COMMENTARY : Finley Paves Way on Opening Day : Opener: After Parker puts his hammer down, his batting debut as an Angel is one for the book.

Optimism on opening day is allowed, even encouraged, even in Houston, but the new-look, old-look, suddenly-worth-a-second-look Angels might need some reining in after Tuesday night.

Top of the second inning, one out. Dave Parker has taken his first regular-season sledgehammer swings as an Angel and now he puts the hammer down.

Slowly, Parker plods into the left-hand batter’s box.

Quickly, Larry Babcock, an Angel public relations assistant, picks up a media guide.

“Let’s see,” Babcock says, flipping through the book. “Page 266--’Home Run In First At-Bat As An Angel.’ ”

Yes, giddiness is in the air.

First pitch to Parker. A strike.

Second pitch to Parker. A strike.

Babcock doesn’t budge. He has called his shot, kind of, sort of, and he can’t call it off now.

Third pitch to Parker.

Add another name to Page 266.

Research tells us that Parker’s home run against Erik Hanson could be an omen, or then again, maybe not; could be a big deal, or then again just another line of agate type.

Claudell Washington was the last man to hit a homer in his first Angel at-bat. Mark Ryal, Dave Machemer and a pitcher named Don Rose also did it. Angel footnotes, all of them.

Then again, Ted Kluszewski and Frank Robinson also rounded the bases after their first Angel at-bats, so you never know.

Parker’s entre could mean absolutely nothing for this team . . . or possibly everything.

The Angels vote for everything.

More amazement awaited with Parker’s next at-bat, a sinking line drive to left field that eluded the grasp of Seattle’s sliding Tracy Jones and skidded all the way to the fence.

Two-Ton Parker had to run. To first base as Jones regained his bearings.

To second as Jones reclaimed the baseball.

And, yes, to third, tempting the fates as well as Jones’ throwing arm.

Around the same bases Jeffrey Leonard used to cruise, post-home run, with the flaps down. Parker did it his way, which was to crash land. When Parker runs, the stadium shakes. When Parker slides, the earth moves.

Parker was safe at third. The official scorer granted him a triple.

Another Angel first.

If there is a second, they will probably have the foam and the fire trucks ready.

Parker, two months shy of his 40th birthday, scored on a single by Lance Parrish, two months shy of his 35th birthday, and the Angels led, 2-0 . . . and isn’t this Angel anti-youth movement something?

Oh, of course, the Angels wallowed through nervous time during the final innings. That, too, will be a tone for this season. As bullpens go, the Angels are thin in the middle, and closer Bryan Harvey can be a surprise a minute, but this night he weathered the madness and pulled the Angels along with him to a 3-2 victory.

This is what the Angels had in mind when they traded the future for the present and sent Dante Bichette’s potential to Milwaukee for Parker’s proven stock. It doesn’t often work out that way--did someone mention Doug Corbett?--but this is 1991 and after 30 years of negative thinking, the Angels are giving positive a go.

Barely an inning into the season, and they’re calling home runs.

The Mariners could have seen Parker’s home run coming, too, if they had access to a dugout television monitor. Moments before Parker’s first at-bat, a graphic flashed across the screen, outlining Hanson’s scouting report on Parker.

It was six words long:

Stay away, stay away, stay away.

Hanson stayed away and stayed away but on the third pitch, he and catcher Dave Valle changed their minds. Valle set up behind the plate, holding his glove high and inside, and Hanson delivered.

As did Parker.

The Angels seemed to draw strength from Parker. Chuck Finley, the erstwhile ace who wandered aimlessly through the spring with a 9.00 earned-run average, held the Mariners hitless through 4 2/3 innings and scoreless through seven. Parrish had three singles and an RBI.

What does it mean?

That the Angels are undefeated, which they never could say last year.

That the wild Kingdome can be conquered.

That wishful thinking sometimes is rewarded.

And that life for this franchise, the good life, might begin after 30.