Falling Angel : Abbott, Off to Worst Start of Career, Struggles to Find Solutions to Problem

No magic potion or spell will stop the worst slump of Jim Abbott’s eight-year career, but the Angel pitcher can’t just ignore superstition in trying times like these.

“I’ve tried every one of these shirts, and I haven’t won,” he said, motioning toward his locker in the Metrodome the other day. “You can’t burn them all. There were some shirts that weren’t allowed to make this trip. They’re back home, being punished.”

Some think Abbott, who signed a three-year, $7.8-million contract last winter, should be in one of those shirts that was left behind--or, at least, somewhere besides his current residence, in the Angel rotation.

Had Shawn Boskie been rocked for 26 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings over four consecutive starts, they say, he would have been banished to the bullpen.

Had Jason Grimsley gone 1-9 and led the major leagues in losses . . . heck, he would never go 1-9, because he’d be sent to the minor leagues long before that happened.

Manager Marcel Lachemann has heard such speculation, that Abbott is receiving special dispensation because of who he is: The organization’s fair-haired boy, the pitcher who has overcome incredible odds to become a big leaguer without ever throwing a minor league pitch, a favorite among Angel players and fans.

Lachemann bristles at the talk.

“They’re all missing the point,” Lachemann said, the anger apparent in his voice. “You’re talking about a guy who has won 18 games in the big leagues before, who has a great career earned-run average. He’s not like some rookie who’s 1-9, some Joe Schmo who has never done anything.

“I’m not going to keep running him out there if he’s going to lose 30 games, but you do take a longer look at someone who has succeeded. It’s not a sentimental thing, or because he has overcome all these obstacles. It’s the fact that he’s done it before in the big leagues.”

But will he do it again?

That’s the question as Abbott begins preparation today for his next start Tuesday night at Kansas City. Abbott’s regular turn in the rotation was Saturday, but Lachemann, taking advantage of Thursday’s off day, pushed him back to next week.

Lachemann swears it had nothing to do with the fact that Saturday’s pitcher must face Cleveland Indian sluggers Albert Belle, Eddie Murray and Jim Thome in Jacobs Field, whereas Tuesday’s opponent is Joe Vitiello, Michael Tucker and the Royals.

“We just want to give him a break in his routine,” Lachemann said.

Chuck Hernandez, Angel pitching coach, is hoping for something a little more drastic--a break in Abbott’s memory bank.

“When he pitches Tuesday he’s 0-0 with a 0.00 earned-run average,” Hernandez said. “It’s a new season. I just want him to chill until [today]. He’s on vacation this week. He’ll play catch, chew gum, have fun, and we’ll get back to work again [today].”

Oliver Stone could have a field day with all the theories as to why Abbott, who had a career 3.77 ERA through seven seasons, is 1-9 with a 7.38 ERA this season, with 33 walks and 28 strikeouts and a team-high 11 home runs given up in 68 1/3 innings.

He has lost velocity on his fastball, which has gone from the 89-mph range to the 80- to 85-mph range. He’s falling behind in counts and forced to come over the plate with too many fat pitches. He’s not changing speeds well enough on his fastball and slider. He’s aiming the ball, trying to guide it into precise locations. He lacks confidence.

“I don’t think it’s one specific thing,” Abbott said. “But there have been times when I’ve had some doubts, and I can’t pitch like that. I need to be very trustful of my stuff.”

On the physical front, Hernandez hopes to incorporate more changeups in Abbott’s repertoire, and much of their bullpen workouts will focus on creating a wider variance in speed between his cut fastball and slider. Abbott, who relies on ground-ball outs, is also working on a quick-step delivery from the stretch.

“He’s not getting whipped because he doesn’t throw 90 miles per hour anymore--it’s because he’s making poor pitches and not changing speeds,” Hernandez said. “Heck, he lost his velocity three years ago and dealt with it OK.

“But when your fastball and slider are within two miles per hour of each other and you’re not putting them where you want, the hitters get too used to the tempo of your pitches.”

Abbott’s problems are hardly limited to mechanics. Though he struggled in April and early May, the left-hander did have three above-average outings, including his 3-1 victory May 2 over Oakland.

But his last four starts have been atrocious, and Abbott has begun questioning whether he can still pitch in the major leagues.

“In his own mind, he has to say he’s still good enough,” Hernandez said. “He threw some good games early, then some bad ones, and then in the last few games you could sense he was different, you could see there was a heavy burden on him.

“When you start thinking how bad you are because of your record and what the newspapers are saying, that just compounds the problem. But we’re just trying to stay positive with him, getting him to believe in himself.

“What hurts him is he cares so much. He feels he’s let the front office down, he’s let Lach and I down. I told him when you stink, they’re going to get rid of your butt, so don’t worry about all of us. Because when we stink, they’ll get rid of our butts, too.”

Neither Lachemann nor Hernandez would specify how many more starts Abbott will have to show improvement. “But if he keeps pitching like he has the last four games, heck yeah, we’re going to find someone else,” Hernandez said.

Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi is confident it won’t reach that point.

“We’re not about to give up on him for two reasons: there’s too much talent there, and there’s too much of an investment in him,” Bavasi said. “But it’s not just a financial issue. The reason we have an investment in him is because he’s talented--he’s just in a terrible rut that he needs to get out of.

“Look at what Jim did in the past. That’s what we have to get out of him. I believe we will. I believe he’ll come out of this very well. But not without the pain and heartache that come with such a losing streak.”

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Falling on Hard Times

Jim Abbott, game-by-game this season:

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Date Opponent Dec. IP H R ER BB SO HR April 6 Chicago L 5 2/3 8 5 5 2 4 0 April 11 at Toronto L 6 2/3 11 6 6 1 2 1 April 16 at Seattle L 6 1/3 6 5 5 2 3 1 April 21 Detroit ND 5 6 5 5 6 1 1 April 27 at Chicago L 7 5 2 2 3 2 1 May 2 at Oakland W 7 1/3 6 1 1 3 6 0 May 7 Kansas City L 8 8 5 5 1 3 2 May 12 Cleveland ND 5 1/3 4 1 1 6 1 0 May 17 at New York L 5 1/3 7 7 7 2 1 1 May 22 at Baltimore L 4 2/3 9 7 7 1 1 2 May 27 New York L 4 8 7 6 4 3 0 June 2 Baltimore L 2 1/3 5 6 6 2 1 2 Totals 12 starts, 7.38 ERA 1-9 68 1/3 83 57 56 33 28 11

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