An Angel Stands Out, Up for Team

The best player in baseball stood with his hands on his hips and his mouth hanging open.

Darin Erstad’s face was getting redder and redder. He shuffled his feet, shook his head, and moved closer and closer to the interrogation after Tuesday’s game.

Erstad’s teammate, Garret Anderson was being thoroughly worked over. What happened on that play, Garret? Why didn’t you back up Orlando Palmeiro, Garret? Couldn’t you have held Ruben Rivera to a double or triple with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, with the Angels leading the Padres 2-1, with Troy Percival having worked Rivera into an 0-2 hole before Rivera cracked a fastball long and deep?

So, OK, maybe the pitch was ill-advised, one fastball too many. And, OK, maybe Palmeiro, filling in for Tim Salmon in right, could have played the ball better, more conservatively. Maybe Palmeiro shouldn’t have run all out and into the wall without making the catch so that the ball bounced in a squiggly pattern back onto the grass.

Yes, those things could have been done better. But it was Anderson who had also seemed in a trance on a similar play against the Dodgers last week, who heard the questions from all around him. Were you slow to react, Garret? Did you see the ball, Garret? Haven’t you learned to play center field yet, Garret?

Finally Erstad had heard enough.

“We won the [bleeping] game,” Erstad said. “You all are looking for the negatives and we won the [bleeping] game. What’s going on here?”

Thank you, Darin.

The best player in baseball cut to the chase. So what if Rivera’s deep fly ball off the wall turned into a two-out, bottom-of-the-ninth, game-tying inside-the-park home run. So what if Anderson had not done the best job possible at his position?

What mattered was that the Angels won Tuesday. Beat the Padres 3-2 in 11 innings. Gave up an inside-the-park home run on a badly played ball and just kept on trying until Troy Glaus ended up on third courtesy of another badly handled chance in right field and scored because San Diego’s ace reliever, Trevor Hoffman, bounced a pitch past his catcher.

What mattered was that no one got down on himself or anybody else on the team. Hey, Erstad said, Anderson had hit a home run in the fourth inning to tie the score, 1-1. All the negative nellies were forgetting that. Erstad, who holds every at-bat preciously, who hits every ball where he should, who should be required watching by every Little League coach and player in the country every time he steps to the plate, who plays his position with confidence, with verve, with a casual certainty that has come from more hard work than anyone will ever know, would have none of the blame game.

“When you’re winning,” Erstad said, “everything doesn’t get magnified. When you lose, the media points fingers and it snowballs. The character of this team--how easily could we have given up? Then Troy hits a bloop and he’s on third base. Al [Levine] comes back after a tough outing and pitches great. Those are the kinds of things that win games.

“We’re definitely a more confident group and winning creates cohesiveness. [Mike] Scioscia built the base in spring training and we’ve just followed along.”

Of all the Angels, Erstad might have the most right to point an angry finger at Anderson.

Erstad doesn’t make mistakes. Not this year.

Each at-bat Erstad uses the whole plate. He’ll hit the outside pitch down the third-base line, past a pulled-in third baseman or he’ll slam a line drive past that same third baseman’s ear or he’ll turn and slap a ball past the first baseman. Erstad waits longer on a pitch than anyone in baseball right now. Erstad is so fast that he’ll slam a line drive in front of Dodger outfielder Todd Hollandsworth and be standing on second base before Hollandsworth looks up. Erstad is getting the best at-bats in the world and then he’ll make a diving, game-saving catch or make a clean pickup when he’s added as a fifth infielder in the bottom of the ninth of a tied game.

Erstad would absolutely have rushed to back up Palmeiro in the bottom of the ninth and the way things are going, Erstad probably would have thrown Rivera out at third or something.

But just because Erstad is doing everything right does not mean everybody else should.

And so, as Anderson was stoic and said over and over that, “If you want to blame me for letting that ball be a home run and tie the game, so be it. I accept the blame. Make me the goat in the paper if you want. I accept the responsibility. I could have done a better job. The blame is mine,” Erstad finally had enough.

“I can’t believe this,” Erstad said.

Suddenly the questions changed direction. What pitch did you hit on your home run, Garret? Does this team have some good karma, coming back and winning this game? Anderson actually smiled then. “Absolutely,” he said.

Erstad had done it right again, had stood up for his teammate in a way that never happened last year. Last year 10 Angels would have grumbled loudly about what happened in the bottom of the ninth instead of chattering happily about what happened in the top of the 11th.

And we can all shake our heads about the bonehead plays, laugh out loud about the luck of the Angels and then say one heartfelt and giant prayer of thanks that the best player in baseball is named Darin Erstad and plays for the Anaheim Angels.

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Diane Pucin can be reached at her e-mail address: diane.pucin@latimes.com

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Where Erstad Stands

How Darin Erstad ranks among American League batters, through Monday’s games:

At-Bats

1. Darin Erstad, Angels: 399

2. Garret Anderson, Angels: 371

3. Ray Durham, White Sox: 370

4. Mo Vaughn, Angels: 367

5. Raul Mondesi, Blue Jays: 366

6. Christian Guzman, Twins: 366

7. Jose Cruz, Blue Jays: 362

8. B.J. Surhoff, Orioles: 362

9. Mike Sweeney, Royals: 357

10. Adam Kennedy, Angels: 357

Runs

1. Alex Rodriguez, Mariners: 84

2. Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays: 78

3. Ray Durham, White Sox: 77

4. Raul Mondesi, Blue Jays: 76

5. Frank Thomas, White Sox: 74

6. Darin Erstad, Angels: 73

7. Bernie Williams, Yankees: 70

8. Johnny Damon, Royals: 69

9. Troy Glaus, Angels: 68

10. Jason Giambi, A’s: 66

Hits

1. Darin Erstad, Angels : 154

2. Mike Sweeney, Royals : 127

3. Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers: 121

4. Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays:119

5. Matt Lawton, Twins: 117

6. Bernie Williams, Yankees :116

7. Frank Thomas, White Sox: 112

8. Mo Vaughn, Angels : 111

9. David Segui, Blue Jays : 110

10. Alex Rodriguez, Mariners :109

Doubles

1. John Olerud, Mariners : 33

2. Nomar Garciaparra, Red Sox: 30

3. Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays : 28

4. Matt Lawton, Twins : 28

5. David Segui, Rangers : 28

6. Bobby Higginson, Tigers: 27

7. Darin Erstad, Angels : 26

8. Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers : 26

9. Delino DeShields, Orioles : 25

10. Bernie Williams, Yankees : 25

Batting Average

1. Nomar Garciaparra, Red Sox:.400

2. Darin Erstad, Angels :.386

3. Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays :.357

4. Mike Sweeney, Royals : .356

5. Edgar Martinez, Mariners : .354

6. Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers : .352

7. David Segui, Rangers : .348

8. Alex Rodriguez, Mariners : .345

9. Frank Thomas, White Sox : .339

10. Jason Giambi, A’s : .337

Total Bases

1. Darin Erstad, Angels : 238

2. Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays : 237

3. Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers : 233

4. Frank Thomas, White Sox : 220

5. Bernie Williams, Yankees : 212

6. Mo Vaughn, Angels : 204

7. Magglio Ordonez, White Sox: 202

8. Tony Batista, Blue Jays : 202

9. Alex Rodriguez, Mariners : 202

10. Troy Glaus, Angels : 200

Stolen Bases

1. Johnny Damon, Royals : 27

2. Delino DeShields, Orioles : 22

3. Raul Mondesi, Blue Jays : 22

4. Roberto Alomar, Indians : 21

5. Matt Lawton, Twins : 21

6. Mark McLemore, Mariners : 21

7. Rickey Henderson, Mariners: 19

8. Darin Erstad, Angels : 18

9. Derek Jeter, Yankees : 16

10. Miguel Cairo, Devil Rays : 15