Season Opener Takes Backseat to Basketball

When major league officials asked the Angels to open the season on Easter Sunday, the team happily agreed. Although the holiday date would jeopardize the chances of selling out the opener, the Angels were excited about playing in the first game of the season and expected the game to be nationally televised on ESPN.

But if you turn on ESPN on Sunday night, you will not see the Angels playing the Cleveland Indians. Instead, you will see the NCAA women’s basketball championship game.

“It’s a signature event for ESPN,” spokesman Dave Nagle said Monday. “And, outside the NFL, it’s one of our highest-rated events each year.”

The Angel game starts at 5 p.m. Nagle said major league officials passed up ESPN’s offer to show the game if played earlier in the day. The game will be on ESPN2.

The Angels trumpeted the ESPN broadcast in publicizing the game and listed it on ESPN in pocket schedules widely distributed in Southern California.

However disappointed the team might be, Angel spokesman Tim Mead noted ESPN will send its first-string baseball broadcast team to Anaheim for the game.

“We’re still on national television,” Mead said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to put on a great show to start the major league season.”

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In the most unlikely story of the spring, Larry Barnes could start at first base for the Angels on opening day.

“That would be weird,” Barnes said, “from where I was coming into spring training.”

Barnes had no chance to make the team until the Angels lost Shawn Wooten to injury for four months and Scott Spiezio to suspension for six games, pending appeal.

The Angels are far from finalizing their roster, but someone has to play first base against Cleveland right-hander Bartolo Colon, and Barnes is the only left-handed hitter among candidates that include Jamie Burke, Clay Bellinger and Benji Gil.

Barnes, cast aside in the first-base search after hitting .100 in 40 at-bats last season, is hitting .286 this spring, with 12 runs batted in.

“I thought I had a pretty decent spring last year too,” he said, “but I have to show what I can do during the regular season. That was my downfall last year.”

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Scott Schoeneweis gave up one run in six innings in the Angels’ 9-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Schoeneweis is 3-0 with a 2.81 earned-run average this spring.... Jeff Moorad, the agent for outfielder Darin Erstad, said the two had agreed not to initiate negotiations on a long-term contract until the season ends. But Erstad said he would not say no if the Angels wanted to talk before then. “If they come to me in July, I’m open to that,” he said. “I would love to play for Mike Scioscia the rest of my career.” Erstad is eligible for free agency after the season.... Ramon Ortiz’s contract includes a $500,000 signing bonus and pays him $450,000 this season. If he is not eligible for salary arbitration after the season, he will earn $700,000 next year, $2.15 million in 2004 and $3.45 million in 2005. If he is, he will earn $2.1 million next year and $3.1 million in 2004, with a club option of $5.5 million in 2005, for a maximum payout of $11.65 million.... The Angels optioned pitcher Mickey Callaway to triple-A Salt Lake, where he will work as a starter.