BASEBALL / GARY KLEIN : Anderson Makes Good Use of Time Spent on Bench

Garret Anderson did not a sign a contract with the Angels to sit on the bench.

When he was selected out of Kennedy High in the fourth round of the 1990 draft, Anderson believed the fastest way to advance through the system to Anaheim Stadium was by playing every day in the outfield.

At 19, Anderson is the youngest member of the Quad City (Iowa) Angels in the Class-A Midwest League. But the 6-foot-3, 200-pound outfielder is mature enough to acknowledge that the 21 consecutive games he spent on the bench earlier this season might have been invaluable.

Strained tendons in his left wrist forced Anderson out of the lineup.

“It was frustrating, but it gave me a lot of time to think about how I could approach hitting,” said Anderson, who was batting .225 at the time of his injury. “I think it helped watching what pitchers try to do with certain counts.

“I was looking at situations and just basically waiting to get back in there.”

Since returning to the lineup a few weeks ago, Anderson has raised his average to .252. At one point, it was as high as .274.

Anderson has 13 doubles, one home run and 25 runs batted in in 65 games. He also has 56 strikeouts in 242 at-bats.

“Every time I look at the stat sheet, I kind of mess up,” Anderson said. “I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence or what.

“I’m striking out more than I’d like, but I feel like I’m getting better and learning more every day.”

We are family: Like father, like son?

Damon Buford certainly hopes so.

Buford, the 21-year-old son of former major leaguer Don Buford, is having a good season at Frederick (Md.), the Baltimore Orioles’ Class-A affiliate in the Carolina League.

Damon Buford, a Birmingham High and USC graduate who was selected in the 10th round of last year’s draft, is playing center field and batting .251 with five homers, 40 RBIs and 31 stolen bases.

Damon, 21, is the youngest of Don Buford’s three sons.

Don Buford Jr., 26, played in the Orioles’ organization for three years. Last season, he batted .196 in 50 games for double-A Hagerstown (Md.), but left baseball to continue medical school at UCLA.

Darryl Buford, 23, did not play baseball beyond high school and is attending law school at USC.

“I’m my father’s last chance,” Damon recently told Doug Brown of the Baltimore Evening Sun. “I wouldn’t be playing now if I didn’t think I had a chance to make the big leagues.”

Don Sr. keeps a watchful eye on Damon as a roving instructor for the Orioles. But Manager Wally Moon of Frederick said that the elder Buford gives equal time to all the players in the Orioles’ minor league system.

“Don has a huge job in the organization, working with 145 youngsters,” Moon said. “He can’t just dote on his son.”

Home on the range: Fili Martinez got his hoped-for promotion from Class-A Palm Springs to double-A Midland (Tex.) last month, but the left-hander from Cal State Northridge has hardly felt at home--especially when he pitches in his home ballpark.

Angels Stadium in Midland is notorious for high-scoring games and wind-blown home runs.

Martinez is 2-2 with a 6.02 earned-run average. His two wins have come on the road, where his ERA is 3.00.

Martinez, who was the Angels’ ninth-round draft choice in 1989, has given up nine home runs and 27 walks in 46 1/3 innings.

“Instead of getting them out with my pitch, I’ve been trying not to let them hit the ball,” Martinez said. “This park makes you think that way and you can’t do that if you want to be successful here.

“I guess that’s why it takes time to get adjusted to Midland.”

Moving up: Cincinnati Reds farmhand Chris Vasquez smacked a game-winning home run in his second game after being promoted July 12 from the Charleston Wheelers of the Class-A South Atlantic League to Cedar Rapids of the Class-A Midwest League.

Vasquez, a former Hart High outfielder, is eight for 28 with two home runs and three doubles with Cedar Rapids.

Recommended reading: The 1941 baseball season was arguably the greatest in history from a fan’s perspective.

This was the year: Joe DiMaggio hit in 56 consecutive games; Ted Williams batted .406; Lefty Grove won his 300th game; and the Dodgers and Yankees met in the World Series for the first time.

Robert W. Creamer brings this sensational season to life in “Baseball in 1941: A Celebration of the ‘Best Baseball Season Ever’ in the Year America Went to War.” (Viking, $19.95).

Creamer, who has written books about Babe Ruth and Casey Stengel, weaves the baseball events and historical events of 50 years ago with his own memories to give the reader a sense of being there.