BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Salmon Gets Charge Out of Seeing Unitas

Right fielder Tim Salmon rushed into the Angel clubhouse Tuesday night, grabbed a baseball, borrowed a pen from a reporter and ran back onto the field during the postgame ceremony honoring Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken.

Former Baltimore Colt quarterback Johnny Unitas had just presented Ripken with one of his game jerseys, and Salmon, a big Unitas fan, was determined to get his autograph on a ball, which he did.

A few minutes later, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson and Ernie Banks each presented gifts to Ripken, and Salmon suddenly had an empty feeling.

“Man, I didn’t know all those other guys were going to be here,” Salmon said. “If I’d have known, I would have waited to get their autographs.”

It wasn’t a total loss. Salmon did shake Aaron’s hand and had a brief discussion with baseball’s all-time home run leader before heading back to the clubhouse.

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Shortstop Gary DiSarcina played catch with a glove on his injured left hand for the first time Tuesday, a major step in his recovery from a torn thumb ligament.

The Angels hope he can spend a week playing in Arizona later this month before returning for the playoffs.

“It’s part of the progression,” trainer Rick Smith said. “He hasn’t made the jump from A to F, just from A to B. He’s on schedule.”

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Manager Marcel Lachemann started Mike Aldrete in place of left fielder Garret Anderson, based on Aldrete’s .533 lifetime average (8 for 15) against Baltimore starter Scott Erickson.

Aldrete, however, went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.