First Taste at First Base

There were no bruises on his forearms, no black eyes. Yes, Darin Erstad’s first day at first base went just fine Friday. He took dozens of grounders, missing only one, and made quite a first impression on Angel coaches.

“Darin can play there,” Manager Terry Collins said of the converted outfielder. “He looks like he has good enough hands to catch grounders and balls in the dirt, and he’s a good athlete. We just have to see how he reacts when the ball is live off a bat.”

Erstad, the first pick in the 1995 draft, will have no shortage of help learning the finer points of the position--bunting and pickoff plays, positioning for cutoffs. Third-base Coach Larry Bowa and veteran first baseman Eddie Murray plan on spending plenty of time with the youngster.

“The great thing is Eddie is so willing to help,” Erstad said. “He said, ‘You better get used to me, because I’m going to be in your back pocket.’ It’s going to take awhile to get used to the hops and everything, but I have to be patient with it.”

He hopes Angel fans are patient too. Erstad could be a solid first baseman, but that may not be good enough for those who hated to see two-time Gold Glove-winning first baseman J.T. Snow traded last November.

“I’m sure if I play bad they’ll be all over me and yelling for them to bring J.T. back,” Erstad said. “But I can only play as hard as I can. If I’m not as good as J.T., so be it. If I’m as good, great. I’m not going to worry about all of that. I’m more concerned with catching ground balls.”

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Erstad was held out of batting practice Friday because of a bruised left hand, an injury suffered last week at the University of Nebraska. Erstad, walking past an indoor batting cage, was hit by a line drive that went through a hole in the net. He should be ready to hit early next week. . . . Right fielder Tim Salmon has set a Tuesday deadline for his agent to negotiate a contract extension that is expected to be in the five-year, $30-million range. If a deal isn’t struck by then, contract talks will be tabled until next fall. . . . Pitcher Chuck Finley, sidelined because of tendinitis in his shoulder, is expected to resume throwing Sunday. . . . The Angels’ average ticket price of $9.68 is the lowest in the American League, according to Major League Baseball. The Angels did not raise ticket prices this season but are expected to bump them up in 1998, when the Anaheim Stadium renovation is almost complete.