Scioscia Awarded Contract Extension

Mike Scioscia played 12 seasons for the Dodgers, all for Manager Tom Lasorda. During those 12 seasons, the Angels employed five managers and three interim managers.

Now, with Scioscia managing the Angels, stability has come to Anaheim. The Angels on Monday guaranteed Scioscia’s contract through the 2005 season, exercising an option for next season and extending the contract for another three. The four guaranteed years are worth about $3 million, and the Angels added an option for 2006.

The Angels’ first manager, Bill Rigney, managed the team for eight full seasons. No other manager has survived more than four, but Scioscia would manage the Angels for seven if he lasts the duration of his contract.

“As much as everyone likes stability, everybody wants instant results, and someone to blame when things don’t go well,” Angel President Tony Tavares said. “You’re pressured sometimes to make changes you don’t even want to make.

“Even if the club were not going the way it is now, we still would have talked to Mike about an extension. He’s done a fabulous job, and he’s certainly earned this.”

Scioscia, 42, had one season of managerial experience, in the minor leagues, when he inherited a last-place Angel team and a fractured clubhouse last year.

The Angels finished 82-80 last season, even as they used 16 starting pitchers, none of whom won more than eight games. This season, despite the absence of injured slugger Mo Vaughn and offensive declines of Darin Erstad and Tim Salmon, the Angels entered play Monday at 66-58, winning 13 of their previous 18 games to remain in wild-card contention.

“I’m happy for him, and I’m excited he’s going to be around,” Salmon said. “He’s open. He’s approachable. He treats the players with respect. In return, he has the respect of the players.

“He jokes around a lot, and you can rag him back. That closes a little of that gap between manager and player. But he knows how to maintain that distance between manager and player too, and that’s a unique balance.”

In 1999, when word spread that the Angels were negotiating to extend the contract of then-manager Terry Collins, several players hustled to management to express their objections. After Scioscia’s contract talks became public last week, General Manager Bill Stoneman said, no player offered an opinion to him. At no point, Stoneman said, did he solicit any player input.

“You solicit their input by watching how they perform and how they respond to Mike and his staff,” Stoneman said. “To that extent, the input has been very positive. When you see how they perform and the effort they give, that really answers the question.”

Scioscia handled negotiations without an agent and finalized the agreement with Stoneman by telephone, on the Angels’ trip last week. He thanked Stoneman, Tavares and Disney for their confidence and said he would invite all of his coaches to return next season.

“I don’t think you’re going to find a better staff anywhere,” Scioscia said.

The contracts of the coaches--Bud Black, Alfredo Griffin, Mickey Hatcher, Joe Maddon, Bobby Ramos and Ron Roenicke--all expire at the end of the season.

Stoneman, who approves all coaching hirings, said he was “happy with the way the club is going” but had not evaluated the coaching staff. He will do so with Scioscia at a later date.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

SCOTT SCHOENEWEIS

(10-8, 4.61 ERA)

vs.

RED SOX’S

DAVID CONE

(7-2, 4.22 ERA)

Edison Field, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net.

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

* Update--Schoeneweis won at Fenway Park three weeks ago, holding the Red Sox to two runs in 7 2/3 innings. Cone was 1-10 through July 31 last year and 6-1 through July 31 this year.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.