BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Smith, Williams Struggle During One-Inning Stints

The Angels looked for the first time at their right-left bullpen combination under game conditions, and, for the most part, liked what they saw.

Only a handful of spectators were on hand to watch right-hander Lee Smith and lefty Mitch Williams each pitch an inning during an intrasquad game. Neither showed the form they’re famous for, but Manager Marcel Lachemann wasn’t concerned.

Smith, renowned for his control, struggled, walking two batters. Williams, renowned for his wildness, didn’t walk anyone, but gave up a home run to second baseman Damion Easley.

“He threw a lot today,” Lachemann said of Smith, the team’s closer. “He must have thrown for 20 minutes in the bullpen before the game. I’m not going to worry about him or evaluate him on a day-to-day basis. That’s going to happen during the season. It’s spring training time.”

Williams, a closer throughout his career, is expected to be the setup man for Smith.

“He’s probably a click or two under what he’s going to be,” Lachemann said of Williams’ velocity. “He’s not a 94- or 95-m.p.h. guy anymore. He wasn’t in Philadelphia. If he throws strikes, he’ll be fine.”

*

Among scouts at the game was Buck Rodgers, fired as the Angels’ manager last May. He is working for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rodgers, who criticized the Angel front office after his firing and once accused team President Richard Brown of being a “cancer” in the organization, said he harbors no more ill feelings.

“Everyone’s all over that,” said Rodgers, who still lives in Yorba Linda and scouts West Coast teams. “There were some sour grapes after it happened, some things were said, but you just accept it and go on to the next step.”

Rodgers’ contract ran through the 1995 season, so the Angels are still paying his $600,000 salary. “That’s why there’s no food in the press box,” New York Met scout Harry Minor joked.

Asked if scouting was very difficult, Rodgers said, “It is on your rear end. You do a lot of sitting. But being in baseball so long, you’re always scouting, teaching, managing, you do it all.”

*

Veteran pitcher Scott Sanderson, 38, said he knows he’ll retire some day, but he doesn’t see any reason to do it now.

“I take it year by year,” Sanderson said. “If, in the year before, something dictates in my performance that I should stop I would. But I started out last season 8-3. That did not suggest it was time to hang it up.”

*

Brian Anderson, Andrew Lorraine and Joe Magrane are scheduled to pitch three innings each in today’s exhibition opener against the Milwaukee Brewers at 1 p.m. at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Cal Eldred will start for the Brewers. . . . By Wednesday at noon, the Angels had sold 1,292 tickets. Last year’s exhibition home opener attracted 4,952. A paltry 882 watched the replacement opener last month. . . . Rob Deer and Rene Gonzales might sit out today’s games because of minor injuries. Deer has a groin strain, an injury he says he gets each spring. Gonzales has a strained left rib cage. . . . The club signed infielder Luis Raven to a one-year deal. He batted .304 with 18 homers and 57 runs batted in at double-A Midland and .305 with 13 homers and 59 RBIs at triple-A Vancouver last season.