A Night Worth Remembering

As the Angels make a run at history this season, they paused to remember their supporting role in the history of Baltimore baseball. Seven years ago Friday, the Angels provided the opposition as Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record by playing in his 2,131st consecutive game, an evening marked by Ripken’s impromptu victory lap when the game became official after five innings.

The Angels’ lineup that night included Garret Anderson in left field, Tim Salmon in right field and current television analyst Rex Hudler at second base.

Hudler, a former Oriole teammate of Ripken, often teased him about the 1978 draft, in which Hudler was selected in the first round, Ripken in the second round. But Ripken brought Hudler to tears by giving him an autographed bat on the very night Ripken broke Gehrig’s record. The bat is framed and displayed in Hudler’s home.

The Orioles used commemorative baseballs that night, with orange stitching and a special logo, and Hudler caught one--a pop fly, hit by Ripken and pocketed by Hudler.

“I shook the ball when I caught it,” he said. “It was the souvenir of a lifetime.”

Salmon also has a cherished keepsake, a snapshot of him chatting with Ripken at second base after hitting a double that night. Ripken later autographed the picture. Salmon framed it and saved it, along with a ticket stub and commemorative ball from the game. “That will always be a special memory,” he said. “I’ll tell the kids and grandkids about that one.”

Salmon homered that night. So did Ripken, and the Orioles won, 4-2.

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The Angels plan to invite all of their coaches to return next season, General Manager Bill Stoneman said Friday. The Toronto Blue Jays, 26 1/2 games out of first place, extended the contracts of their coaches this week, but the Angels have yet to offer any extensions.

“We’ll get to that in due course. Right now, our focus is on winning,” Stoneman said.

Stoneman and Manager Mike Scioscia assembled the coaching staff in 1999, following the hiring of Scioscia, and the Angels have not had any turnover on the staff since then. The staff includes pitching coach Bud Black, hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, first base coach Alfredo Griffin, third base coach Ron Roenicke, bench coach Joe Maddon and bullpen coach Bobby Ramos.

The Angels last year extended Scioscia’s contract through 2005.

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TONIGHT

ANGELS’

MICKEY CALLAWAY

(1-0, 3.00 ERA)

vs.

ORIOLES’

RODRIGO LOPEZ

(14-7, 3.39 ERA)

Camden Yards, Baltimore, 4 p.m. PDT

TV--Channel 9.

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

Update--In nine plate appearances since returning from the disabled list, Salmon has reached base six times: five walks and a single.