Finley’s Pitching Milestone Is News to Him : Baseball: With 103rd victory, he passes Frank Tanana as the team’s winningest left-handed pitcher.

The milestone didn’t register. Somebody had to tell Chuck Finley late Monday night, “Congratulations, you’re the winningest left-hander in team history.”

Finley had no idea, no clue that he’d just passed Frank Tanana with his 103rd victory as an Angel. Next: Mike Witt, who won 109, and Nolan Ryan, the all-time leader with 138 victories as an Angel.

“Nolan,” Finley mused aloud after going seven innings in a 9-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Anaheim Stadium. “If I start getting close to him, he’ll probably come out of retirement.”

He laughed.

Barring injury or a trade, Finley (4-5 with a 2.75 earned-run average) would figure to be a lock to pass Ryan. But Finley’s current contract, which pays him $4.5 million, expires at year’s end and he wondered aloud Monday whether he’ll begin talks with the Angels any time soon.

There is a new owner--Disney has agreed to buy 25% of the team--waiting in the wings, and Finley doubts there’s any urgency to sign him to a long-term deal.

“With new management, I don’t think they’re going to start handing out ATM cards,” Finley said. “I think they’re going to have to see where we’re at [before they make any signings or trades].”

Finley has never played for another major league team, breaking in during the halcyon days of 1986 and the Angels’ American League West title. Passing the 100-victory mark earlier this season meant more, he said.

It’s a nice, round number. But more than that, it marked a milestone of longevity for Finley.

“One hundred wins means more because I did it with one team,” he said. “It just doesn’t happen anymore with guys jumping around from team to team. They get 30 here and 30 there.”

Monday, Finley remembered how the club stuck by him when he was just beginning. In 1988, Marcel Lachemann was the team’s pitching coach and he huddled with Finley one day and told him he’d have the entire season to show his stuff.

Suddenly, the pressure was off. He could pitch without worrying that one faulty start would send him packing to the minors.

He would lose 15 games, and win nine, that season. And he’s had only one sub-.500 season since.

“I’ve had a lot of people in the organization who’ve believed in me,” he said. “Lach is the main one. They gave me the whole year in ’88 to see what I could do. That made me a better person, more mature.”

Witt was an early role model for Finley.

“When I got up here [to the majors], I really didn’t have any major league aspirations,” Finley said. “I took everything as a challenge, but I used to admire Mike Witt when he was in his prime, dominating everyone.”

Finley didn’t dominate the Twins Monday, but held them to five hits and one run in his seven innings. He had six strikeouts and only three walks.

A nine-run lead after four innings eased any burden he might have felt in trying to maintain his edge against the AL’s worst team.

He had a two-hitter going into the sixth inning, but gave up a leadoff double to Chuck Knoblauch. After a groundout, Knoblauch scored on a wild pitch.

Finley got out of trouble then pitched a scoreless seventh before turning the game over to the bullpen.

“I feel like I’ve kept us in every game this season,” Finley said. “I’m not going to be shutting people out. That’s not me. I’ve got to scrape and crawl for everything.”