BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Crim Makes Error Reading the Signs

Angel reliever Chuck Crim saw the scrawled nameplate of the new pitcher above the locker Monday morning and immediately started feeling sorry for teammate Scott Lewis.

The way Crim figured it, Darryl Scott would be replacing Lewis on the 25-man roster, with Lewis (1-2, 4.50 ERA) heading to triple-A Vancouver.

Instead, while the team was going onto the field for exercises before the game against Toronto, Crim was called into a meeting with Angel Manager Buck Rodgers and vice president Dan O’Brien.

Crim was being released.

Although the Angels still must pay the $734,465 remaining on his $1.1 million guaranteed contract, they believed it was senseless to keep him on the roster when they no longer had confidence in him. Crim (2-2, 5.87 ERA) had pitched in only 11 games and only twice since May 17. Even when the Angels had to use the bullpen extensively during the weekend series with Baltimore, Crim never appeared.

Still, as he emptied his locker Monday, Crim said: “I didn’t see it coming at all. Even when I saw (Scott) here, I didn’t think it was me. It’s one of those things you dread, but you never think it will happen to you.

“I’m not angry about this, just depressed. I didn’t want to leave here. We’re having a lot of fun right now, but now I’ve got to go.”

Crim must wait until Friday before clearing waivers and then will become a free agent.

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Scott was well aware of the Angels’ bullpen problems, knew he was pitching fairly well (4-0, 2.96 ERA), but still was surprised when he was informed of the news Sunday night after pitching an inning in Vancouver.

He wound up spending the rest of the night telephoning his wife and relatives in Minnesota and California, and before he knew it, was leaving at 4:30 in the morning for a 6 a.m. flight.

Scott made his major league debut in the eighth inning, yielding one hit and striking out Devon White.