DiSarcina’s Play a Welcome Gift to Angels

Gary DiSarcina went once around the horn with the new Angel infield before the ninth inning Thursday. He handed out hats and gloves to all.

It could almost go down as a get-acquainted meeting.

Third baseman Dave Hollins is a free agent who played with the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners last year. Second baseman Luis Alicea is another free agent who was in the playoffs with the St. Louis Cardinals a year ago. First baseman Darin Erstad is the one familiar face, even if he was an outfielder with the Angels last season.

They are all as foreign to DiSarcina as Anaheim Stadium’s new sod.

“Yeah, I was like Santa Claus out there, handing out hats and gloves,” DiSarcina said.

And he went right on giving.

Moments later, DiSarcina started a game-ending double play, keeping 1995 MVP Mo Vaughn in the on-deck circle and wrapping up the Angels’ 2-0 victory at Anaheim Stadium. It was the third double play the Angels turned behind Jason Dickson, who pitched a four-hit shutout.

“When a guy makes a bad pitch, you have to have people making big plays behind him,” Manager Terry Collins said.

That didn’t always happen last season. The Angels finished 11th in the American League in fielding. Even the sure-handed DiSarcina had his troubles, making 20 errors.

There didn’t seem to be much improvement headed into this season, at least on paper. In fact, the Angel infield seemed to get worse. Two-time Gold Glove winner J.T. Snow was shipped to San Francisco. Second baseman Randy Velarde was injured early in spring training and is out for the season.

What was left seemed almost patchwork. Hollins was known for his hitting. Alicea made 22 errors in 129 games with the Cardinals. And Erstad was learning a new position.

How unfamiliar are they with each other? When asked about Darin Erstad’s play at first, Hollins said, “Darin? Darren Daulton?”

Yet, this group had one thing going for it.

“Gary DiSarcina is pretty good at pulling an infield together,” Collins said. “He’s one of the best shortstops in baseball.”

Those Angels who have been around long enough know this. DiSarcina’s thumb injury in 1995 began a tailspin that ended in the Angels blowing an 11-game lead.

But for those who weren’t on the team back then, DiSarcina gave a little demonstration. He went to his right to make a diving stop and threw out Bill Haselman in the sixth. A inning later, he went behind the second base to field a Tim Naehring grounder to end the inning.

Both had true hops, a welcome sight to DiSarcina, who griped about the stadium’s infield last season.

“The infield is great,” DiSarcina said. “New dirt, new grass, it’s firm. It plays true. You don’t have to replace your divots out there.”

Just his teammates.

Even those worked out. Erstad started a double play to end the second and Alicea started one to end the eighth. On both, DiSarcina was the pivot.

“Having Gary out there is great for the rest of us,” Erstad said. “He’s really patient with me and that helps.”