Cold Corners : Perez at Third, Snow at First Must Turn Up Fires on Tepid Careers to Keep Jobs

If the Angels had hitters like Cal Ripken Jr. at shortstop and Roberto Alomar at second base, there wouldn’t be as much pressure on first baseman J.T. Snow and third baseman Eduardo Perez to produce offensively.

But the last time it was checked, Cooperstown wasn’t calling for any Gary DiSarcina or Damion Easley bats, so Snow and Perez must hit if the Angels are to have a chance in the American League West this season--and if the infielders are to remain in Anaheim.

“If they don’t get it done, we’re going to have to look for other alternatives,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “Ed and J.T. pretty much have their jobs going into the season; they’re the front-runners. But they could lose them.”

Perez and Snow have much in common. Both are sons of prominent professional athletes--Tony Perez was the power-hitting first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds’ “Big Red Machine” of the 1970s; Jack Snow was a wide receiver for the Rams for nine seasons.

Both hit home runs in their Angel debuts--Snow in the 1993 season opener; Perez on July 27 of that season.

But they are also linked by a more dubious distinction. Both are coming off poor seasons and must prove they belong in the major leagues.

Perez began 1994 as the Angels’ first baseman, but he had never fully recovered from elbow surgery after the ’93 season. The injury limited his winter conditioning, and he admittedreporting to camp in “the worst baseball shape” of his life.

He hit five home runs in his first 15 games but was batting .209 in early June--.188 against right-handers--when he was optioned to triple-A Vancouver, where he spent the rest of the season.

“I came back too soon last year,” Perez, 25, said. “I was soft, weak, and it definitely affected me offensively and defensively.”

Snow, the one-month wonder of 1993, began the season at Vancouver and was recalled June 4, when Perez went down. The smooth-fielding left-hander had eight homers and knocked in 30 runs, fair numbers for 61 games, but he hit .220, unacceptable to Lachemann.

“J.T. needs to know what kind of hitter he is, what kinds of balls he can handle, and be selective,” Lachemann said. “No hitter has command of the entire strike zone. The best hitters lay off the pitches they can’t handle, and when they get a pitch in their area, they whack it.”

He doesn’t need Snow and Perez to be the cornerstones of the offense. Right fielder Tim Salmon and designated hitter Chili Davis fill those roles.

He just needs the infielders to have the kind of years the organization believes they’re capable of--averages in the .260-.280 range, 15-20 home runs, 70 or so RBIs--so opponents aren’t able to pitch around Salmon and Davis.

“If we get good years from J.T. and Eddie, we’re a much better club,” General Manager Bill Bavasi said. “We just need Ed to perform as we project him and J.T. to put the ball in play consistently. He doesn’t have to hit for great power, but he needs to handle himself well in RBI situations.”

The two have always been burdened by high expectations, Perez because of his 6-foot-4, 215-pound build and bloodlines and Snow because of his incredible start in 1993.

Who can forget that?

The hometown kid from Los Alamitos High, scorned for being part of the trade that sent Angel fan favorite Jim Abbott to the New York Yankees, resurrected memories of Wally Joyner by hitting .407 with six homers and 17 RBIs in his first 15 games.

Two weeks into the season, Snow was on pace to break Roger Maris’ single-season home record of 61. But opposing pitchers figured him out, and in six weeks, his average plummeted to .205. By the end of July, he was in Vancouver.

He rebounded to hit .340 in triple-A, was recalled in late August and hit .281 with five homers and 14 RBIs in the last 38 games, which left front-office officials scratching their heads.

“I know I spoiled them with that ’93 start,” Snow said. “When things weren’t going well, they wondered why I couldn’t do what I had done. The big start was like an albatross. I kept putting pressure on myself to get back to where I was, but the reason that happened was because I was so focused, not worrying about anything.”

Snow, almost traded to the New York Mets before the 1994 season, said he’s through with the constant self-analysis that may have contributed to his struggles.

“This year I feel more like I’m just one of the guys in the clubhouse,” he said. “I’m done looking back on stuff, trying to figure out why things happened. I’m just going to let it all hang out, prove I belong here and get the first-base job.

“It all comes down to how I hit. They know what I can do defensively. Offensively, I’ve had some big-time flashes and some not-so-hot moments. I just have to find a median where I can settle in and be myself.”

Perez definitely has to hit because he won’t remind anyone of Brooks Robinson defensively. He has an awkward, almost herky-jerky throwing motion that makes it appear as if he has a sore arm.

He grew up throwing side-arm and was comfortable with the motion, but Florida State coaches taught him to throw overhand. He is still trying to get the hang of it.

“His mechanics are different,” Lachemann said. “We’ve messed around with it, but it would be hard to change his whole arm action. The key thing is he’s healthy. We don’t want to make it an added burden.”

Lachemann would rather Perez concentrate on offense, where the Angels project him for 20-25 home runs--even though the 1991 first-round pick has never hit more than 12 in any of four professional seasons.

“I guess it’s the scouts’ and coaches’ job to say what the expectations are, but I don’t consider myself a home run hitter,” he said. “I never was at any level. I’m just going to try to do what I do best, and that’s hit line drives.”

He believes he’ll be more successful this season because he’s healthy. In addition to the sore elbow last season, he sprained a ligament in his left wrist, strained his rib cage and played the final six weeks with a hernia that eventually was surgically repaired.

“I was a basic mess,” he said.

He spent this winter playing in Puerto Rico and working out almost every day with a personal trainer.

“I’m not going to let what happened last year happen again,” Perez said. “I didn’t help the team at all.”