Belcher Still Unhappy About Park Incident

Dodger pitcher Chan Ho Park didn’t use it as an excuse, but there seemed to be a perception that because the Korean right-hander is trained in taekwondo, his spikes-a-flying scissors-kick to the midsection of Angel pitcher Tim Belcher on Saturday was a natural reaction of some sort.

Belcher, who suffered bruises and scrapes in the ensuing brawl but is well enough to start in place of the injured Omar Olivares on three days’ rest Wednesday, wasn’t buying it.

“That’s such a poor excuse,” said Belcher, who addressed reporters in person about the incident for the first time Monday after issuing prepared statements over the weekend. “I like to hunt--I didn’t bring a shotgun.

“There’s a time and a place for everything. If you’re getting rolled by some thug on the street who is trying to take your kid and beat your wife, you whip out everything you’ve got. But there are certain unwritten rules in the game. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, but if he can be taught the language, he can be taught the appropriate behavior.”

Belcher didn’t speak to reporters in Los Angeles because “it makes better sense to let something like that calm down,” he said. “I didn’t want to answer questions when emotions were running high.”

Emotions were still pretty high Monday, though.

“I’m not happy about what happened,” Belcher said. “The guy tried to take my head off. I just don’t think there’s any place for that.”

*

Randy Velarde was glad to be back on the go network, even if that meant a return to the dreaded leadoff spot. The Angel second baseman criticized Manager Terry Collins last week for pulling his green light on the basepaths when Mo Vaughn was up, so Collins flip-flopped Velarde and Darin Erstad on Sunday, moving Velarde from the second to the first spot.

“I’m looking forward to running again,” Velarde said. “If you give [second base] to me, I’ll take it.”

Velarde opened the 1996 season in the leadoff spot and hated it. Instead of projecting his aggressive approach onto the position, Velarde tried to become a prototypical leadoff hitter, taking more pitches than usual.

The result: Velarde struck out a career-high 118 times, and his average (.271) and on-base percentage (.354) in the leadoff spot were lower than his season average (.285) and on-base percentage (.372).

“Rod [Carew, batting instructor] and I have talked about that,” said Velarde, who entered Monday night’s game in a 1-for-16 slump. “If the first pitch is over, I’ve got to attack it. I have to be aggressive.”

*

The hard-luck, star-crossed Angels will catch a break this weekend. Arizona ace Randy Johnson is scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Cubs, so the former Seattle Mariner left-hander and Angel nemesis will not pitch in Edison Field when the Diamondbacks visit for a three-game series beginning Friday night. . . . Troy Glaus, who hit .550 (11 for 20) with three home runs and six runs last week, was selected American League co-player of the week with Chicago’s Frank Thomas Monday. . . . After missing most of spring training and the first two months of the season because of a back injury, Matt Luke finally returned to action with triple-A Edmonton, going four for eight with two homers and six RBIs in his first two games.

TODAY

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (2-4, 5.63 ERA)

vs.

GIANTS’ SHAWN ESTES (2-4, 5.75 ERA)

3Com Park, San Francisco, 1 p.m.

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090), AM 1540.

* Update--Angel right fielder Todd Greene, who is scheduled to catch Sparks today, left Monday night’s game in the bottom of the second inning because of tightness in his right hamstring. The back of Greene’s right shoulder is also still sore from his home-plate collision with Minnesota’s Terry Steinbach on May 31. “That was like being in a car crash,” Greene said, “but with no car.” Olivares was scratched from Wednesday’s start because of a strained left hamstring, but it’s possible he return to the rotation against Arizona this weekend.