfortable with the idea of ordering your elders, White says.

“It’s a little intimidating, telling them where to move, because they’re older than me,” said White, grinning. “But I know I’m going to have to do that. When we get to Palm Springs, I’m going to sit down with them and say ‘Let me know if I get to be a pain in the butt, but I’m going to tell you how to play the hitters, at least the first time around the league.’

“If I get to be a real pain, they can blame me. But if I don’t tell them how to play a hitter and a ball falls in somewhere because of it, they’re going to blame me anyway.”

Davis knows the feeling from first-hand experience and says he doesn’t mind turning over the center field reins to White. Davis says it’s the best for all involved.

“I think I play right field a lot better than center,” Davis said. “I’m not slow, but I think a lot of people give me credit for having a lot more speed than I actually have. I feel I run average. Devon, with his speed, can cover a lot more ground--and that’s what you need in center field.

“What he needs to have done is somebody tell him, “You’re our center fielder and that’s that,’ instead of being moved around from left field to right field to center field, like he was last year. He needs to stay put.”

With Gold Glove winner Gary Pettis in center field at the outset of last season, White found himself starting in right field. And he mastered it quickly. “He’s only the best there is,” Mauch said.

But when Pettis stopped hitting, and then stopped playing, White was shifted to center. And there, by unanimous acclaim, White’s performance tailed off.

“I know after he moved from right field, he didn’t play all that swift,” Mauch said. “I would say he played right field 60% better than center field last year.”

Said White: “I told Gene Mauch that he has not seen me play center field yet. Last year, that was not as good as I think I can play. Grade me on this year, and then we’ll see.”

Part of the difficulty in the transition, White said, was simply adjusting to the logistics of center field.

“I was getting used to playing right field and knowing that you only have the right-center field alley to worry about,” White said. “Center field is much more demanding. Now, you have to worry about both alleys. And you have to concentrate on more things.”

Another reason for White’s re-assignment to center is to keep him close to Ray, the outfield novice. The Angels’ thinking: White’s speed has a better chance of erasing whatever mistakes Ray commits.

“That’s the job of any center fielder, to back up or pick up the left fielder,” White said. “During the season, I’m going to have Johnny Ray play down the line, and I’ll be responsible for the alleys. If we help Johnny play the hitters perfectly, he may win a Gold Glove, because he won’t miss any balls.”

The Angels, of course, have no real illusions of gold in left field. With Ray, they’d gladly settle for bronze.

White was asked if he thought the Ray experiment could work.

“I think he’ll do well,” White said. “I really haven’t spoken to him about (moving over from second base). I know he’s looking for a contract extension to play in left and I don’t blame him at all. He spent seven years at second base and then to have him move out there like that. You can never tell what’s going to happen.

“But he’s definitely making a good effort at it. He just has to learn how to play the hitters.”

And to assist in such a cause, White will be close by in center field, ready with his words of wisdom.

Angel Notes

The Angels beat the San Francisco Giants, 5-3, in Tuesday’s exhibition game, but most of the excitement happened beforehand when ex-Giant Chili Davis met the San Francisco media for the first time since signing with the Angels last December. Much of Davis’ dugout press conference focused on his often-chilly relationship with Bay Area writers. “A big reason why I left the Giants was because I felt I outstayed my welcome there,” Davis said. “There were statements and quotes (in the newspapers) that tried to turn the tables on me being a good guy.” . . Add Chili: Booed by Giants’ fans before his first at-bat, Davis sparked a five-run fourth inning for the Angels with a two-run double. “I imagine Chili Davis thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon,” Angel Manager Gene Mauch said.

The Angels also received three hits from catcher Bob Boone and two hits apiece from Tony Armas and Johnny Ray. Mike Witt and Frank DiMichele held the Giants scoreless through six innings--Witt striking out six in his three-inning stint--before DeWayne Buice yielded one run in the seventh inning and two more in the ninth. Buice, who had to be replaced by Ray Krawczyk with one out in the ninth, worked 2 innings, allowed 4 hits, walked 2 and balked twice. “Horse manure” was Mauch half-kidding assessment of Buice’s outing. “It figures it’s going to take him a little longer to get sharp because this is the first year in a long while he hasn’t gone to winter ball. I imagine he’s still a little ill at ease out there. That’s why I putting him out there for two and three innings at a time, to get him sharp again.” . . . Wally Joyner (hamstring), Butch Wynegar (toe) and Dick Schofield (groin) were all given the day off to rest injuries.