ANGELS : Curveball Is Answer to Future for Abbott

Others may say Jim Abbott is due for a breakthough season, one in which his talent and poise bring 16 or 17 victories, but success doesn’t come by the numbers for the Angel left-hander.

Abbott is learning the nuances of pitching rather than trying to power his way to a 20-victory season. Although he was the loser in the Angels’ 3-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners Saturday at Angels Stadium, Abbott saw enough in his 4 2/3 innings to be encouraged about his progress this spring.

“It’s reasonable for me to improve with every year. I don’t think that’s out of the question,” said Abbott, who was 12-12 as a rookie in 1989 and 10-14 last season. “I expect to do better this year than the previous two.

“It’s a learning process. There’ve been some tough times and some good times the past two years. Hopefully, you can take some of those times and translate them into being a better pitcher. As far as setting goals, I don’t know if that would be a good idea. It’s better to look for improvement within my pitching and let the numbers take care of themselves.”

Abbott gave up five hits, walked three and struck out two in the longest exhibition outing by an Angel starter. He escaped a bases-loaded, two-out situation in the second inning but gave up three runs in the fifth on a walk, two singles and a double by Harold Reynolds.

The Angels scored once in the first inning and once in the seventh on a double by Dave Winfield--his sixth in his last nine at-bats--and a single by Lance Parrish. Bill Krueger and Dave Burba shut them out thereafter.

Abbott threw 93 pitches, using his curveball about 10% to 15% of the time, by his estimation. His success will be determined by his ability to refine his curveball into a quality third pitch, after his fastball and slider. “It has been this spring,” he said. “I made some real good pitches today that I’m happy with.”

He’s also happy about the addition of Dave Parker to the Angels’ lineup and the club’s offensive improvement.

“It’s nice to score two or three runs in the first inning. It was tough last year. There were games you would just battle, battle, battle,” Abbott said. “You get some quick runs early, you can go out there and pitch easier. The game just takes a different perspective when there’s runs on the board.

“I’m really excited. I’d like to be pivotal. I feel great mentally and physically, and I’d like to contribute and be in a pennant race. That’s the most exciting thing I can think of, to be around Orange County when we’re in a pennant race. That would be awesome.”

Angel Notes

Angel owner Gene Autry said he believes salaries might reach a point where only clubs in major markets can afford to pay their players. The Angels’ player payroll will be $32 million this season, but Autry said the escalation of salaries won’t drive him out of the game. “I don’t blame the players,” Autry said. “I blame the owners for ever getting into this thing. Including me, first. I hold no grudge against baseball players, but the time comes when reality has to set in.”

Jeff Robinson followed Jim Abbott with 2 1/3 hitless innings, and Cliff Young retired the Mariners in order in the eighth and ninth. Robinson is sure of a setup spot in the bullpen, but Young’s occasional control problems make his chances tenuous. Manager Doug Rader indicated that right-hander Mark Eichhorn has a better chance than Young of joining Robinson, Bryan Harvey and Floyd Bannister in the bullpen.

Bert Blyleven will pitch only in simulated games as he continues his recovery from right shoulder surgery. The first was to be today. . . . Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said Scott Lewis and Joe Grahe, who are competing for Blyleven’s spot in the starting rotation, will get a chance to start “within the next five to seven days.”

Rick Schu left the club to be with his wife, Keri, for the birth of their first child, a boy, Saturday in Carmichael, a suburb of Sacramento. . . . Lt. Gen. Thomas Kelly, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War, will throw out the first pitch before the Angels’ April 15 home opener.