BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Hudler Thrilled to Be Back in Majors

It has taken two years, a foreign tour, and a spring training release, but Rex Hudler finally was back in the big leagues again Wednesday night, starting at second base for the Angels.

“It’s unbelievable what has happened to my life the last two weeks,” Hudler said. “I get released from the Giants, we have our first baby, and two days later, Mr. (Bill) Bavasi is knocking on my door asking, ‘Can Rex come out to play?’

“If Mr. Bavasi hadn’t rescued me, I would be in the minor leagues today with the Atlanta Braves.”

Hudler, who last played in the big leagues in 1992 for the St. Louis Cardinals, spending last year in Japan with the Yakult Swallows, says the experience will be invaluable to him this season.

“Hey, after playing there,” Hudler said, “I can handle anything. I missed a hit-and-run sign the first week of the season, and I was dropped from second to eighth in the batting order the whole year. When we made the World Series, they told me I better not make an error. One guy made an error in the World Series and he was released on the spot.”

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Manager Buck Rodgers was elated with his club’s opening victory over the Minnesota Twins, but he says it still pales in comparison to the 1962 opener.

“That was the year when President Kennedy threw out the first pitch,” Rodgers said, “and in those days, that was a pretty big deal.

“Of course, that was before players made more money than the president, too.”

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Scott Lewis, who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to close out Tuesday’s victory, was greeted in the clubhouse Wednesday with a fax awaiting from his pal Darryl Scott. Scott, who spent most of last season with Lewis in triple-A Vancouver, now is pitching for the Yokohama Taiyo Whales.

Scott received a two-year contract for $1.6 million, but already is finding out about life in Japan. He is instructed to throw 100 pitches in the bullpen each day at the ballpark, and off the field has rudely discovered that a cantaloupe costs $20, and Big Macs go for $6.

“That could have been me,” Lewis said, shaking his head. “I got a good offer, and we discussed it, but now’s not the time to consider it. Hopefully, that time won’t come for a while.”