Silent Spring for Angel Replacement Games : Baseball: California and San Diego play 12 innings before settling for a tie, 3-3.

Recent polls have indicated that a majority of baseball fans would watch games involving replacement players. So where were these people Friday?

An intimate gathering of about 350--thousands fewer than the Angels’ 1994 exhibition season-opening crowd of 4,952--were in Tempe Diablo Stadium to watch the Angels play the San Diego Padres.

After 12 innings failed to produce a winner, both managers agreed to accept a 3-3 tie because the Padres were out of pitchers.

Not one fan booed.

It’s not that the game was poorly played. There was only one error on each side, most routine plays were handled with ease and there was even one spectacular play: Angel center fielder Chris Powell smashed into the wall after catching Keith Thomas’ drive to start the game.

But when the only excitement after the sixth inning is when Angel designated hitter Earl Cunningham’s bat flies out of his hands and lands 10 rows behind the third-base dugout after a strikeout in the 12th, there was no reason to be disappointed when the game was called.

Joel Smith and Tookie Spann each drove in runs in the first and Dave Liddell had a sacrifice fly in the second, but the Angels had only seven hits. San Diego had only six hits, including Larry See’s two-run homer in the third and Jay Andrews’ RBI single in the sixth, but was completely shut down from the sixth inning on.

And the pitching wasn’t that good.

“I don’t think (replacement baseball) is going to fly,” said J. Walter Smith, a retired engineer from Scottsdale who attended the game. “I was surprised at how good the players are--I didn’t expect to see such a flawless game--but people are more interested in the name players.”

Angel catcher Ken Briggs only asks that fans give them a chance.

“These guys are hustling, diving for balls, not show-boating, when people hear that, I think you’ll see more fans here,” Briggs said. “I think it will start building when everyone figures out this is no high school team. These guys can play.”

*

When spring training began two weeks ago, Mark Holzemer, a pitcher on the Angels’ 40-man roster who is working as a car salesman in the Phoenix area, didn’t feel much ill will toward replacement players.

But the more replacements become entrenched in the Angel clubhouse and the more Holzemer reads about them, the more perturbed he gets.

“I’m not golfing every day or buying houses, I’m working and those guys (replacements) are personally hurting me,” said Holzemer, a 25-year-old left-hander. “Now, I’m not as easy going about working at a dealership, and the replacements are starting to tick me off.”

Holzemer said the players union is taking note of who the replacements are, “and I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes,” when the strike ends, Holzemer said.

“I read where a lot of replacements are saying when the strike ends they’ll have a chance to stay in the system--are you kidding me?” Holzemer said. “I don’t think the owners are going to want these guys around. They’re back-stabbers. I’m fed up with them.”

*

Steve Springer, the former Marina High School and Golden West College infielder who has spent 13 years in the minor leagues, became a Padre replacement player for the same reason many younger minor leaguers have crossed the union’s symbolic picket line.

“I’ve got to make a buck,” said the 34-year-old Springer, who has appeared in only eight major league games and batted third in the Padre lineup Wednesday. “I’ve played 13 years, 10 in triple-A, and I’m still renting. I have a lot of friends on strike now, but they don’t pay my bills.”

*

Notes

The team has signed right-handed pitcher Shawn Boskie to a minor-league contract but said he would not be a replacement player. Boskie, 27, pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners last season, going a combined 4-7 with a 5.06 earned-run average in 22 games. A first-round pick of the Cubs in 1986, Boskie has a career 23-36 record and 4.59 ERA. . . . By mutual consent, the Angels and their flagship television station, KTLA, have agreed to cancel their two spring training telecasts scheduled for March 11 (against San Diego) and 18 (against Milwaukee). Both broadcasts will be re-scheduled at a later date during the regular season. . . . There were no household names on the field Friday, but the Angel and Padre coaching staffs could have put a high-profile infield together: Rod Carew (Angels) at first base, Davey Lopes (Padres) at second, Rick Burleson (Angels) at shortstop and Graig Nettles (Padres) at third. . . . Among those in attendance Friday was Gene Autry, the team’s chairman of the board.