Sparks Brightens Another Bleak Day; Angels Lose, 4-3

It was Rickey Henderson Day, and he came through with the game-winning hit for posterity.

Still, for the immediate future, it was more Steve Sparks’ moment.

Henderson stole one more glimmer of spotlight with a two-out single in the ninth to give the Oakland A’s a 4-3 victory Saturday in front of 22,661 at the Oakland Coliseum. It robbed Sparks, the Angels’ right-handed knuckleball pitcher, of his 10th victory.

Not that it matters at this point. He already has proved enough.

The Angels found Sparks on the scrap heap during the off-season. He had undergone two surgeries last year--on his right elbow and left shoulder. The Angels gave him a chance and he has paid them back.

In June, Sparks stepped into an Angel rotation that was more a casualty list--Ken Hill (elbow), Jack McDowell (elbow), Allen Watson (elbow). Sparks became a big reason why the Angels remained in the American League West race.

“He pitched lots of big games for us,” Manager Terry Collins said. “He has come back, as all knuckleballers do, and pitched on short rests. I don’t know where we would have been without him.”

The A’s knuckled under to Sparks until he left after seven innings. He gave up five hits and two runs. He left with a 3-2 lead, which closer Troy Percival, aided and abetted by shoddy defense, could not hold.

The Angels, who fielded what looked like a Vancouver alumni team, made four errors, which led to three unearned runs.

Shortstop Justin Baughman made two of the errors. His wild throw on Scott Spiezio’s routine grounder started the A’s ninth-inning rally. Henderson ended it by slapping a 3-and-2 Percival fastball into center field.

It made his day, which started with a 10-minute pregame ceremony. Henderson stole two bases, giving him a major league-high 66.

Of course, the only Rickey Henderson Day the Angels celebrated a year ago was after the season, when they quickly decided not to offer him a contract. Henderson hit .183 in 32 games with the Angels.

On the other hand, they apparently have an easy decision to make with Sparks, who is eligible for arbitration. He went 9-4 this season, and was 4-0 with a 3.40 earned-run average in August. Allen Watson, who made $2.9 million this year, won six games.

It is quite a change for Sparks from last September, when he was rehabilitating from elbow surgery and preparing for shoulder surgery.

Sparks was 9-11 as a rookie with Milwaukee in 1995, his only full season in the major leagues.

“The next spring was the only time I have ever been guaranteed a job in the rotation,” said Sparks, who didn’t start throwing the knuckleball until 1990.

To make ends meet, Sparks needed to work as a teacher during the off-season in 1996.

“I also waited tables, anything to carry you through to spring training,” Sparks said. “I was just a substitute teacher, I waited for the call each day.”

The call he’ll get this winter will be from Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi, who has never had an arbitration case and certainly wants to keep Sparks. It’s another change from a year ago, when it was Sparks who called Bavasi.

“He seemed to have an idea of what a knuckleball pitcher could do for them,” Sparks said. “They gave me a chance and stuck with me. Terry allowed me to stay in there in tight situations. I’m very happy with the way things went this year.”