Angel Notebook : Petry’s Sore Arm May Open a Door for Abbott

A tender right shoulder and a strong left arm have produced an opening in the Angels’ pitching rotation.

The No. 5 starting spot, heretofore conceded to Dan Petry, was declared up for grabs by Manager Doug Rader after he had watched both Petry and rookie Jim Abbott pitch in the Angels’ 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs Friday afternoon.

“I really don’t think that’s overstating it,” Rader said. “I think we’ve got to stay open-minded about a lot of things. You know how I feel about Abbott. He’s got to fit in there somewhere.

“But, it’s not just my decision. We’ve got to look at this very carefully and a lot of people will be involved. There will be a lot of input, with most of the deference given Marcel (Lachemann, Angel pitching coach).”

Rader has already called Abbott “one of the 10 best pitchers in camp.”

Most major league managers, especially new ones, like to open the regular season with their 10 best pitchers with them.

“It seems to have some bearing on longevity,” Rader noted.

Where, precisely, to fit Abbott in has been the major Angel question this spring. The bullpen has been all but ruled out by Lachemann, who wants to keep Abbott in the rotation, be it the Angels’ or Edmonton’s.

And the Angel rotation appeared to be filled--at least until Petry came up with a rotator cuff strain. Petry has attempted to pitch through it, with a noticeable lack of arm speed, and the coupling of his slow start with Abbott’s quick ascent has given the rookie his break.

Not to mention the early impression Abbott has made on Rader.

“The thing about Abbott that sticks in my mind is that whenever he goes out there, you think something good is going to happen,” Rader said. “You think you’re going to win. Not many people have that kind of presence.

“That feeling needs to be nurtured. It’s very important to what we’re trying to do here. When we put a player on the field, I want everybody else to have the expectancy of ‘We’re going to do well.’

“Jim carries that with him.”

This late-developing competition has caught both contestants off guard. To know their backgrounds is to know just how awkward Petry and Abbott feel about their round of one-on-one.

Both live in Michigan--Petry in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe, Abbott to the north in Flint. Abbott, 21, grew up an avid Detroit Tigers fan. And among his favorite Tigers was Dan Petry, now 30.

“I was always a big fan of his,” Abbott said, all but apologizing for the current situation. “He and Jack Morris, they were the top 1-2 combination in the league. I tried to emulate him. I’ve watched how hard he works.

“Since coming here, I’ve seen how nice a guy he is. Everything I read about him is true.”

Therein lies the problem for Petry, known as Gentleman Dan to colleagues around the American League. A nice guy who appreciates another, Petry says he’s fond of Abbott and “won’t root against him.”

However, Petry bristles at the idea of becoming a potential heavy, the final obstacle obscuring Abbott’s rise to the major leagues.

“That’s something you guys have created a little bit,” Petry told reporters. “Him being the eye-opener and the darling and that kind of stuff. That kind of puts me in (an uncomfortable situation). I mean, nobody’s rooting against me, but he’s the interesting story.

“It should be that he’s going to make the team because of his stuff--not because of my shoulder or that it’s good for the media for him to be here. And it looks like he has good stuff.

“I can’t worry about what he does. I do what I have to do to get ready for the season. . . . If there’s somebody better than me, then they deserve to be here. But I don’t root against him. That’s awful.”

Abbott feels a similar apprehension.

“Whether I’m a starter or a reliever here, I hope it’s because I do well,” Abbott said. “I’d hate to make a team just because somebody got hurt.”

Round 1 was played out Friday and Abbott may have gotten the best of the afternoon. He worked three innings and allowed one run on six hits--four of them on broken bats.

Petry, the Angel starter, was scheduled to pitch five innings, but came up one out short. In 4 2/3 innings, Petry yielded two runs on five hits--one a home run by Shawon Dunston--and four walks.

Rader’s appraisals:

“(Petry) did a good job, with one qualifier--when he got into the fifth inning, he didn’t use the stuff he had left. He got a little pooped and really didn’t handle the fatigue. He fights it, rather than accepts it.

“Danny needs to get a handle on just how good his stuff is. When he’s tired and throwing just 80%, that 80%, if used properly, is all he needs. But he wants to maintain that 100% level and he ends up worsening it.

“(Abbott) broke four more bats--and all of them went for base hits. He got his breaking ball better than he has in the past. I thought Abbie did a great job.”

And what does all this mean, translating into opening-day considerations?

Rader wants to see more.

“Danny needs another good start,” he said. “For assurance.”

And if he doesn’t get it? There’s always Abbott. For insurance.