Belcher Will Enjoy Center Stage

When Angel pitcher Tim Belcher travels to Dodger Stadium today, he’ll have the cabdriver drop him off just outside the center-field fence.

“That way I can walk straight in through the outfield and take it all in,” Belcher said. “There are some great memories for me in Dodger Stadium. It’s always special going to a place like that.”

Dodger Stadium is where Belcher made his major league debut and earned his first victory, in a 16-inning game against the New York Mets on Sept. 6, 1987.

It’s where he made his first World Series appearance, getting a no-decision in Game 1 in 1988, a night that ended with Kirk Gibson’s dramatic, game-winning, two-run homer off Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley.

It’s where Belcher has a 33-16 record and 2.49 earned-run average, the highest winning percentage and lowest ERA of any big league park he has pitched in.

And it’s where Belcher will face the franchise that groomed him when he starts against the Dodgers on Saturday.

“It’s a great place to pitch,” said Belcher, who is 2-1 with a 3.62 ERA in his last four starts after a very shaky start. “It’s cooler at night, the ball doesn’t carry as well, and you have more stamina because you’re not sweating every ounce out of your body. There’s a lot of foul ground and I get a lot of popups, so that helps.”

It has been six years since Belcher pitched in Dodger Stadium, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds in 1993. Much has changed--the owner, the general manager, the manager, the coaching staff--and it won’t feel as much like a homecoming for the right-hander.

“But Vin Scully and Ross Porter are still there,” Belcher said, “so I’ll seek them out.”

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Angel reserve catcher Charlie O’Brien appears headed for the disabled list after an MRI test Thursday revealed a torn ligament in his right foot, the same injury that hampered Tim Salmon for most of 1998.

O’Brien, who is batting .078 and whose primary role is to catch Chuck Finley, injured the foot while rounding first base on a flyout Wednesday night.

With Matt Walbeck, Todd Greene and utility player Steve Decker available to catch, the Angels don’t necessarily have to recall another catcher to replace O’Brien, and there doesn’t appear to be any triple-A candidate playing well enough to warrant a trip to the big leagues.

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In preparation for his move from designated hitter to first base, Mo Vaughn received a cortisone shot in his sore left ankle after Wednesday night’s game.

Manager Terry Collins said Vaughn will be fine tonight but is concerned about how he’ll respond in day games Saturday and Sunday. The last time Vaughn played first, May 7-9 in Boston, his ankle was extremely sore and swollen during weekend day games after a Friday night game.