Collins Shows That He’s King of Hill

Ken Hill had given up three runs and four hits in six innings Sunday at Dodger Stadium and, rolling along to his first back-to-back victories in more than a year, was feeling pretty good about himself when Angel pitching coach Dick Pole asked how he was feeling.

“Pretty good,” Hill said. “I can go one more.”

“Don’t be a hero,” Pole said.

“I’m not,” Hill said. “I can go one more.”

Thus had arrived the first test of Terry Collins’ kinder, gentler approach to managing in the ‘90s.

Collins was almost certain from what he had seen in the Dodgers’ half of the sixth that Hill couldn’t go one more inning. He got the ball up on a pitch to Gary Sheffield, who converted it into a solo home run that cut the Angel lead to 6-3, and again on a pitch to Raul Mondesi, who, fortunately for Hill, flied out to left.

But the manager also was almost certain that Hill was among players who complained Wednesday to Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi about the manager.

Although most of the players involved in the meeting voiced complaints with Collins’ occasionally abrasive management style, as opposed to his managing, Hill had baseball concerns. Specifically, he believed that the manager sometimes lifted him too early, taking him out of games even when he was feeling pretty good.

Collins’ career must have flashed before his eyes. It was the first time but certainly not the last since last week’s series of closed door meetings that he would be forced to make tough decisions involving respected veteran players who have the ears--if not yet the hearts and minds--of the front office.

Should he go with his baseball instincts and yank Hill?

Or should he give Hill the benefit of the doubt and let him face the Dodgers in the seventh inning?

He yanked Hill.

Anyone who believed Terry Collins would do otherwise doesn’t know Terry Collins. He might be kinder and gentler, meaning that he will try to be more sensitive toward players’ feelings, especially when it comes to calling them a certain name, but he’s not about to start leading group therapy sessions. You’d still want Tommy Lee Jones to play him in the movie, not Alan Alda.

Collins, who felt more comfortable when Darin Erstad hit a solo home run in the the seventh to give the Angels a 7-3 lead, then sat through a very uncomfortable bottom half of the inning when Hill’s relief, Scott Schoeneweis, gave up two runs and four hits.

But unlike the first two games against the Dodgers, the Angels didn’t give back their entire lead before they could summon Troy Percival. Collins made sure of that by signaling for his closer with two out and one on in the eighth, a desperate measure for a desperate time.

The Dodgers certainly could have used a victory.

It even seemed probable that they would get it after they claimed to have received much needed inspiration from the karate kick start delivered during Saturday’s victory by Chan Ho Park. Or should we call him Jackie Chan Ho Park?

But, two games and two losses since tensions within their clubhouse surfaced, the Angels needed a victory.

“I felt we had to have this game,” Collins said of his his early call for Percival. “I knew it was important for everybody. If I’m going to get beat, I’m going to make them beat my ace.

“If he gives up a home run, everybody says, ‘Dumb, dumb.’ But right now, every move you make is criticized.”

If given the opportunity as he was retired to the dugout after the sixth inning, Hill might have been critical of Collins.

But in the clubhouse after the game, secure with his third victory in seven decisions, Hill said Collins made the right move by lifting him.

“I’d had enough,” he said. “I threw 120 pitches in my last start and I’d thrown a lot [94] today.

“I’m also not used to hitting. I had to run a little bit (on three ground ball outs). That takes a lot out of you.

“I started getting the ball up a little bit.

“I was fortunate to get away with a couple of pitches.”

As for telling Pole he could pitch another inning, that, he said, was the competitor coming out in him. That is the reason he needs a manager.

“We’ve all got a job to do,” Hill said. “Terry’s the head man. I have to accept his decisions. That doesn’t mean I always have to like them.

“Maybe I’ve just loaded the bases, but I know I still have good stuff. He takes the ball away from me. All I said in the meeting was that I felt Terry needed to communicate more.”

On Sunday, Collins sent Pole to talk to Hill. Then Collins and Pole talked to Hill’s catcher, Matt Walbeck, who told them he noticed the same things in the sixth inning that they did.

There wasn’t exactly a vote, but Hill knew the score.

And he was fine with it because, at least on this afternoon, the Angels were the winner.

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Randy Harvey can be reached at his e-mail address: randy.harvey@latimes.com