Fraser, With Change of Face, Gets Good Results

There are times when a person knows only this: Something must change.

For Angel pitcher Willie Fraser, it had become abundantly clear that such a time had come. It was the matter of what to do that was less obvious.

He had gone 3-0 in the first month of season, but was 1-7 since then. Before his start against Milwaukee Sunday, his earned-run average had floated up to 6.50.

Time for a change. Anything.

“I tried everything,” Fraser said. “I shaved my mustache, changed my jock, my socks, my shoes.”

And somewhere in the midst of all the change, superficial or otherwise, something worked.

From early on in Sunday’s game, things were different. Most obvious was Fraser’s clean-shaven face--he shaved the mustache Friday in preparation for this new-look start. But most valuable to the Angels--and Fraser’s state of mind--was his new look on the mound.

In seven innings of work, he allowed four hits and two runs, only one of them earned, helping the Angels to a 4-2 victory over the Brewers.

It was Fraser’s first victory since May 13 and his first as a starter since April 27.

It was a far cry from his last start, a 3-1 loss to Minnesota last Wednesday in which he lasted just three innings.

Obviously enough, the performance Sunday was a welcome sight, both for Fraser and the Angels.

“He got ahead of people and was challenging the hitters,” Manager Cookie Rojas said. “It was a big win for him and all of us.”

But bigger, perhaps, for Fraser.

“I felt good out there and I was able to stay down,” Fraser said. “I knew what I as capable of doing. I was a little down on myself, but I was able to regroup and come out there. . . . I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself. I didn’t want (the Angels) to get too down on me.”

Things went so well Sunday that it looked as if Fraser might finish the game. It would have been his first complete game since Sept. 15 of last year. But it didn’t happen.

With the Angels leading, 3-2, after seven, Rojas went to reliever Bryan Harvey, who is carrying a 1.47 ERA.

“You hope for nine (innings) from everyone, but we had our best reliever with six outs to go,” Rojas said. “And I wanted (Fraser) to win this game badly.”

Fraser said he felt he could have continued, but he made no complaint.

“I could have gone back out there,” he said. “I went seven strong innings. I’m confident, now. But (Harvey) has been really hot. I had no doubt we’d win the game, the minute he came in.”

Although he got off to that 3-0 start in April, Fraser called this his best outing.

“I haven’t thrown really well all year,” he said. “This is the first time. Early on we were scoring so many runs. I gave up four or five and would win. Today, I limited it to two.”

One of the runs was a solo homer by Bill Schroeder--not so surprising, considering that 18 of the 60 runs Fraser had allowed before Sunday resulted from 13 homers. The other run, unearned, was scored by Darryl Hamilton, who walked and stole second, taking third on Bob Boone’s errant throw to second. Hamilton scored on a Jim Gantner’s groundout.

But Fraser made no complaint. After all, he won. Things had changed.

Will that mustache ever be seen again?

Fraser’s not saying.

“I’ll keep it off as long as I have to.”