Angels Must Play Indians Twice Today

The remnants of Hurricane Hugo descended on Cleveland Municipal Stadium Friday, washing out the Angels’ scheduled game against the Indians and setting up a doubleheader today at 10 a.m., PDT.

The Angels, who lost a heartbreaking--and maybe season-breaking--17-inning marathon to Cleveland Thursday night, aren’t fond of doubleheaders. And with good reason. They are 1-7 in their four previous doubleheaders this season.

A flash-flood watch was issued for Northern Ohio Friday night, and what’s left of Hugo, by this time downgraded to a tropical storm, is supposed to keep dumping rain, and maybe even hail, here through today. So, with all due respect to Ernie Banks, today will likely be a lousy day to play two.

If today’s games are also postponed, the Angels and Indians would play a doubleheader Sunday. Both teams have Monday off, but a Rolling Stones concert is scheduled for Wednesday in the stadium, and the rock group’s contract gives them two days before the event to set up the stage and sound system. If no agreement is reached, the Angels would probably have to return to Cleveland after the season to play, if necessary.

All of which put Angel Manager Doug Rader in a mood to match the weather . . . foul.

“This stinks,” he said, sitting in the stands under the shelter of the second deck and watching the rain pound on the tarpaulin covering the infield. “It’s pretty hard to refute the numbers (regarding the Angels’ lack of success in doubleheaders). I don’t think I need to expound on it.”

The day off will at least provide the Angel bullpen with some rest. The Angels used six pitchers Thursday night. But Mike Witt, Friday’s scheduled pitcher who will start the first game today against Cleveland’s Bud Black, said he would have preferred to play Friday night.

“They’re just as tired as we are,” he said. “And I was ready. But I’ll be ready tomorrow, too.”

The Angels, who trail Oakland by 4 games, are running out of time, and a sweep today is almost a must to keep their division title hopes alive.

“It all depends what Oakland does, but if we win two, that will take care of that,” Witt said. “But we can’t put too much pressure on ourselves.”

Oakland has been doing a pretty good job of that.

Angel Notes

Shortstop Dick Schofield, who had been on the disabled list since Aug. 11 with a broken bone in his left hand, was activated Thursday and rushed into action Thursday night. “I wasn’t that surprised to pinch-run, but I was a little surprised when Doug Rader told me to go play shortstop,” Schofield said. Schofield struck out in his only at-bat and winced noticeably when he fouled off a pitch. “It stung a little, but it’s going to hurt for a while,” he said. “I was kind of overmatched, though. I got thrown in there and was just trying to do my best, but it’s kind of hard when you haven’t faced live pitching in six weeks.”

Bert Blyleven (16-4) will face Tom Candiotti (12-9) in the second game today. . . . The rainout washed away an interesting lineup. Rader had Tony Armas playing right field, Dante Bichette in center field, Glenn Hoffman at first base, John Orton catching and Bobby Rose at third base. . . . The Angels met with Donald Fehr, the executive director of the players’ union, Friday. “We’re just getting prepared for what might happen,” player representative Mike Witt said of the impending contract negotiations between the players and owners. “Fehr had a lot of optimism in his voice, and that’s a good sign. But he told us about both sides of the coin.”

Reliever Bryan Harvey, who lives in Catawba, N.C., said he had talked to his wife before the tail-end of Hurricane Hugo knocked out phone lines and that she said his house had suffered only minor damage from the front end of the storm. “We lost a few shingles is all,” he said.