Anderson Not Focused on Average

No Angel has won the American League batting title since Alex Johnson in 1970, but outfielder Garret Anderson is hitting .467 two weeks into the season. While the Angel coaches believe their cleanup hitter can contend for the crown, Anderson believes he has no chance.

“If I were a selfish hitter, yeah, I could probably have a chance,” he said. “Where I hit in the lineup, I’m required to drive in runs, and sometimes that comes with sacrificing yourself. I’ll get a guy over in a heartbeat. If my job was to get base hits and not worry about hitting home runs and driving in runs, I probably could.”

The typical batting champion benefits from the bunt single and infield single, but Anderson gets none of the former and few of the latter. He takes few walks, but he is a terrific bad-ball hitter.

“He hasn’t had the luck a lot of good hitters have,” Angel batting coach Mickey Hatcher said. “Tony Gwynn got a lot of bleeders. I see Garret hitting a lot of balls at people.”

Still, Anderson is a four-time .300 hitter, and April is the month in which he has posted his lowest career average.

“Winning a batting title has a lot to do with how you start out the season,” Hatcher said. “If he can maintain the swing he’s got now, there’s no telling. He is a guy who can win a batting title.”

*

Scot Shields took home the game ball from his first major league save.

“It’s always good to have a first,” he said.

He pitched the final three innings of Sunday’s 8-2 victory over the Oakland A’s, continuing his emergence as an effective reliever. In his last 23 regular-season relief innings, including 11 this year, he has given up two hits. He is not overpowering, but he throws nothing straight -- not sinker, not slider, not even fastball.

“His ball,” catcher Bengie Molina said, “moves all over.”*

ON DECK

Opponent -- Texas Rangers, four games.

Site -- The Ballpark in Arlington.

TV -- Channel 9, tonight and Tuesday.

Radio -- KSPN (710), KWKU (1220).

Records -- Angels 7-5, Rangers 4-8.

Record vs. Rangers -- 2-1.

Tonight, 5 p.m. -- Kevin Appier (1-1, 7.20) vs. Ismael Valdes (1-1, 7.80).

Tuesday, 5 p.m. -- Jarrod Washburn (1-1, 2.45) vs. Colby Lewis (1-0, 6.10).

Wednesday, 5 p.m. -- John Lackey (1-1, 6.60) vs. Chan Ho Park (1-2, 9.28).

Thursday, 11 a.m. -- Mickey Callaway (1-0, 2.38) vs. Ryan Drese (0-1, 135.00)