Scioscia Sees His Team as Contender in AL West

Mike Scioscia’s glass wasn’t half full. It was overflowing, so much so that the new Angel manager seemed to be preaching to a congregation from a pulpit, not speaking to reporters from behind a desk.

Flush with the usual excitement and optimism that comes with the first day of spring training, Scioscia made some bold statements after pitchers and catchers worked out Friday, words that could be served with his choice of side dishes this summer if the team does not live up to his expectations.

“We’re not approaching this as a rebuilding year--this is a contending year,” Scioscia said, brushing off media skepticism of the Angels. “I’m really confident in the young arms and veterans on our staff.

“What I see is tremendous offensive potential, the kind of team that can make your head spin, and a pitching staff with the capabilities to hold people down enough for us to win the division.”

Many believe the Angel rotation is too old and injury-prone in some spots and too inexperienced in others to contend. But if Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon and Jim Edmonds rebound strongly from 1999 injuries, Scioscia believes the Angels can vault from one of the league’s worst offensive teams to one of the best.

The departures of Ken Griffey Jr. (to Cincinnati) and Juan Gonzalez (to Detroit) also put considerable dents in the Seattle and Texas lineups.

“If we had no offense at all and tried to rebuild with young arms, that would be a different story,” Scioscia said. “But there’s not a lineup in our division that can hold a candle to ours.”

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The Tempe Diablo Stadium clubhouse seemed more quiet and less funny Friday, and it was obvious why. Chuck Finley, for years the backbone of the Angel rotation and the conscience of the team, a veteran who provided wins and one- liners, was gone.

Taking Finley’s old locker was pitcher Tim Belcher. Filling the void left by Finley’s departure to Cleveland won’t be as easy.

“Chuck wasn’t real vocal, which was good, because on the few occasions he did say something to us as a group, it was like E.F. Hutton talking,” Belcher said. “That’s why he was an effective leader. There’d be four or five days where you hardly knew he was in the room, but when something needed to be said, he’d say it.”

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Belcher, who underwent elbow surgery last November, won’t be ready until late April or early May. He’ll play catch every other day for the first three weeks of camp and hopes to begin throwing off a mound by the second week of March. . . . Whatever thoughts pitcher Ken Hill has of assuming the role of staff ace from Finley, he will keep to himself for now. Hill, who was demoted to the bullpen last August and was at odds with former Manager Terry Collins and General Manager Bill Bavasi, declined an interview request Friday, saying he would not speak to reporters until the regular season.