BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Gallagher Appears to Be a Perfect Fit

Dave Gallagher, the newest Angel, is a member of the New Jersey Inventors’ Hall of Fame and once bowled a 300 game. Or so he told beat writers during his first stint with the Angels in 1991.

Turned out that in addition to being a solid outfielder and a quality hitter, he has been known to tell a tall tale or two.

“He’s an excellent player,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “And he has a great personality on top of it. I think he fits in great.”

Gallagher, acquired from Philadelphia in a trade for Kevin Flora on Wednesday, joined the team Friday. The club sent Orlando Palmeiro to triple-A Vancouver to make room for Gallagher.

Gallagher, 34, joins a team that is far different from the ’91 Angels.

“We had a lot of star-quality players and Sports Illustrated picked us to be a World Series team,” Gallagher said. “As it turned out, we were in last place with a .500 record.”

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The Angels might have one more trade in mind, a deal that would send minor-leaguer Eduardo Perez to Detroit for shortstop Chris Gomez.

Gomez, from Long Beach State, has been groomed to take over the Tiger shortstop job when Alan Trammell retires. The Angels would like Gomez to start in place of Gary DiSarcina, who will be sidelined the rest of the regular season after thumb surgery.

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Right-hander Mike Bielecki, on the disabled list since July 18 with shoulder tendinitis, will throw before tonight’s game, then take a few days off before pitching a simulated game.