Angels Not Ready to Let Go

Who says the Angels’ long-fading hopes of duplicating last year’s success have been extinguished? If the defending World Series champions can go 44-0 over the rest of the regular season, they can match their 99-win total of 2002.

Of course, that’s about as likely as Larry Flynt running a family values campaign in the California gubernatorial race.

Even after Bengie Molina drove in four runs Monday to lead the Angels to a 10-8 victory over the Chicago White Sox before 35,889 at Edison Field, the Angels still found themselves closer to 99 losses than 99 victories and perhaps in need of a reality check.

That’s because their owner and general manager continue to trumpet 2003 instead of looking ahead to 2004 and beyond.

“This isn’t going to be a spring-training atmosphere,” General Manager Bill Stoneman said, rejecting the notion that the Angels would be best served by accelerating the process of evaluating prospects for next season. “When we go to the field, it’s to win the game every time we go out there. We haven’t had a whole lot of success lately, [but] that’s not going to color our effort tonight or tomorrow night or any night.”

Said owner Arte Moreno: “Until you’re mathematically eliminated, you always believe you’re in contention.”

Technically, the Angels remain in contention after Chone Figgins drove in a career-high three runs and they torched former teammate Scott Schoeneweis for four runs in one-third of an inning, rendering the White Sox’ four-run ninth-inning rally off Troy Percival meaningless.

The Angels (55-63) trail Seattle by 16 games in the American League West and are in seventh place in the wild-card standings, 13 games behind Boston. They have won only six of 26 games since the All-Star break and are three games ahead of last-place Texas, which is conducting open tryouts for 2004.

But Manager Mike Scioscia said the goal hasn’t shifted to merely averting a first-to-worst scenario.

“We haven’t looked at the standings at any time this year, and we’re not going to start looking at them now,” he said. “Our direction hasn’t changed. We’re out here every day to play the best baseball game we can, and that’s our direction.

“This club doesn’t need any more motivation other than pride to play the game. We played great baseball last year because each one of these guys had the passion and pride to do it. They still have that passion and pride, we just haven’t played as well.”

One reason is the patchwork lineups necessitated by the season-ending injury to designated hitter Brad Fullmer and the indefinite losses of center fielder Darin Erstad and third baseman Troy Glaus to injury. The Angel lineup Monday featured first baseman Robb Quinlan and outfielders Figgins and Jeff DaVanon, none of whom was expected to be a significant contributor this season.

While even Schoeneweis acknowledged the spate of injuries has taken its toll -- “That’s not the same team as last year,” the reliever said before the game in the White Sox clubhouse --Scioscia rejected the injury explanation for his team’s performance.

“I don’t think any of us would ever hang our hats on injuries,” Scioscia said. “We feel like we’re a championship-caliber organization, and to be that you need the depth to overcome some things. We just haven’t filled the gap as well as we need to.”

Injuries have allowed the Angels to take a closer look at such players as Quinlan and shortstop Alfredo Amezaga, but Chris Bootcheck and Kevin Gregg -- among a slew of candidates to replace Kevin Appier next season in the starting rotation -- are still playing for triple-A Salt Lake.

“Objectively, we need to make sure we look at the big picture--what our team is going to look like ’04 and ‘05,” said Moreno, who consults with Stoneman every day regarding personnel decisions. “Those decisions are being made as we move along. There isn’t one day that you just say, ‘OK,’ and throw your hands up. You’re trying to win every day.”