BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Postponement Was Postponed Too Long

Umpire Dave Phillips, the crew chief, stopped the Angels-Rangers game in the third inning Tuesday, waited two hours, and decided to postpone it.

They waited to make the announcement only because the Angels objected to playing the makeup game on their scheduled travel day, Thursday. If anything, the Angels said, they wanted the game played in the afternoon, considering their four-hour journey to Seattle for a three-game series beginning Friday.

While the Rangers were listening to the Angels’ complaints, the rain stopped, the weather report suddenly changed, and at 11:02 p.m. (CDT) they were playing again.

Ranger pitcher Bruce Hurst, who was making his first start of the season, was already showered and dressed by the time the game resumed. Angel starter Phil Leftwich, however, resumed pitching.

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Angel starter John Farrell is growing impatient. He knows he belongs in the big leagues. There’s nothing more for him to prove at triple-A Vancouver, already pitching four complete games with a 3.06 earned-run average, but yet, he must wait.

But Farrell is being hurt more by his contract more than his performance. His contract stipulates that he must be paid $200,000 once he is brought up to the big leagues, but he also has lucrative incentives.

Farrell must be paid $45,000 for every start he makes after his seventh appearance, or $20,000 every time he pitches in relief.

“We’re not going to put his contract ahead of our needs,” Bavasi said. “If we need him, he’ll be here.”

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Angel reliever Bill Sampen was informed after the suspended game that he would be optioned to triple-A Vancouver to make room for starter Mark Langston. “It was obvious something had to give,” said Sampen (1-1, 6.46 ERA), “but I didn’t know it was me.”

One of the primary reasons Sampen was sent down, Manager Buck Rodgers said, was because he still had an option left to be sent down without having to clear waivers.”That stinks when decisions are made like that,” Sampen said.

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Ranger closer Tom Henke has told friends he’s so unhappy he won’t be back after the 1994 season. He said he will retire, rejecting the $4 million option for the 1995 season.