BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Hayes Calls Meeting ‘Group Therapy’

A 50-minute, players-only meeting called after Friday’s game “was no different from what you’d call group therapy,” outfielder Von Hayes said Saturday.

“We have a lot of new people here who haven’t played together before, and it just gave us a chance to talk about some things and get to know each other better,” Hayes added. “I think it’ll help. I’ve been through some meetings before that weren’t like this. In Philadelphia, we had a lot of meetings, but most of them were front office people coming down and chewing the whole team out. . . .”

Interim Manager John Wathan, who declined an invitation to sit in, also expected the session to be beneficial. “We talked the day before and had an open floor and nobody said anything. (Friday) night, they talked . . . ,” he said in mock dismay. “I think among themselves, they felt more comfortable talking. Communication is very important.”

The Angels, who pick eighth in Monday’s free agent draft, will look closely at pitchers but plan to select the best player available, according to Senior Vice President Dan O’Brien.

Wathan visited Manager Buck Rodgers Saturday at Centinela Hospital Medical Center and said Rodgers was in good spirits. “He was worrying about us, which is real typical of Buck,” Wathan said. “If he listened (to Friday’s 14-2 loss), he probably had to take a little more medication for pain.” . . . Luis Polonia was back in the lineup Saturday after sitting Friday against left-hander Denis Boucher. “I needed a day off. I was driving myself crazy,” said Polonia, who was in a four-for-22 slump before Saturday. . . . Wathan plans to have Lance Parrish catch today, which would be Parrish’s first game behind the plate since coming off the disabled list Thursday.