Erstad Endures Welcome Ritual

Darin Erstad, Angel outfielder no longer in waiting, was given the royal treatment by the team Friday at Anaheim Stadium. But only after getting the royal treatment from his teammates.

Rex Hudler just had to shake his hand--both of them, in fact--while smirking.

Team officials just had to put together a press conference--which lasted 25 minutes--for Erstad, the first player taken in the 1995 draft.

Outfielder Orlando Palmeiro just had to try on Erstad’s helmet and then demonstrate the significant size difference by shaking his head.

Team officials just had to assemble a get-to-know-Darin press kit, a not-so-brief bio on the Jamestown, N.D., native.

All for a guy who had yet to make his first major league appearance. But, then, such is the life of a phenom.

Dealing with it all was just something Erstad had to do.

“It didn’t sink in for a while,” Erstad said. “Now I have to get down to business and get some stuff done.”

It didn’t take long for that to happen either.

Erstad walked and scored in the first inning on a double by Garret Anderson. He then covered good portion of center field to make a diving catch on a flare by Domingo Cedeno in the second, for which he received an ovation.

For the game, Erstad struck out three times in four at-bats in the Angels’ 7-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. No matter, he’ll get a second opportunity tonight.

“People like Darin, you bring here to play,” Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “I told him he’s not here to lead the club out of the woods. He’s here to be Darin Erstad.”

Erstad was expecting to be that in Vancouver this season. But when Angel center fielder Jim Edmonds was placed on the 15-day disabled list (sprained left thumb), Erstad was summoned.

He arrived to find he was starting in center field, leading off and sharing a locker with rookie pitcher Ryan Hancock. Tagging along was an entourage from Jamestown--11 family members and friends who flew in Friday to see his first major league game.

“I got a feeling they’re a few more back there who had to find a television set,” Erstad said. “I imagine it’s pretty hectic back there.”

Easy to understand, considering the town’s only other “celebrity” is astronaut Rick Hieb (Jamestown High class of ‘73).

“People back home have been real supportive and real excited about what’s going on,” Erstad said.

With Erstad, there’s a lot to be excited about. He was an All-American at Nebraska, where he hit .410 with 19 home runs and 76 runs batted in during his junior season. Turning pro, and turning in his aluminum bat, didn’t change things much. He hit .363 at Class A Lake Elsinore last season.

Erstad was hitting .305 with 16 doubles, four home runs and 29 runs batted in at Vancouver.

“Darin can’t be any better player here than he was in Vancouver,” Lachemann said.

Erstad is determined to try. He even requested that a pregame news conference be arranged so he could spend less time talking and more time preparing.

But he wasn’t getting off so easy.

Hudler, after seeing Erstad’s name in the starting lineup, approached him, shaking Erstad’s right hand, then his left.

“You always have to feel both hands,” Hudler said. “Baseball is a two-handed game. You shake both hands to feel the power.”

And?

“Oh yeah, Darin’s ready.”