McLemore Feeling His Oats Since Leaving Angels

A few ground rules before talking to Texas Ranger second baseman Mark McLemore.

* No stat chat.

“Absolutely no numbers,” McLemore said before Wednesday’s game against the Angels.

* No Angel review.

“I don’t want to talk about the Angels,” said McLemore, who played for the club from 1987 to 1990.

What’s left?

How about his hitting? McLemore had a double and a single in the Rangers’ 8-1 victory Wednesday.

How about his defense? McLemore made a leaping catch on a line drive and started a key double play to help put the Angels 8 1/2 games behind the Rangers in the American League West race.

How about Ranger Manager Johnny Oates? Yeah, Oates, just the subject to get McLemore talking.

“I’m not the only guy to flourish under Oates,” said McLemore, now in his second season with the Rangers. “He can see things in guys that other guys can’t.”

He certainly saw something in McLemore when no one else did.

Oates was the Baltimore Oriole manager in 1992, when McLemore’s career had seemed to be winding down before it could get wound up.

The Angels had tried to make McLemore their second baseman. He could field, he had speed and he could hit--a least in the minor leagues. He had speed and could field with the Angels, but hitting didn’t seem to be in the package.

By the time McLemore was in the Orioles’ triple-A spring training camp in 1991, he had been traded by the Angels, released by Cleveland and Houston.

“Greg Biagini, our triple-A manager, called me and said, ‘You have to get Mark McLemore in the major league camp,’ ” Oates said. “He promised me McLemore would help us.”

Oates has never regretted taking the advice, and the chance.

McLemore played three seasons with the Orioles and hit .284 with 72 runs batted in in 1993. He followed Oates to Texas last season.

“When he was in Baltimore, we just had to convince him he didn’t need to be a slap hitter,” Oates said.

McLemore is certainly more Punch than Judy now. He is hitting .320, after going two for four Wednesday against the Angels. He doubled and scored in the sixth, when the Rangers scored four runs to take a 6-0 lead. He singled in a run in the seventh.

In the field, McLemore leaped to snag a Garret Anderson line drive in the fourth with the Rangers leading, 2-0. Tim Salmon and Chili Davis followed with singles. In the sixth, he started an inning-ending double play to kill a rally.

A performance that showed just how well he could play second base in Anaheim Stadium. Ah, but don’t talk to McLemore about revenge. He’s quite above that.

Besides, there are better memories, fresh ones. June, for instance. McLemore hit .472 in June, with 34 hits in 74 at-bats. Then again, those are numbers and everyone knows the ground rules.