Scioscia Develops Juggling Skills

One of the easiest jobs Mike Scioscia had in his first year as Angel manager was filling out the lineup card.

There was some tweaking in the No. 2 spot, but the bulk of his 2000 lineup was the same virtually every day--Darin Erstad leading off and Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus in the Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 spots. Good health and good production eliminated the need for tinkering.

This season, Scioscia has been more of a juggler, focusing an inordinate amount of time and energy on his lineup because of the loss of Vaughn and the prolonged slumps of several key hitters.

Wednesday night, Scioscia made his third significant change of the season, moving Adam Kennedy into the second spot, dropping Erstad from second to third, Glaus from third to fourth and Salmon from fourth to sixth, adjustments prompted by another Salmon slump.

Scioscia moved Erstad from leadoff to second and Glaus from fourth to fifth on April 24. On May 20, Glaus moved to the third spot and Salmon to the sixth or seventh spot.

“We’ve had some holes in the lineup, and we’re trying to find the right mix to get the offense where it needs to be,” Scioscia said. “We’ve had to do a lot more juggling than last year, but if everyone swings to their capabilities, I think we can have a stable lineup.”

Scioscia said he also would use Orlando Palmeiro and Benji Gil in the second spot, but he gave no indication whether Salmon would move back to the cleanup spot if he emerged from his slump.

Salmon, whose average bottomed out at .195 on May 26, thought the worst was over when he went 11 for 28 with four home runs in nine games from May 27-June 5, raising his average to .226.

But the right fielder had two hits in his next 25 at-bats, and his average slipped to .208 after going 0 for 3 in Wednesday night’s 1-0 loss to the Giants. So he could hardly complain when Scioscia demoted him in the order again.

“If it’s best for the team, I’m all for it,” Salmon said. “I just don’t want it to become a distraction from a team standpoint.”

Salmon said his swing has felt better in recent weeks, but he has been getting himself out, missing pitches he should be hitting and chasing some bad pitches.

“A lot of it is just between the ears,” Salmon said. “It snowballs to the point where you’re fighting to keep afloat. . . . But the year’s not over. I’m not conceding anything. We’re just rolling into the second half, which is when I usually get hot.”

Scioscia has no doubt that Salmon, a consistent 30-homer, 100-RBI producer, will get on track.

“Tim will get out of this--how much of the season is left and what his production will be is the question,” Scioscia said. “His bat speed is good. He’s missed far too many pitches for as talented a player as he is. But he’s a tremendous offensive player. He’ll bounce back.”

Jackie Autry, wife of former Angel owner Gene Autry, was named honorary American League president by Commissioner Bud Selig. Bill Giles, chairman of the Philadelphia Phillies, was named honorary National League president.

In her position, Autry will preside over the league boxes at the All-Star game and the division series, AL Championship Series and World Series, among other duties at league events and civic functions.

TODAY

ANGELS’

ISMAEL VALDES

(4-3, 3.51 ERA)

vs.

GIANTS’

MARK GARDNER

(1-5, 5.90 ERA)

Pacific Bell Park, San Francisco, 12:30 p.m.

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Update--Valdes will look to extend a string of three outstanding starts, in which the right-hander gave up only four earned runs and 15 hits in 22 2/3 innings, threw a complete game against the Royals on June 1 and 6 2/3 shutout innings against the Dodgers last Friday. Gardner, the Giants’ right-hander, had a 1.69 earned-run average in five May starts but has been bombed for 13 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings in his last two starts.