Velarde Not a Fan of Kingdome

The Angels played their last game on the dungeonous slab in the Kingdome Thursday night. The dim dome with the rock-hard artificial turf that has housed the Mariners since 1977 will be torn down, and the team will move into a new retractable-roof stadium called Safeco Field after its next homestand.

For some Angels, it was good riddance. This is where many had their worst baseball memory, losing to Seattle and then-ace Randy Johnson, 9-1, in a one-game playoff to determine the American League West championship in 1995.

Second baseman Randy Velarde wasn’t on that Angel team, but he was on the Yankee team that took a two-games-to-none lead to Seattle in the 1995 division series and lost three consecutive games--and the series--while trying to contend with ear-splitting decibel levels in the dome.

“Put a bomb in the place,” Velarde said. “I hate domes in particular, but this place doesn’t hold many good memories for me. I thought [Yankee Stadium] was loud. This place was crazy.”

Velarde got a scary reminder of why he dislikes the Kingdome Wednesday night. Rounding first after a fifth-inning single, Velarde turned his right ankle on the seam between the dirt and turf, narrowly avoiding a major sprain.

“This carpet takes a toll on your body,” Velarde said. “Luckily, I’ve got pretty flexible ankles.”

Many position players like the Kingdome because it’s a good hitter’s park. Many pitchers can’t stand the place. Angel catcher Matt Walbeck will always have fond memories of the building because when he was 9 years old, he drove with his father from Sacramento to Seattle for the 1979 All-Star Game.

“We were there for batting practice, I asked Ray Miller for a ball and he threw me one,” Walbeck said. “I was stoked. I love playing here. I love hitting here.”

On Deck

* Opponent--Oakland Athletics, three games.

* Site--Edison Field.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Fox Sports West tonight and Saturday night.

* Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090), KCTD (1540).

* Records--Angels 31-39, Athletics 36-36.

* Record vs. Athletics--1-2.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

OMAR OLIVARES

(6-5, 3.45 ERA)

vs.

ATHLETICS’

JIMMY HAYNES

(5-6, 5.13 ERA)

* Update--Mo Vaughn will be back at first base for the first time since June 9, and he’s hoping his sprained left ankle holds up better than it did the previous two times he tried to return to the field, for five games against Detroit and Boston May 5-9 and for six games in National League cities, where there was no designated hitter, from June 4-9. Vaughn, who entered Thursday night with four hits in 30 at-bats and no runs batted in in his previous eight games, feels it’s imperative to return his role as a two-way player because he has had trouble adjusting to the designated hitter spot.

* Saturday, 7 p.m.--Tim Belcher (5-6, 6.41) vs. Gil Heredia (3-5, 5.44).

* Sunday, 5 p.m.--Steve Sparks (2-5, 5.02) vs. Kenny Rogers (4-2, 3.80).

*

Editor’s note: Because of press problems, some editions Thursday did not contain the Angel box score and complete game story.