Scioscia Wants Kennedy to Hit in Second Slot

Whether Darin Erstad hits first or third, Tim Salmon hits third or fourth, and Troy Glaus hits third, fourth or sixth, the Angels still have the lineup dilemma they had for most of 2000: Who will bat second?

Manager Mike Scioscia tried Adam Kennedy there for two months last season, but after struggling with a .257 average, the rookie second baseman was dropped to the eighth spot.

Light-hitting shortstops Benji Gil and Kevin Stocker shared the two spot for a time, reserve outfielder/designated hitter Orlando Palmeiro started 33 games there, and by August, Scioscia moved Glaus into the two hole against left-handed pitchers.

In all, Angel No. 2 batters combined for a .273 average, 19 home runs and 79 runs batted in last season. Only the eighth and ninth spots in the order were less productive.

“There are a lot of scenarios we’re looking at, but I think it would be a big advantage to the club to have Adam ready to handle that role this year,” Scioscia said. “Not so much to be a prototypical No. 2 hitter but to be a guy who can get on base for Glaus, Salmon and [Garret] Anderson.”

To do that, Kennedy needs to think of himself more as a table-setter than a run-producer, more of a line-drive, gap and ground-ball hitter than a fly-ball hitter.

Though he knocked in 72 runs and had several clutch hits from the eighth spot, Kennedy walked only 28 times in 598 at-bats in 2000. His on-base percentage (.300) was only 34 points higher than his batting average (.266).

“The main thing I need is better pitch selection,” Kennedy said. “If I took what I learned when I struggled last year, I think I can definitely [hit second]. There were a lot of RBI opportunities in the eight hole, but I’d like to help out Darin more, whether he hits first or third.”

If Kennedy needs a tutorial on better pitch selection, he should look across the infield to Glaus. In 1999, Glaus’ first full big league season, the third baseman struggled with a .240 average, hitting 29 homers and knocking in 79 runs but striking out 143 times and walking 71 times.

Last season, a more disciplined Glaus hit .284 with an American League-leading 47 homers and 102 RBIs, and he led the team with 112 walks. Though he struck out 163 times, Glaus had an impressive .404 on-base percentage.

“It’s obvious watching Troy every day how important pitch selection is,” Kennedy said. “You saw what he went through his first year and how he went about it last year.

“He took maturity and confidence to the plate and field every day. Like Troy, I need to know my strengths, the pitchers, and what pitches I handle best, all kinds of things.”

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The Angels will play intrasquad games Tuesday and Wednesday and begin Cactus League play Friday against Seattle in Tempe. Scioscia probably won’t settle on a lineup until the final week and a half of spring, when the regulars play deeper into games and coaches get a better feel of how certain combinations work. But it appears he’ll start with Erstad leading off, Glaus third, Salmon fourth, Anderson fifth, Jose Canseco sixth and Bengie Molina seventh. . . . There have been no significant injuries in camp, but Scioscia did tweak his knee diving head-first during a plate-blocking drill for catchers Saturday. “It didn’t start out as a head-first slide, it started out feet-first,” Scioscia said of his impromptu participation. “I’m day to day.”