Vaughn Works Things Out Before Season

His new Angel teammates plopped themselves in their clubhouse chairs Friday afternoon at Tempe, Ariz., many of them exhausted from a grueling, end-of-practice sprint session, and there was Mo Vaughn kicking back in front of his locker, looking refreshed, greeting players with a handshake and a smile.

Don’t get the wrong impression, though. While Angel pitchers and catchers have been toiling for two days, Vaughn hasn’t exactly been lounging around the pool and soaking in the warm Arizona sun as he awaits Tuesday’s first full-squad workout.

Vaughn, the first baseman who signed a six-year, $80-million contract last November and is expected to put a power surge into the Angel offense, has been in the Phoenix area since Feb. 2, working out with his personal trainer and shedding pounds.

When he came to Arizona, the 6-foot-1 Vaughn weighed about 265, but through his rigorous aerobic and weight-training program, which he has employed every spring for the last five years, he is already down to 250. By opening day, he expects to slim down to his playing weight: 240 pounds.

“It’s a pretty intense workout,” Vaughn said. “I go six days a week and begin every morning at 7 a.m. You can have your fun in the off-season, but once Feb. 1 rolls around, you have to focus your attention on baseball.”

Vaughn was also signed for his leadership skills, and even though he hasn’t even put on his Angel uniform, the former Boston Red Sox slugger has already showed a clubhouse presence. He was in Tempe Diablo Stadium Thursday and Friday and was swarmed by teammates and coaches on each visit.

“This club has been so close the last four years . . . and Mo is the type of personality they could have used to get over the hump,” new Angel pitcher Tim Belcher said. “He’s such a clutch hitter. You look at the top clubs in our team like New York and Cleveland and how stacked they are.

“You can never have enough in your lineup in the American League. You’ve got to pound people. You need some beef in the lineup from top to bottom, and he brings that to a club.”

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Angel third-base Coach Larry Bowa, never one to shy away from a good controversy, couldn’t resist the Angels’ latest rage du jour--how they’ll fit Tim Salmon, Jim Edmonds, Darin Erstad and Garret Anderson into three outfield spots. “Let’s stir some [stuff] up,” Bowa said with a grin. “What are we gonna do with all these outfielders?” . . . The Angels will wear a patch honoring longtime owner Gene Autry on the left shoulder of their spring training and regular-season uniforms this year. Autry died last October. . . . Just a thought: How do you think Red Sox fans will react if new Yankee ace Roger Clemens and Vaughn, the new Angel first baseman, both start in the All-Star game in Fenway Park?