Doing His Opposite Number, He Packs Emotional Wallop

In the middle of a busy Orange County Friday night they appeared, suddenly, swiftly, as surprising as snow.

Eight tiny fist pumps.

From Troy Glaus.

“Never seen anything like it,” said Scott Spiezio.

Moments later, in the middle of home plate, something else appeared, quickly, powerfully, as stunning as an empty freeway.

A celebration punch.

From Troy Glaus.

“His fist hit my fist really hard,” Spiezio said. “I thought, this is different.”

Different and dramatic and right on time.

As the Angels are leaving their past, Troy Glaus is coming out of his shell.

The more he is confronted with big October moments, the harder the aloof slugger embraces them, even if it means doing something entirely unnatural, like smiling.

On Friday, it happened again, this time with a squeeze that turned the fresh-faced Minnesota Twins pale.

Eighth inning, none out, tie game, 3-and-1 count against a pitcher, J.C. Romero, who had allowed only three home runs all season.

Make that four.

Glaus flicked a fastball over the fence in right-center field to make his fist move, fireworks blast and Mickey Hatcher dance. The Angels needed nothing more in an eventual 2-1 win in Game 3 of the American League championship series.

After which, yeah, Glaus even smiled.

OK, so it might have been a snuff-dripping-off-his-lower-lip smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.

“I mean, it’s all right,” Glaus said afterward. “It beats being at home right now.”

In a world where the Glaus always seems half empty, that statement qualifies as a bona fide “yahoo” and “yippee.”

“I think what’s happening is, Troy has never done anything like this before, and he really likes it,” said Spiezio. “It’s nice to see.”

Especially since, this postseason, Angel fans usually have their vision directed to somebody else.

Flashier is Francisco Rodriguez. Spunkier is David Eckstein.

Everyone admires Mike Scioscia’s calm and Troy Percival’s sentiment and Darin Erstad’s grass stains.

But so far, the two biggest hits of October have belonged to Glaus.

First, there was the tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning in Game 2 of the division series in New York.

Then there was Friday’s shot, which was even bigger. By going to right-center field, it went against every instinct in a player like Glaus.

“Yeah, one reason I loved it is because of where it went,” said batting coach Hatcher, who danced in the dugout like it was 1988.

Glaus, you see, is a right-handed power hitter. In those guys, the urge to pull that power to left field is sometimes almost as strong as the urge to eat.

“It’s hard, because growing up, most people tell you that home runs are pulled,” said Spiezio. “And most people are only strong enough to pull them.”

But Glaus is different. Glaus is stronger. Glaus has the potential power of a Barry Bonds or an Alex Rodriguez.

It was always thought that Glaus, given the proper patience and unselfishness, could be like those guys and hit those outside pitches into right-field seats.

This year, under constant harping by Hatcher, he finally has those traits.

In the last couple of days, he has hammered with those traits.

The Twins have decided to pitch him away, and Glaus has made them regret that decision.

“The last couple of days, I’m just fortunate to get a couple of pitches outside,” Glaus said. “And put some good swings on them and not pop them or do what I have done in the past.”

His two hits in Game 2 were to right field, including a sixth-inning triple that Hatcher felt set the tone for Friday’s at-bat.

“When I saw him do that, I knew he was in the right frame of mind,” Hatcher said.

Then when Glaus had a single to right field in the fourth inning Friday, the stage was set.

“The big man was going to be aggressive up there,” Hatcher said. “He was going to swing at what they gave him.”

And so he did, smashing an outside pitch that has given the Angels a two-games-to-one lead and a tentative inside track to the World Series.

If the Angels can defeat Minnesota ace Brad Radke today, this ALCS is over.

Just when Glaus is starting to enjoy it.

“I know he’s not into the press and the attention, he just likes to play the game,” Hatcher said with a grin. “But I really think he’s trying to learn all that baseball lingo so he can start talking more to you guys.”

In a news conference late Friday, Glaus gave it his best shot.

“It’s fun playing in the postseason, it’s fun doing that,” he said. “That’s why we put all the time in ... to be playing now. I think we’re just all excited to be playing now and not worried so much about everything else that’s going on.”

He smiled, then stopped, then marched off the interview podium in a rush to get to the elevator.

Turning a corner, he ran smack into an Angel publicist.

And promptly hugged her and smiled again.

That makes three big postseason hits.

*

Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

High-Glaus Finish

Troy Glaus’ statistics in the postseason:

*--* AT-BATS 26 RUNS 7 HITS 9 DOUBLES 0 TRIPLES 1 HOME RUNS 4 RUNS BATTED IN 4 WALKS 3 STRIKEOUTS 6 BATTING AVERAGE 346 SLUGGING PCT 885 HOME RUNS PER AB 1/6.5 PCT. OF ANGEL HR 333

*--*