Kennedy Earns Return Ticket

Adam Kennedy, whose hold on his position was tenuous at best in spring training, has won the second-base job for next season, General Manager Bill Stoneman said.

Kennedy is hitting .302, a batting average that ranks second among the Angels behind Garret Anderson and second among American League second basemen behind Alfonso Soriano of the New York Yankees. In addition to providing offense from the ninth spot in the batting order, he has thrilled management and the coaching staff with his tireless work in improving his defense.

And, Stoneman suggested, Kennedy has attracted the interest of other major league teams.

“He’s having a heck of a year,” Stoneman said. “The way Adam has played on both sides of the ball--offensively and defensively--has shown everybody here and on other clubs that he’s a very good major league player.”

Although Manager Mike Scioscia says he believes Kennedy can hit left-handers, he generally benches Kennedy against them, in favor of Benji Gil.

“That’s not my call. That’s up to Mike,” Stoneman said. “My call is, do I want him on the Angels or not? Darn right I do.”

Gil, in the final year of a two-year contract, batted a career-high .296 last season. He is batting .270 this season, with two hits in his last 21 at-bats.

The spring pressure on Kennedy in part reflected the projection that top infield prospect Alfredo Amezaga would advance from triple-A this year to Anaheim next year. But Amezaga, 24, is batting .240 at Salt Lake, where the high altitude generally inflates offensive production, and he could earn a return ticket there next season for more work on his switch-hitting.

“Patience pays off in this business. It will with him,” Stoneman said. “This guy is going to be a very good major league player.”

*

Before the game, reliever Al Levine met with Scioscia and pitching coach Bud Black to discuss his role. Levine opened the season as the primary set-up man for closer Troy Percival, but that role is now shared by Ben Weber, Scott Schoeneweis and Brendan Donnelly.

Levine mopped up Tuesday, pitching the final three innings of an 11-2 victory. Scioscia did not rule out Levine returning to the setup role but said the Angels want him to pitch extended innings in case he is needed as a spot starter.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

AARON SELE

(8-7, 4.61 ERA)

vs.

WHITE SOX’S

JIM PARQUE

(0-1, 9.00 ERA)

Comiskey Park, 5 p.m. PDT

TV--Channel 9.

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

Update--Anderson (strained hamstring) started his second consecutive game at designated hitter, and Scioscia indicated he would not return to left field on an everyday basis until after the Angels’ weekend series on the artificial turf in Toronto.