Howell Continues Mastery Over Mariner Moore

It’s not much consolation, but as the Angels slip silently out of the American League West race, Jack Howell finally slips into hitting gear.

Of course, Seattle Mariner starter Mike Moore helps. He always does.

In one of those odd statistical quirks, Angel third basemen, past and present, have had their way with Moore. Tuesday evening at Anaheim Stadium was no different.

You remember Doug DeCinces. DeCinces, representing yesteryear, had 19 hits, 6 home runs and a robust .452 average against Mr. Moore during his career. DeCinces has since left the American League for Japan, land of the rising fastball, but will forever have fond memories of Moore taking the mound.

Now along comes Howell, who pesters Moore as if he received detailed instruction from DeCinces. Entering Tuesday night’s game, Howell had 10 hits in 25 at-bats against the right-hander. Make that 12 in 29, thanks once again to this spell of sorts over Moore.

The Angels lost, 4-1, though Howell did what he could. Actually, a single Howell swing--a fifth-inning home run to center--accounted for the Angels’ only run. And in the third inning, Howell singled and made his way to third before Moore ended one of several failed Angel rallies.

So the Angels dropped 13 1/2 games behind the division-leading Oakland Athletics. And maybe it won’t matter much, but Howell is doing what he can. There was the homer, the continued mastery over Moore and one defensive play of note Tuesday evening.

“I don’t know the exact numbers, but I know I hit (Moore) fairly well,” Howell said. “But it seems it’s either hits or strikeouts.”

Sure enough, Howell’s other two at-bats ended up as strikeouts. Still, he could remember plenty about the homer, his 11th of the season and his 51st run batted in.

“I thought I might look for the fastball,” Howell said. “I thought he might be thinking that he’s got the lead and it’s the middle of the game.”

A lot of thinking for a single pitch. But it worked. Moore threw a fastball, and not a bad one at that.

“He kept the ball away, but he got it up a little bit,” Howell said.

Howell also doesn’t keep close track of trends, but he said he senses that things are going better for him as the season wears on and DeCinces’ shadow recedes that much more. Howell’s batting average is respectable (.260), his home run output fair, his RBIs high on the team list. In his last 34 at-bats, Howell has 13 hits. And he has hit in 9 of his last 11 games.

“I think it’s still kind of early in my career to say I’m a streak hitter,” he said. “I think two or three weeks ago, I went three or four days without a hit. All of a sudden, I get some hits. I’ve felt a lot better since the second half.”

And wait until the off-season arrives, when Howell gets his very own top-of-the-line batting cage. Rather than wait for his new home in Tucson to be built before he adds a batting cage, Howell has convinced contractors to construct the cage first and the house second.

“This way it should be up the first month I get home or for sure, by November,” Howell said.

That way he can forget about his old cage, the one he and some friends attached to his old house. Back then, if you hit a line drive the wrong way, the ball banged against the house wall.

“This one will be a little nicer,” Howell said.

Just like his second-half swing.