Vaughn Is Becoming a Real Homer

Mo Vaughn is closing in on his eighth consecutive season of 25 or more home runs. Twenty-five may not seem like a huge number in this era of the Big Mac, but consider:

The only active players with streaks of eight or more years at 25 are Barry Bonds, who is at 10, and Albert Belle, who will reach 10 when he hits his 25th this year.

Sammy Sosa, like Vaughn, is about to make it eight in a row, but Mark McGwire is at only six because of the injuries he had in Oakland. Ken Griffey Jr., Jeff Bagwell, Jose Canseco, Juan Gonzalez, Mike Piazza and Eric Karros, the consistent L.A. Dodger record-holder, are among many renowned sluggers short of eight.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely got my share of publicity in this game, but it’s always been like I’m in the second tier,” says Vaughn, suggesting, without bitterness, that he is something of an afterthought among the premier sluggers.

After all, the Angel first baseman is being paid an average of $13.3 million a year, and he said, “It’s kind of cool” to glance at “a few of my 200 or so baseball cards” on occasion and “amaze even myself at some of the statistics. To me, it’s just a matter of trying to be consistent year after year because that’s what the mark of a professional is. There haven’t been any years with 50 home runs, but there haven’t been any with 15 since I became a full-time player.

“I think I’ve averaged 30 homers and 110 RBIs for five or six years now [38 and 118 over the last five], so that’s what it’s all about.

“I mean, if some people don’t realize how consistent I’ve been, maybe I’ve lost sight of it as well, because I’ve always concentrated on the negatives in my game--how can I make myself better. That’s why there have been times when I’ve looked at those cards and other things and said, ‘Wow, I’ve been doing some things well.’ ”

So well, that Vaughn is sneaking up on the home run list and into categories that could, in time, invite Hall of Fame eligibility.

“It’s kind of funny,” he said. “I’ve hit a lot of home runs in a short period of time. This is only my eighth full year but I could have 300 when it ends. I’m looking at doing some things over the next few years that will put me on a certain level, but it’s consistency and health that are the keys. I’ve always felt that if I play 155 to 160 games a year, I’m going to have solid numbers. I think I’m getting better with age.”

Vaughn is 32. His Angel contract expires after a 2005 option year, but he said he would like to play until he’s 40. If he’s at 300 homers by the end of the year and reaches 40 maintaining his current average, he could finish with more than 600.

He has a personal trainer to help maintain his large body, believes the West Coast’s humidity-free weather will help him stay stronger longer, and thinks he will benefit more from the overall fairer dimensions of Edison Field than Fenway Park. Vaughn, who has taken on more of a leadership role after his injury- and turmoil-marred first season with the Angels, does what bench coach Joe Maddon says is “a lot of reconnoitering, gathering information on hitting from different sources.”

Asked about the McGwire and Sosa influences of recent years, Vaughn said: “Those two guys are the benchmark. I can hit 40 homers a year with the mind-set I’ve always had, but 60 takes a level of concentration-- well, it’s not that I don’t want to do it, but at times you just lose it. I marvel at the way those two are able to maintain their swing and focus for an entire season. They’ve found a way to stay on course. That’s what I’ve got to keep working toward.”