BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : DiSarcina: Players Are Too Sensitive

Shortstop Gary DiSarcina said he hopes Buck Rodgers’ habit of saying exactly what was on his mind didn’t play a role in his firing. But if some Angel players were offended by Rodgers’ less-than-complimentary public critiques, DiSarcina suggests they find a new way to earn a living.

“If you expect any praise when you’ve done your job well, then you ought to expect to get ripped if you don’t,” DiSarcina said. “And if you’re sensitive about reviews of your performance, then you’ve picked the wrong profession.”

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Rookie left-hander Brian Anderson, who broke his thumb while trying to field a ground ball with his bare hand May 6, is still wearing a cast but was cleared to play catch for the first time Wednesday. . . . Most of the Angels were sad to see Rodgers go, but many--pitchers especially--will be happy to see Marcel Lachemann return. The former Angel pitching coach has been almost a father figure for some of them. “The thing about Lach,” Scott Lewis said, “is that he had this way of finding something good about the worst day you ever had.” . . . Before Wednesday night’s game, the Angels had more hits (396) than any team in baseball. But opponents were hitting .292 against Angel pitching.