Indians Have Angels’ Collins Seeing Stars

Most looked out Friday at Anaheim Stadium and saw the Cleveland Indians. In the eyes of Angel Manager Terry Collins, it was something worse--a National League all-star team.

His hindsight was 20-20.

“I thought I left these guys in the other league,” Collins said.

Matt Williams? Dave Justice? Marquis Grissom? Kevin Mitchell? All at one time have tortured Collins, who spent the last three seasons managing the Houston Astros. All are now playing for Cleveland.

Collins survived them for the most part, in an 8-6 Angel victory Friday. Of course, Williams did have a two-run double in the third that tied the score, 4-4. Grissom, a four-time Gold Glove winner, did throw out Dave Hollins at home with the potential winning run in the 10th.

“We had a meeting today to talk about how to pitch to these guys,” Collins said. “I said, ‘Why are you asking me? I never had any success against them.’

“They have Kevin Mitchell hitting eighth.”

Mitchell was moved up to fifth in the order Friday, not that it made Collins worry any less.

The Indians acquired this wealth of National League talent through off-season deals. Williams was brought in from the San Francisco Giants to replace the punch lost at the plate when Albert Belle jumped to the Chicago White Sox. Justice and Grissom were acquired in a deal motivated by money.

Mitchell, the National League’s most valuable player in 1989, was the bargain of the bunch. He was signed to minor league contract in December. He homered in the Indians’ first two games.

Said Collins: “Kevin Mitchell got traded from Boston to Cincinnati last season. He walked into the stadium and hit the first thing he saw over the left-field wall.”

Mitchell went hitless in four at-bats and grounded into a double play.

Still, the adjustment to the different league will not be difficult, according to Grissom. There is a common denominator.

“It’s baseball,” said Grissom, who was 0 for five. “It’s no different in the American League, the National League, the Dominican Republic or Japan. What you make out of it is what it’s going to be. Maybe I’ll see a few more curves.

“I may not know the pitchers, but they don’t know me either.”

Collins does.

Most American League managers were probably relieved to see the Indians ship outfielder Kenny Lofton--who led the league in stolen bases the last five seasons--to Atlanta. Not Collins. He knows what they got in exchange.

“[Grissom] may not be as fast as Lofton, but he’s a pretty good player,” Collins said.

“Justice was the guy on the Braves that most worried me, not Fred McGriff, not Ryan Klesko. You would bring a left-hander in and he wouldn’t try to hit it out. He’d take the single. We never really succeeded in getting him out.”

They did Friday. Justice fouled out in the third. He also walked three times and singled.

Williams did the most damage Friday. He ripped a double off Allen Watson to score Kevin Seitzer and Julio Franco in the third.

“Williams just keeps making himself a better hitter,” Collins said.

He will see him again tonight, along with Grissom, Mitchell and Justice.