Collins Changes With His Roster

If this were 1997 or ’98 and the Angels had lost six of seven games, Manager Terry Collins would probably have blown a gasket.

But the normally volatile Collins has been as silent as the Angel offense, which has managed 11 runs in seven games.

“He hasn’t been yelling very much,” pitcher Chuck Finley said. “That’s different from the past. He used to snap pretty good. But we do most of that on our own now. We police ourselves, address situations when they come up.”

Some players complained about Collins’ screaming in other years but with a predominantly veteran team, Collins has made a conscious effort to tone himself down this season.

That’s why, after the Angels had played an abysmal game against Toronto on April 27, showing no emotion and little effort in a 10-1 loss, he didn’t tear into his players.

And it’s why Collins has remained relatively calm during this brutal trip, which ends with the three-game series in New York.

“They’re a veteran team--they don’t need it,” Collins said. “They have to know you’re not happy, that you can’t just slough this off, but there’s no use yelling and screaming.”

Finley agrees, to an extent.

“I would think guys would want to concentrate more on getting out of this slump than getting branded,” Finley said. “We’re all ticked off. T.C. doesn’t have to come in and start screaming to get our attention and tell us we’re playing bad. We know.

“But I tell you what, sometimes you need a swift kick . . . no matter who you are.”

*

During batting practice in Fenway Park the other day, a feature on Angel center fielder Jim Edmonds, focusing on his spectacular 1997 catch in Kansas City, played on the video board behind the right-center field wall. Several Angels peeked over their shoulders at it.

“That’s why it’s frustrating, because they know how important he is to the team,” Collins said. “You walk into spring training the first day, look at our lineup and it’s like, ‘Holy cow!’ Then one piece goes down and another and another. Then, all of a sudden, you’re obsessed with it.”

ON DECK

* Opponent--New York Yankees, three games.

* Site--Yankee Stadium.

* Today--4:30 PDT.

* TV--Channel 9 today; Fox Sports West, Wednesday, Thursday.

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

* Records--Angels 13-19, Yankees 20-10.

* 1998 record vs. Yankees--6-5.

TODAY

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (1-3, 4.29 ERA)

vs.

YANKEES’ ANDY PETTITTE (1-1, 4.88 ERA)

* Update--Remember Jason Grimsley, the erratic right-hander who went 5-7 with a 6.84 earned-run average as a starter for the Angels during their 1996 season? Now he’s a Yankee, a reliable reliever with a 4-0 record and 2.65 ERA in 10 games. Yankee second baseman Chuck Knoblauch has been sidelined because of a lower left leg bruise, but there is still plenty of punch in the lineup with Derek Jeter, Paul O’Neill, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez and Chili Davis. Roger Clemens (strained left hamstring) is expected to come off the disabled list and start Thursday. The Angels are hoping right fielder Tim Salmon (sprained left wrist) and second baseman Randy Velarde (stiff lower back) return by then.

* Wednesday, 4:30 PDT.--Chuck Finley (1-3, 5.92) vs. David Cone (4-0, 1.34).

* Thursday, 4:30 PDT.--Omar Olivares (3-3, 3.52) vs. Roger Clemens (2-0, 5.47).