‘Little Dave’ Helps the Angels When He’s Needed

The guy named Dave who sparked the Angels on Saturday night doesn’t cast a long shadow or create huge gusts of wind when he swings the bat.

Dave Gallagher, the little Dave on a team that features Dave Winfield and Dave Parker, made the offense go in his own little way.

Gallagher, who at 6 feet is dwarfed by Winfield (6-6) and Parker (6-5), had two singles and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to give the Angels a 2-1 victory over Minnesota at Anaheim Stadium. He also had a sacrifice bunt, which set up the Angels’ first run.

“My role on this team was made very clear during spring training,” Gallagher said. “When everyone is healthy, this is a very talented team. I know I’m not going to be an everyday player, but I have to be ready in case someone gets hurt.”

Such an occasion arose Saturday. Gallagher was filling in for Winfield, who has a strained hamstring. It was the fifth consecutive game the Angels were without their leader in home runs and runs batted in.

With Gallagher as the replacement, the Angels had a significant loss of power.

After all, this is a guy who hit only six home runs in his major league career, which would be a slow month for Winfield or Parker. And Gallagher hasn’t hit one since April 15, 1989.

But that doesn’t mean that Gallagher brings an anemic bat to the plate. A lifetime .271 hitter, he has five hits--all singles--in nine at-bats this season.

“I’m not the type of guy who’s going to do the big things, so I have to do the little things,” Gallagher said.

He did just that in the third inning Saturday. After Donnie Hill led off with a double, Gallagher sacrificed him to third. Hill then scored on a sacrifice fly by Junior Felix.

The Twins tied the score, 1-1, in the top of the eighth, but the Angels went back in front in the bottom of the inning with help from Gallagher.

With one out, he grounded a 2-0 pitch into right field for a single.

Gallagher moved to third on a groundout by Felix. He scored when Luis Polonia lined a single to center.

“Dave set up a run and scored a run,” Manager Doug Radar said. “I would say he was the major part of our offense tonight.”

Gallagher also contributed a running catch in the third inning, racing across right field to grab a foul ball by Brian Harper.

“A guy like Dave could be starting for most teams,” Radar said. “When you have people like him on the bench, you have a pretty good team.”

Gallagher has accepted his role as part-time player. He already has proved he can play every day; he hit .261 in 161 games for the Chicago White Sox in 1989.

“It’s tough being ready when you don’t play every day,” said Gallagher. “You can’t make adjustments from game to game, or even at-bat to at-bat. You have to make batting practice count for more.”

But winning, he said, makes up for the time on the bench.

“If the team is not winning, you could get swallowed up in a role like this,” Gallagher said. “But we’re winning and I’m satisfied with what I’m doing. I feel like I’m important doing the little things.”