Angels Send White Back to Minors

If he truly has the boundless potential the Angels believe and not merely the dashes of brilliance he has shown, Devon White will have to prove it in the minor leagues.

White, a two-time Gold Glove winner and 1989 All-Star who was hitting .213 and leading the Angels with 71 strikeouts, was optioned to triple-A Edmonton Friday in a move that neither he nor his teammates expected. White left Milwaukee without talking with reporters, but an associate of his agent, Ed Keating, said the 27-year-old outfielder was “more surprised than anything else” by the move.

Even Greg Minton, who was activated off the 60-day emergency disabled list and took White’s roster spot, was surprised.

“I was thinking about the ways they might get me back on this team, and this wasn’t one of them,” said Minton, who underwent elbow surgery April 27.

The move reduces the glut in the Angel outfield, which had produced grumbling, and apparently leaves center field to Dante Bichette and Max Venable. Luis Polonia, who on Thursday advocated making a move to cut the number of idle outfielders and establish a set lineup, said he felt badly for White but thought a change could be beneficial. “We were struggling. Something had to be done,” he said.

Manager Doug Rader said the move “should be looked at as an opportunity and not a demotion,” and that although White had made strides in improving his offensive efforts, his production was insufficient. White, who in 1987--his first full season--hit .263 with 24 home runs and 87 runs batted in, peaked this season at .227 on June 2. He had seven home runs and 22 RBIs.

“Hopefully, this will get him over the hump,” Rader said. “Hopefully, by removing the pressure of major league life and competition, he might be able to do that. We understand we’re going to lose (the defensive) aspect. It’s something you don’t relish, but we’re trying to develop a player to the greatest degree of his ability, and that includes offense as well.”

General Manager Mike Port said he remains convinced that White’s potential is genuine and said the time in Edmonton could allow the Angels “to find the key for him to play to the best of those abilities.”

“The adjustment we made today is purely constructive in nature,” Port said by phone from California. “It’s not in any way detrimental to Devon. The potential is absolutely there and, aside from that, we’ve all seen the abilities he has on the basepaths and how he can drive the ball. There was too terribly much ability there for us to go on with the status quo. We hope this constitutes taking a step back to take two steps forward.”

Port also said that reducing the number of outfielders to five, plus designated hitter Brian Downing, was not the sole intent. “This gives us the 11th pitcher, and we had pretty good stretches last season when we had 11 pitchers,” Port said.