He Wants More Rings, Not Money

Scott Spiezio stood in the drizzle on the dugout steps at Camden Yards on Friday and explained that his statistics during a season preceding free agency are secondary to the Angels’ hunt for another red October.

“I’m shooting for this team to get to the playoffs because there’s nothing like that in baseball,” said Spiezio, the first baseman who extended his season-high hitting streak to nine games Friday with three singles against the Baltimore Orioles.

“The taste that we had last year was incredible, and if I could experience that again it would be well worth [sacrificing] anything on the field and any money I’d make.”

That means Spiezio isn’t going to complain when he finds himself out of the lineup against left-handed pitchers, an increasingly common occurrence after last season, when he said he started 42 of 44 games he was eligible to play against lefties, hitting .368.

This season, he said, he has started 14 of 29 games against left-handers. “That’s a big difference,” he said.

While Spiezio is hitting .211 against left-handers, his overall offensive production has been on the rise. He is hitting .324 with seven home runs and 22 runs batted in over his last 53 games, raising his average to .265, the highest it has been all season. Twenty-seven of Spiezio’s last 55 hits have been for extra bases.

“He’s dangerous when he’s got this look about him,” Angel hitting coach Mickey Hatcher said. “Hopefully, he can keep that look the rest of the season.”

Spiezio, making $4.25 million this season, said he realizes his next contract will only be as good as his statistics. At this point, he is willing to trade a big contract for another piece of jewelry.

“The money I’ve made in this game is incredible already,” he said. “Anything else is a plus.”

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Mickey Callaway fared poorly in his latest rehabilitation outing, giving up three runs -- two earned -- and six hits over 1 1/3 innings Thursday for triple-A Salt Lake. But Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said the club is going to determine whether to recall the right-hander based on more than his earned-run average.

Callaway went on the disabled list June 6 with stiffness and soreness in his right shoulder and Scioscia said the Angels would evaluate his velocity, command and number of first-pitch strikes, among other factors.

The Angels must decide whether to recall Callaway or put him on waivers next Wednesday, and Scioscia said “right now there’s a case that we really don’t need 12 pitchers,” though he acknowledged that could change by the middle of next week.