Glaus’ Gaudy Numbers Have Scioscia Raving

Troy Glaus has 41 home runs, second most in the American League and two shy of the league record for third basemen, set by Cleveland’s Al Rosen in 1953.

Glaus, who turned 24 last month, has 75 extra-base hits, two shy of Doug DeCinces’ franchise record of 77. He has 103 walks, third most in the league, 91 runs batted in, 33 doubles, 14 stolen bases and a .408 on-base percentage.

All of which Manager Mike Scioscia considers and thinks: You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

“The scary thing for the league is he’s going to be more refined and become a more dangerous out as he gets more experience,” Scioscia said. “I think his strikeouts in key situations will shrink, and he’ll be more of an RBI guy. He’s going to be a franchise-type player.”

About the only pock marks on Glaus’ second full big league season are his 144 strikeouts and 29 errors, but Scioscia believes Glaus saves many more runs with his superior range, strong arm and glove than he allows.

And the fact that Glaus has far exceeded his 71 walks from 1999 and has avoided the prolonged slumps that marked last season is proof he is becoming a more disciplined hitter.

“He’s starting to understand situational hitting more,” Scioscia said. “He’ll take what a pitcher gives him in certain situations.”

Scioscia believes Glaus will be an all-star third baseman for years to come. Coming out of UCLA, Glaus hoped to be a big league shortstop, but at 6 feet 5 and 230 pounds, that is highly unlikely.

“We’ll let him dream, though,” said Scioscia, the former Dodger catcher. “I always wanted to be a center fielder.”

*

Knowing left fielder Darin Erstad’s relentless work ethic, Scioscia was not the least bit surprised to learn that Erstad was the Bradlees employee of the month in July 1993, and that his picture and plaque still adorn a wall in the Falmouth, Mass., department store.

“I tell you what, if this guy was pasting together boxes for Post cereal, they’d be perfectly edged and creased,” Scioscia said. “And if they weren’t, he’d be working overtime to make sure they were.”

Erstad, who leads the major leagues with 216 hits, set an all-time efficiency record for cashiers at Bradlees, a job he held while playing in the Cape Cod League that summer.

“When I found out there was a timer on the registers, I said, ‘I’m gonna get this baby,’ ” Erstad said. “That was the first job I ever had, and I was proud of it. It was special getting a paycheck every two weeks.”

*

The Angels won four of six games on their last homestand against Baltimore and Tampa Bay despite the core of their lineup--Erstad, Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson and Glaus--batting only .211 (19 for 90) with seven RBIs.

Salmon, who raised his average to .303 with a torrid August, has cooled considerably, going one for 21 in the last six games, his average slipping to .284, and Vaughn is five for 34 in his last nine games.

However, the bottom third of the order--Bengie Molina, Adam Kennedy and Benji Gil--combined to hit .393 (22 for 56) with two home runs and 11 RBIs on the homestand.

*

The Angels will move their Class-A team in the California League from Lake Elsinore to Rancho Cucamonga next season. The San Diego Padres are expected to move their Class-A team from Rancho Cucamonga to Lake Elsinore. . . . Pitcher Kent Mercker, sidelined by shoulder injury on Sept. 4, has begun throwing off the mound but is at least another week away from a possible return.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Minnesota Twins, three games.

* Site--Metrodome, Minneapolis.

* Tonight--5 PDT.

* TV--None.

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

* Records--Angels 74-72, Twins 63-82.

* Record vs. Twins--5-2.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ AL LEVINE

(3-4, 3.39 ERA)

vs.

TWINS’ MATT KINNEY

(1-1, 2.96 ERA)

* Update--If the Angels are to keep their slim playoff chances alive, they must win on the road, something they have not done much of this season--they are 29-39 away from Edison Field and play 13 of their final 16 games on the road, all of them on this four-city trip through Minnesota, Kansas City, Texas and Oakland. Middle reliever Al Levine will make his second consecutive start after holding Baltimore scoreless for four innings of a 2-1 victory Sunday night. Scott Schoeneweis, who was pulled from Monday night’s game in the seventh inning because of back spasms and has been battling flu-like symptoms all week, expects to make his start Saturday.

* Saturday, 4 p.m.--Scott Schoeneweis (7-8, 4.81) vs. Johan Santana (2-2, 6.12).

* Sunday, 11 a.m.--Tim Belcher (4-2, 6.58) vs. Brad Radke (11-15, 4.44).