He’s Ready to Give Some Relief : Angels: Shortened spring training has little effect on left-hander Bob McClure, because relievers don’t require as much work.

Many pitchers feel shortchanged by the shortened spring training. Not Angel left-hander Bob McClure.

Then again, a short reliever never longs for a long training camp.

“I don’t see that it’s had any effect on me at all, but relievers are different than starters,” said McClure, who has started at various stages of his career but has pitched exclusively in relief since 1986.

“Most of us had thrown over the winter, but a starter, he’s got to pitch seven innings, and to do that, he needs to throw to live hitting in game situations. For us, it’s easier to pitch an inning or two. I felt fine right in my first game.”

McClure has retired the first 13 batters he has faced this spring, including a perfect eighth inning Saturday against the world champion Oakland Athletics. McClure combined with starter Kirk McCaskill, Greg Minton and Bryan Harvey to restrict the A’s to four hits and one run--a home run by Ozzie Canseco with two out in the ninth inning--as the Angels beat the A’s, 5-1, in a split-squad game at Phoenix Stadium.

“I’ve gotten ‘em all? Yeah, well, maybe,” McClure said after pondering his achievement for a moment. “I don’t know about those kinds of things. I’m just trying to get ‘em out.”

He got enough batters out last season to compile a 6-1 record and 1.55 earned-run average, dramatic improvements over the 2-3 record and 5.40 ERA he had in 1988. He not only can’t explain the turnaround, he hasn’t spent much time analyzing it.

“I think the starters did a heck of a job, with all the complete games they had and all the innings pitched, and that had a direct effect on the bullpen as far as our success went,” he said. “That meant we had to pitch fewer innings, fewer games, and had fewer runners on when we came in.

“I really don’t know why things went so well for me. When the season’s over, it’s over, as far as I’m concerned, and I go directly into the next year. I’ve never been one to dwell on what’s happened. If you counted as many balls that are outs as mistakes as you count the mistakes that are hit for base hits, it’s all about even. If you think about every pitch that goes for a base hit, I think it would be very difficult to play for a long period of time and do that. It would eat you up.”

Instead of allowing pressure to bother him, McClure thrives on it. He was summoned to face a single batter 13 times last season, the most of any pitcher in the major leagues. In his 48 appearances, he stranded 43 of the 50 runners he inherited, an 86% success rate that was tops in the American League. He had two lengthy stretches last season when he didn’t allow an earned run, going 16 2/3 innings in 16 appearances from April 13 to June 18 and 13 1/3 innings in 15 appearances from July 23 to Aug. 29.

“I’m just a short setup kind of guy,” he said. “I’m not blowing people away--I’m finessing them away. I make them try to hit my pitch. I just try to get ahead and make them hit a pitch that’s not a strike. . .

“Ted Simmons was the one who got me over the hump. I was kind of a thrower until he got into my head when I was in Milwaukee, around 1980, ‘81, ’82. I thought that was my turning point, being with Ted Simmons. When he wants to get a point across, it’s not pretty, but he gets it across. Sometimes it was five or six in the morning, eating pizza and drinking beer, with him getting into your head about the proper way to get hitters out. I owe him a lot.”

Comfortable now in his role, McClure no longer misses being a starter.

“Every time I’m out there, I’m pitching in the type of situations that a starter gets into only once or twice,” he said. “I find it enjoyable because it gets my adrenaline going. It’s exciting.”

McCaskill pitched five scoreless innings Saturday for his first spring victory. He struck out two, walked one and gave up only three hits, all in the first two innings.

“I felt pretty good and my curve was better,” said McCaskill, who threw 62 pitches in becoming the first starter to go five innings. “It feels like I’m staying back (in releasing the ball) better than I did last year. Every winter I go over my mechanics to see how I can improve. Obviously, I didn’t have my curveball, but I started getting it toward the end of last year.”

The A’s Mike Norris, who hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 1983, looked impressive against the Angels in his first spring start. Norris, who was out of baseball for two years and spent last season at double-A Huntsville and triple-A Tacoma, yielded only two hits and two walks and struck out four over three innings.

His successor, Scott Chiamparino, gave up hits to the first four Angels he faced. The third hit was a three-run home run by designated hitter Rick Schu, 350 feet down the line in left. Schu, a non-roster invitee, was two for three with four RBIs. In three games, he’s five for six with seven RBIs.

“It’s been nice getting some at-bats in the last couple of games,” said Schu, who was once touted as the next Mike Schmidt. “In Yuma (where the DH wasn’t used against the Padres) I only got one at-bat.”

In the other split-squad game, the Cleveland Indians pounded Rich Monteleone and Cliff Young for 11 runs en route to an 18-5 victory. Starter Jim Abbott gave up three runs and seven hits in four innings. The brightest note for the Angels was the power display by outfielder Dante Bichette, who hit two homers and had five RBIs.

The split results Saturday gave the Angels a 5-3 record.

The Angels end their stay in Arizona today by playing the Milwaukee Brewers in Chandler. Bert Blyleven, Scott Bailes, Mark Eichhorn, Sherman Corbett and Willie Fraser are scheduled to pitch against Chris Bosio, Bill Wegman, Dan Plesac, Mike Capel and Randy Veres.

Shortstop Dick Schofield will be placed on the 15-day disabled list today because of his strained right hamstring. That means Schofield will not be in the lineup for the Angels’ April 9 opener against Seattle.

The Angels returned outfielders Ruben Amaro Jr. and Reed Peters to their minor-league camp for reassignment. Optioned to triple-A Edmonton were infielder Gary Disarcina and pitchers Mike Erb, Jeff Richardson and Cliff Young.

Thirty-eight healthy players will make the trip to Palm Springs for the Angels’ four-game series against the Padres, which begins Monday.