Bavasi: Money Not Issue

Cecil Fielder, who was designated for assignment by the Angels on Aug. 5, signed with Indians last week and said he thought finances might have had something to do with the Angels’ decision to cut him loose.

“I don’t think it was just what was happening on the field,” said Fielder, who was hitting .241 with 17 home runs and 68 runs batted in.

Fielder said his agents had a “gentlemen’s agreement” about some unspecified incentive clauses that were close to kicking in. The only incentive clause believed to be in the deal--that will pay Fielder a base salary of $2.8 million--involved plate appearances and not much extra money.

“That’s just a copout,” Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said. “It wasn’t like he was doing terrible and he’s got a right to be disturbed. If he wants to say that bringing [Troy Glaus] up and moving [Dave] Hollins to first and getting more at-bats for [Todd] Greene doesn’t make us a better team, that’s his right. But to say it was a money issue is just not fair.”

Fielder was tied for the team lead in RBIs with Darin Erstad, but the Angels were unhappy with his hitting in clutch situations. Of the 177 runners in scoring position when Fielder came to the plate, only 40 scored. He also was among the league leaders in strikeouts and hitting into double plays.

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Erstad, on the disabled list because of a strained left hamstring, sprinted around the bases and took batting practice Monday. How he feels this morning will determine if he’s able to come off the DL Wednesday when he’s eligible.

“I ran the bases hard, as close to simulating game speed as you can get,” Erstad said. “And I felt good hitting. Before, I couldn’t rotate on it when I swung the bat because the pain was right behind the knee, and there’s a lot of stress there. But that pain is pretty much gone.

“I feel good and I pushed it pretty hard. Now, we’ll see how it recovers.”

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Hollins, who suffered a partial dislocation of his right shoulder while sliding into first base July 17, Wednesday will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff. He will be out for the remainder of the season. . . . Garret Anderson’s third-inning single to left Monday night gave him at least one hit in 14 of 15 games since his 28-game hitting streak ended. During that time, however, his average has dropped from .322 to .308.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (9-5, 2.91) vs. WHITE SOX’S JOHN SNYDER (3-1, 5.79 ERA)

Edison Field, 7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West. Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Snyder, one of four prospects the Angels traded to Chicago for Jim Abbott in 1995, will be making his eighth career start. He is the first White Sox pitcher since Jack McDowell in 1987 to win his first three decisions. He gave up six runs in six innings last week against Oakland and suffered his first loss. Finley, who is 1-0 with a 1.69 earned-run average in two starts against Chicago this season, has allowed just eight hits and two earned runs in his last 14 innings. The Angels averaged more than five runs and 10 hits per game during the recently concluded 10-game trip.