BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : For Davis, It’s Time to Prove Himself

Chili Davis strolled into the Angels’ spring training camp Saturday looking for his new locker, introducing himself to new teammates, but finding the same old situation.

Coming off the finest year of his career, Davis still must prove himself all over again just to assure that he’ll be back.

It’s the third time in five years that he has played in the final year of a contract, and the previous two experiences left him looking for new employers.

“Every year they keep saying, ‘You can’t, you can’t,’ ” Davis said. “I keep telling them, ‘I can, I can.’ ”

Davis, who hit 27 homers and drove in 112 runs last season, discussed a two-year contract extension last fall with the Angels, but failed to reach an agreement. The Angels wound up renewing Davis’ option for $2.4 million.

“The only thing I was disappointed in was how it was done,” Davis said. “Here I was, having one of my best years, and they have people telling me that they don’t want to pay a DH that kind of money.

“Come on, I don’t want to hear that. Show some gratitude. Renew my option, and then talk contract.”

Said Manager Buck Rodgers: “It’s a shame, because when a guy has a career year, he should get more out of it.”

Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said he likely will explore the possibility of a contract extension with Davis, but said it’s premature to predict if anything will transpire.

“It’s over with now,” said Davis, who missed the first two full-squad workouts because of personal business. “I know I’m not going to play any differently on a one-year contract than if I had a four-year.

“They know what I can do, and I’ll show them again.”

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Frank Tanana, 40, was warming up in the bullpen Saturday when he decided to experiment with a new pitch--a cut fastball. It’s a pitch he has not thrown in his 20-year career, but after a little success, well, you would have thought he found the fountain of youth.

“Hey, this might add another 15 years to my career,” he yelled to Rodgers. “When I turn 45, I’ll bring this out.”

It’s impossible to tell how Tanana is faring, Rodgers said, until the exhibition season commences.

“You know he has below-average stuff,” Rodgers said, “so you just have to sit back and wait for the results. We’ve got to find out whether he can still fool people.”

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Like almost everyone else in America, batting coach Rod Carew was watching the Olympic figure skating competition Friday night, but he had a different rooting interest than most. “I was pulling for (Tonya) Harding to win,” Carew said, laughing. “I was probably the only one. I was hoping she’d pull off a miracle.” . . . The Angel players closed the clubhouse doors and threw an impromptu birthday celebration for first baseman J.T. Snow, who turned 26 on Saturday. . . . Starter Russ Springer, who was a disappointment last season for the Angels, going 1-6 with a 7.20 earned-run average before being sidelined with a strained back, has caught the attention of the Angels’ coaching staff the first week. “He’s been a pleasant surprise,” Rodgers said. “You can tell something was bothering him with his back last year.”

. . . The Angels have scheduled intrasquad games Wednesday and Thursday before their Cactus League opener Friday against Colorado.