Angels’ Squeakiest Hip Gets All the Grease, Attention

A tale of two left fielders, both from Chicago, both cast-adrift free agents, both signed by the Angels within the last three days:

Left fielder A has a career batting average of .285.

Left fielder B has a career batting average of .247.

Left fielder A hit .300 last season.

Left fielder B hit .232 last season.

Left fielder A had 11 home runs, 35 RBIs, 17 doubles and eight stolen bases last season.

Left fielder B had 16 home runs, 45 RBIs, nine doubles and zero stolen bases last season.

Left fielder A struck out 51 times in 310 at-bats last season.

Left fielder B struck out 106 times in 284 at-bats last season.

Left fielder A turned 30 in November and is in excellent physical condition.

Left fielder B turned 31 in November and has been a physical question mark since 1991.

Suppose you’re the Angels’ general manager. Which player gets the million-dollar contract?

Suppose you’re the Angels’ field manager. Which player would you rather have in your lineup?

Suppose you’re the Angels’ publicity director. Which player gets the major print, television and radio news conference at Anaheim Stadium?

Perception and reality were realigned into separate leagues this week with the Angels’ signings of left fielders A and B. Or, as they are more commonly known, Dwight Smith and Bo Jackson.

Jackson, who needs no introduction, received one anyway, his Anaheim arrival heralded with the most widely attended news conference the Angels have held since the signing of another Jackson, Reggie, in 1982.

Smith, meanwhile, became an Angel on Tuesday amid no pomp, no circumstance and only a few quick phone calls to the local beat writers. This is probably because Smith never won the Heisman Trophy, never played tailback for the Raiders, never hit the center-field tarp with an All-Star game-opening home run and never filmed any cleverly scripted shoe commercial aimed at making him a nationally beloved folk hero.

Bo knows publicity.

Dwight knows how to pinch-hit.

The difference can be measured in the zeros following the dollar sign on their contracts, and the size of the headlines welcoming them to Anaheim.

Dwight Smith, you may or may not know, is one of the premier pinch-hitters in baseball. Last season, he batted .375 in that role, ranking him third in the majors behind Atlanta’s Deion Sanders and the New York Yankees’ Dion James. He also had the highest batting average among Chicago Cub outfielders with more than 100 at-bats, appearing in a total of 111 games.

Bo played in only 85 games with the White Sox last season after sitting out all of 1992 following hip replacement surgery. But that was 80 to 84 games more than anyone else expected, and on that achievement alone, Bo was awarded the American League’s 1993 comeback player of the year trophy.

As for 1994, the house is divided. The Angels signed Jackson as an insurance policy for young left fielder Eduardo Perez, whose throwing arm remains tender after off-season arthroscopic surgery. If Perez’s elbow flares up, the Angels are hoping Jackson can fill in on a regular basis.

Ron Schueler, the White Sox general manager, has his doubts, however.

“He’s limited in his cutting and his ability to stop and start in the outfield,” Schueler says. “We needed someone more versatile to play an outfield position. We didn’t feel he could play enough to help us. We were looking for at least 100 games and we didn’t feel he could do that.

“We also always worried that he could re-break or re-injure his hip. We took X-rays at the end of the season and they showed some wear and tear, some deteriorating.”

Schueler says “Bo can help a team most as a DH . . . He still has that bat speed, he still has strength. (And) he still has a strong throwing arm. It would be tough to run on him if the ball was hit straight to him in left field, but we were really concerned with the stopping and cutting.”

The Angels already have a designated hitter, a pretty good one, Chili Davis. “He’s still there, isn’t he?” Schueler asks. Yes, he is, coming off a 112-RBI season. If there’s one thing the Angels don’t need, it’s another designated hitter.

Can Bo pitch?

Well, that depends upon your definition. Right now, the Angels have games to be saved and tickets to be sold. Most likely, Bo won’t be seen in the Angel bullpen anytime soon. But on billboards? Hey, the man can pitch.

Last year, the Angels sold 13,000 season tickets. This year, as of Feb. 1, season-ticket renewals are at 9,590.

In other words, Bo has come to the rescue in the nick of time, just in time for the stretch run.

Before Bo, the Angels’ most substantial off-season addition was Spike Owen. Now, on paper and promotional pamphlets, the Angels can return fire with the rest of the American League West.

Oakland signed Rickey Henderson.

Texas signed Will Clark.

Seattle signed Greg Hibbard.

The Angels signed Bo Jackson.

And if they need a left fielder whose bat can turn on a curveball, if not the turnstiles, whose hip is sturdy enough to go the distance, if not to the next photo shoot, they also have Dwight Smith.