They’re Glad It Won’t Be Mo of Same

In the Angel clubhouse, Mo Vaughn occupied the locker next to Garret Anderson. Vaughn has not spoken to Anderson since August.

As the Angels’ full squad took to the field for its first spring workout Thursday, Vaughn was on the other side of the country, in training camp with the New York Mets. Vaughn was happy to be there and, truth be told, the Angels were just as happy he wasn’t with them.

“If a guy doesn’t want to be here, it’s not good for him to be here,” Anderson said. “That would give us a lot of distractions. We just don’t need that when we’re trying to contend.”

Vaughn’s reputation as a clubhouse leader took a severe bruising during his three years with the Angels. He signed the richest contract in franchise history, for $80 million over six years, then tumbled into the dugout in the first inning of his first game and wrenched an ankle. He played hurt and played fairly well, hitting 69 home runs and driving in 225 runs in his first two seasons with the Angels.

During his first season, in 1999, he alienated teammates by remaining in the clubhouse rather than rushing onto the field during a brawl. He virtually withdrew from the team last season, when he did not play while rehabilitating after surgery to repair a torn biceps.

Last spring, Vaughn addressed rumors that he longed to return to the East Coast by saying, “I made a commitment to do a job here.” In October, he told a Boston radio station he wanted the Angels to trade him, before bothering to tell the team. Vaughn, who played for the Boston Red Sox from 1991-98, missed family and friends on the East Coast and missed the passion of fans there.

“If I make a commitment, I’m going to play out my contract,” Anderson said. “He had some pretty tough things happen to him. I don’t understand all the things he went through to get to the point of saying, ‘Hey, I can’t deal with this any more.’

“But the way he did it was definitely way out of line as far as the way this business was run.”

Because Vaughn did not play last season, the Angels did not expect to be able to trade him until other teams could assess his health this spring. By watching him in a private workout, and then agreeing to acquire him, the Mets not only got themselves a powerful first baseman but saved the Angels from what would have been a tense opening to camp, with Vaughn having to explain to teammates why he no longer wished to play with them.

“It would have been a bad situation, because a lot of guys didn’t care for what he said,” Anderson said.

Still, Anderson is happy that Vaughn is happy. And Anderson is happier that, in removing Vaughn, the Angels could acquire a distinguished veteran pitcher in Kevin Appier.

“Usually, when you’ve got a disgruntled player, someone will take him off your hands, but for nothing,” Anderson said. “I’m glad with the way it turned out for both parties.”

At the end of last season, the Angels planned to audition shortstop prospect Alfredo Amezaga this spring, with the possibility of Amezaga winning the job and David Eckstein moving to second base. For now, the Angels have abandoned that plan, concerned that Amezaga would be overmatched on offense and convinced they cannot sacrifice offense in their lineup.

So the Angels plan to start the season with Adam Kennedy at second base, with Benji Gil backing up Eckstein and Kennedy. But, as Kennedy says, “I think I’m coming in here to win a job.”

After a terrific rookie season in 2000, Kennedy regressed on offense and defense last season, starting with a broken finger in spring training and evolving to the point where Manager Mike Scioscia took advantage of the hot bat of Gil by platooning him with Kennedy.

“It wasn’t anything I had ever experienced,” Kennedy said. “I was unsure of my role most of the year.”

Scioscia says Kennedy has “the potential to be an outstanding everyday major league second baseman,” but a lineup spot is not retained on potential. If Kennedy realizes his potential, he believes he could hit .300 with a lot of doubles and 20 stolen bases. If he does not, the Angels could trade him to make room for Amezaga later this season.

That would force Kennedy, who grew up in Riverside, to continue his career away from friends and family.

“That’s always been the icing on the cake,” he said. “I’ve explained to them that it can’t last forever.”