Fielder Awaits Angels in Cleveland

It has been a month since the Angels released first baseman Cecil Fielder, who is expected to be the Indians’ designated hitter tonight in Cleveland against his former teammates, and Fielder still feels like a guy who got broadsided at an intersection.

“That was a big shock,” said Fielder, who is struggling to find his batting stroke since signing with the Indians on Aug. 13. “You look around the league--did anyone else with 17 homers and 68 RBIs get put on waivers?

“If it was something about what I was doing on the field, why not put everyone with 68 RBIs on waivers? So what was it? Did me and [Manager] Terry Collins get in a fistfight or something? That wasn’t it.”

There were several explanations as to why Fielder fizzled in Anaheim despite leading the team in RBIs when he was released. Fielder thought the Angels wanted to avoid having to pay several incentive clauses in his contract. Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said that was “a cop-out.”

The Angels thought Fielder was too inconsistent--of his 68 RBIs, 44 came in 20 games, meaning he drove in 24 runs in his other 83 games. He went RBI-less in 63 games.

Collins likes to be aggressive on the bases, and with a hobbled Tim Salmon and the earthworm-slow Fielder, the Angels needed four hits to score some innings. “And how many pitchers give up four hits in one inning?” one Angel coach observed.

The bottom line, though, is the Angels believed they were a better, more versatile team with rookie Troy Glaus at third base and erratic-fielding third baseman Dave Hollins moving to first.

“So I was the odd man out,” Fielder said. “But life still goes on. I’m not in a situation where my family is not going to eat, but I felt like when I signed with the Angels, they touted me as a guy who would hit 25 homers and drive in 90-100 runs, and I was on a pace to do that.”

Not any more. Fielder had one hit in his first 20 Indian at-bats before breaking out with a double and a single Sunday against Oakland. He has started only five games for Cleveland and is batting .136 (three for 22).

*

Gregg Jefferies’ entire career has been a lesson in humility, so it’s no wonder he felt humbled by the trade that brought him to the Angels Friday.

“One thing I want to avoid is coming here and saying I have to do this and that,” Jefferies said. “These guys are in first place--they don’t need me. And they’ve been in first place without me. I just want to try to help them as much as I can.”

He’s off to a good start. Jefferies, who fell short of the lofty expectations that came with him being selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 1985 draft, had three hits to help the Angels beat the Boston, 8-6, Sunday.

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With Monday’s off day and three off days in the next 10 days, Collins told several starting pitchers “to be ready to do different things.” That means one or two, most likely Jeff Juden and Omar Olivares, will be skipped and moved temporarily to the bullpen. Collins, however, has aligned his rotation so ace Chuck Finley will pitch against Texas twice this month. . . . Catcher Charlie O’Brien, sidelined because of a thumb injury since being traded from the White Sox to the Angels in late July, will join the team today.

* Opponent--Cleveland Indians, two games.

* Site--Jacobs Field, Cleveland.

* Today--4 p.m.

* TV--Channel 9 today, ESPN Wednesday.

* Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090).

* Records--Angels 76-62, Indians 75-61.

* Record vs. Indians--3-6.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (10-6, 3.04 ERA)

vs.

INDIANS’ JARET WRIGHT (11-8, 4.78 ERA)

* Update--Finley was not very sharp in his last start in New York Thursday night, giving up three runs on seven hits and walking five in five innings, but his subpar performance got lost in the Angels’ dramatic comeback in an eventual 6-5, 11-inning loss.

* Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.--Steve Sparks (8-2, 4.31) vs. Bartolo Colon (13-7, 3.32).