It’s Flattering, but It’s Also Painful

Troy Glaus felt like he was wearing a bull’s-eye last weekend, when the Seattle Mariners knocked him down three times and hit him with pitches twice in a three-game series.

“I told Troy that was going to happen,” said Rod Carew, Angel batting instructor. “They’re going to try to intimidate him.”

It’s nothing new, especially for the Angels. A kid gets hot, the pitchers try to knock him down a few notches. The reason? Sometimes it works.

After J.T. Snow hit .407 with six homers and 17 RBIs in his first 15 games as an Angel rookie in 1993, Roger Clemens buzzed a fastball by his head on April 25. Snow had two hits and nine strikeouts in his next 35 at-bats, he hit one homer in the next 57 games and was sent to triple A in July.

Garret Anderson was hitting .344 with 12 homers and 57 RBIs as a rookie in 1995 when Clemens--notice a trend here?--knocked him out of the batter’s box with a fastball at his head on Aug 22. In his next 14 games, Anderson hit .259 with no extra-base hits and two RBIs.

“In a way, it’s flattering that a pitcher throws at you, because it means you’re tearing it up,” Carew said. “But it can also be dangerous.”

Carew’s advice to Glaus: Stand your ground.

“You have to make that pitcher think that if he comes in again, you’re going to go get him,” Carew said. “You have to let him know you’re not going to stand for it. If you have to charge the mound, do it, but I also reminded Troy that in certain situations, you can’t get thrown out of a game.”

How has Glaus handled it?

“I’m still playing,” he said. “You can’t be scared to get hit, that’s part of the game. Once you’re scared, you might as well quit. You can’t let it bother you.”

Glaus, who went five for 10 with a homer against Seattle, raised his average to .397 with two hits, one his major league-leading 12th double, Thursday night.

“Troy is handling it great,” Manager Terry Collins said. “He gets knocked down, he gets back in the box. He hasn’t been intimidated. One of his questions is, ‘Why are they throwing at me?’ Because he’s good.”

*

To make room for Mo Vaughn, the Angels optioned first baseman Chris Pritchett to triple-A Edmonton. Pritchett appeared in four games and had one hit in 11 at-bats.

“I didn’t do anything while I was here--I have no one to blame but myself,” said Pritchett, who will probably be recalled when Collins reduces his pitching staff from 12 to 11. “That’s OK. I still think I can get some key hits for this team when it matters.”

*

When Vaughn returns to first base, Collins will consider moving center fielder Anderson to left and first baseman Darin Erstad to center.

Though Anderson has filled in admirably for the injured Jim Edmonds, he’s a more natural left fielder, and Erstad, who opened the season in left, has more experience in center.

“I don’t think it matters,” Erstad said. “We’re both pretty solid defensively.”

ON DECK

* Opponent--Kansas City Royals, three games.

* Site--Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

* Today--5 p.m.

* TV--Saturday, Channel 52.

* Radio--KLAC (570)

* Records--Angels 6-10, Royals 5-9.

* 1998 record vs. Royals--6-5

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ KEN HILL (0-1, 5.87 ERA)

vs.

ROYALS’ JOSE ROSADO (0-1, 2.08 ERA)

* Update--Center fielder Jim Edmonds underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right--non-throwing--shoulder Thursday, and team physician Lewis Yocum said the procedure “went very well.” Edmonds will be reevaluated next week and will begin therapy in about two weeks. He is expected to miss at least four months. Triple-A shortstop Tomas Perez will need surgery to remove torn knee cartilage and will be sidelined for three months.

* Saturday, 11 a.m.--Steve Sparks (0-3, 9.42) vs. Jeff Suppan (0-3, 4.67).

* Sunday, 11 a.m.--Chuck Finley (1-2, 7.94) vs. Jay Witasick (0-1, 4.91).