Anderson Lands on His Feet After Free Fall From Angels

Angel pitchers and catchers report to camp in Tempe, Ariz., today and . . . not so fast, Brian Anderson.

Anderson, the Angels’ No. 1 draft selection of 1993, was traded to Cleveland Thursday for a couple of pitchers--neither of them named Hershiser, only one of them on the Indians’ 40-man roster--which means Anderson’s incredible individual free fall is finally over, now that he has landed in Winter Haven.

In less than two month’s time, Anderson went from No. 2 in the Angels’ projected starting rotation for 1996 to out of the rotation, out of the bullpen and out of the organization altogether.

How did this happen?

Simply put, Anderson was a victim of circumstances.

Primarily:

Chuck Finley signed with the Angels.

Jim Abbott signed with the Angels.

Steve Ontiveros signed with the Angels.

How To Become A Fifth Starter In Three Autographs Or Less.

Then, the Angels noticed that without Bob Patterson, they had a vacancy for a left-handed short reliever. Another unfortunate circumstance. Anderson is 23, much too young to be consigned to part-time work, but he’s a lefty and the Angels had too many of those already in the rotation and not enough in the bullpen. Anderson could visualize his typical night’s pitch count dwindling from 70 or 80 to seven or eight.

Today, he’s in a much better place. The Indians won the pennant last year, ought to hold onto it for at least another and have a rotation currently occupied by five right-handers. What happens next is not difficult to fathom.

October 1996: And another ex-Angel makes it to the World Series.

Meanwhile, back in Tempe, pitchers and catchers are due to report today, and you can almost hear Marcel Lachemann welcoming them back from here.

“Hello Mark. Hello Chuck. Hello Jim. Hello Steve. Hello Phil. Hello Shawn. Hello Lee. Hello Troy. Hello Bryan.”

Long pause.

“Any of you guys seen any catchers around here?”

Originally, Kirt Manwaring was supposed to report, but that was before Philadelphia beat San Francisco to free-agent catcher Benito Santiago, which meant the Giants no longer had the luxury of trading Manwaring for Damion Easley.

Then, Joe Oliver was expected to report, but the Angels and Oliver couldn’t agree on a contract. Oliver wants Benito Santiago money--$1.1 million, plus incentives--but the Angels much prefer Jorge Fabregas money, even if they do not prefer Jorge Fabregas catching, throwing and hitting.

So, Oliver remains unsigned, a free agent in limbo, waiting for spring training to progress to the point where the Angels or some other team start choking on the passed balls and reach for the cellular phone screaming and/or collapsing into a pathetic, sobbing heap.

For the time being, Fabregas holds the title of Angel Starting Catcher. It’s his job to lose, which is what he did last season, right around the end of August, to Andy Allanson, despite the facts that Allanson spent much of 1995 at Class-A Lake Elsinore, hit .171 for the Angels and was waived minutes after the playoff loss to Seattle.

After Fabregas, it’s John Ron Orton-Tingley, who is not Scandinavian, but is, in reality, two catchers sharing the same body. Have Arm, Will Travel. Have Friend In Lach, Will Bat .190 Wherever He May Roam.

One more candidate is 24-year-old Todd Greene, Baseball Weekly’s 1995 minor league player of the year, who won the award for his 40 home runs at Midland and Vancouver last season, not his 15 passed balls. Greene is still learning the position--he’s a converted infielder--and the Angels would prefer to see him spend a full season in Triple-A.

Greene has the time, but do the Angels?

The Angels begin spring training favored to win the American League West for the first time in a decade. I won’t dwell on the last time this happened. (All right, I give: It was 1987, the Angels were defending AL West champs, Joyner-McLemore-Howell-Schofield was the Infield Of The ‘90s, Devon White was a rookie of the year contender, Brian Downing hit 29 home runs and the Angels finished the summer 75-87, 10 games out, tied for last.) The Angels are favored because they kept Finley and Abbott and the Seattle Mariners didn’t keep Mike Blowers and Tino Martinez, the Texas Rangers lost Otis Nixon and Kenny Rogers and the Oakland Athletics followed the Rams to St. Louis.

Tony La Russa now manages the Cardinals, which explains why Dennis Eckersley, Todd Stottlemyre, Mike Gallego and Rick Honeycutt now play for the Cardinals. The Angels, Padres, White Sox and Yankees picked over the remains--Ontiveros, Rickey Henderson, Danny Tartabull, Ruben Sierra--leaving Oakland with nothing but Mark McGwire and Terry Steinbach.

(Steinbach. Pretty good catcher. If the A’s are still in a franchise-gutting mood, shouldn’t Bill Bavasi be calling?)

Rather than keeping pace with the Angels, the Mariners devoted this off-season to becoming the Angels. Luis Polonia was signed to bat leadoff. Mike Butcher and John Farrell were invited to come on down and fill out the pitching staff. Paul Sorrento was brought in to play first base. Luis Sojo you already know about.

Can Seattle’s ex-Angels hold off Anaheim’s new Angels, who, by and large, are Anaheim’s old Angels, including Jack Howell, Dick Schofield, Willie Fraser, Bryan Harvey, Orton and Tingley?

That’s one weighty question to be aired out under the Arizona sun during the next six weeks.

When does Lance Parrish report?

OK, that’s two.