Team Reaches Out and Touches DiSarcina

By Bill Shaikin

Sept. 27, 2002 12 AM PT

ARLINGTON, Texas —

With alcohol flying in every direction and the decibel level beyond loud, Darin Erstad grabbed a cell phone and retreated to a relatively dry corner of the clubhouse. As the Angels celebrated their first playoff berth in 16 years, Erstad huddled around the phone with Tim Salmon and Troy Percival.

The veterans left a congratulatory message for Gary DiSarcina, the longtime Angel shortstop who preceded Erstad as the team leader. DiSarcina spent his entire 12-year career with the Angels, without advancing to the playoffs, and the veterans wanted him to share in the celebration, if only via a long-distance call.

“I’ve got a lot of ghosts I’m carrying with me right now, guys like Gary DiSarcina and Chuck Finley,” Percival said. “They’re here with me right now. I hope they can enjoy this a little bit.”

Percival, pitching for the first time in nine days, endured a rocky ninth inning, fighting “rust and too much adrenaline” and giving up a home run and a walk. At one point, second baseman Adam Kennedy called time out and told Percival to relax and stop trying to throw every pitch 110 mph.

After Garret Anderson caught the fly ball that marked the final out, he gave the ball to Percival. And what did Percival, the Angels’ closer since 1996, do with the game ball, the one that secured his first playoff appearance?

He tossed it somewhere in the clubhouse. He didn’t remember where, and he didn’t care.

“It’s not special,” he said. “If I can’t hold a seven-run lead, I’ve got a problem. The win was what was something special.”

What should have been a day of unqualified celebration for Angel employees instead became a day of anxiety. Paul Pressler, the Disney executive who served as team president and embraced the Angels, left the company Thursday to become president of the Gap clothing company. Disney has hired an investment bank to sell the Angels and has not named a successor to Pressler, but the sale process could take months, if not longer, leaving the future of the team and its employees uncertain.

Kevin Uhlich, the Angels’ senior vice president of business operations, and Bill Stoneman, the general manager, reported to Pressler. Although most Disney executives have been ambivalent at best about the Angels, Uhlich said Pressler “has been a great ally. He’s been there to help us with anything we’ve needed.”

ON DECK

Opponent--Seattle Mariners, three games.

Site--Edison Field.

Tonight--7.

TV--Fox Sports Net, tonight and Sunday.

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

Records--Angels 97-62, Mariners 92-67.

Record vs. Mariners--7-9.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

JARROD WASHBURN

(18-6, 3.15 ERA)