For Now, Vaughn Isn’t About to Shift Position Over Swing

The Oakland Athletics gave the Angels an early indication of how they will defend against Mo Vaughn this season, playing three infielders between first and second base and moving the third baseman to the shortstop spot Saturday, an exaggerated shift that about half the league used last season.

Just as he did in 1999, Vaughn ignored the shift and took his normal cuts, not attempting to hit a ball down the third base line. It seems spring training would be a perfect time for Vaughn to knock a few balls to left, which might persuade teams to abandon the shift and open up more holes for Vaughn, but the Angel first baseman refuses to give in.

“I don’t care if they put the whole damn team on one side of the field, I’m working on my swing in spring training, and I’m not going to change it,” Vaughn said. “That’s exactly what they want you to do, change your swing.”

Vaughn believes more teams went to the shift last season because his severely sprained left ankle prevented him from driving off his back foot, a key element in a swing that produced significant power to left field when Vaughn played in Boston.

Now that Vaughn’s ankle has healed, he believes he’ll return to his 1998 form, when he hit .337 with 40 home runs and 115 runs bated in and regularly smacked balls off and over Fenway Park’s Green Monster in left.

“If they play me like that this year, they’re going to pay, because I’ll be able to naturally hit the ball the other way,” Vaughn said. “The reason they played me that way last year is I couldn’t.”

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The Angels’ game against Oakland Sunday was canceled because of rain after a half inning, preventing left-hander Kent Mercker from making his first Cactus League start. Mercker will pitch an inning Tuesday and start later this week.

The day was not completely unproductive, though. Closer Troy Percival, coming back from shoulder surgery, threw eight minutes of live batting practice for the first time this spring and should pitch in an exhibition game within a week.

Percival has completely overhauled his mechanics, going from a sidearm delivery to the overhand delivery he used in 1995-96.

“When you watch films of him from last year, you can tell something was messing him up,” Scioscia said. “He’s totally pain-free right now, and it’s almost like he has to teach himself how to pitch again, find that arm slot and release point.”

Percival threw only fastballs, with his velocity close to what it was last season, about 95 mph.