Relievers Have the Right Stuff

Baseball orthodoxy demands that major league teams have two left-handers in their bullpen, but the Angels won the World Series last year with only one.

Scott Schoeneweis will be the one again this year, because the Angels do not intend to mess with success.

“If Schoeneweis is healthy, we’re fine,” General Manager Bill Stoneman said.

If not, the Angels might be hurting. Schoeneweis, slowed by a strained hamstring, has not pitched in nine days. He is expected to return this weekend.

The options beyond Schoeneweis are not attractive. There are two other left-handed relievers in camp -- Rich Rodriguez, 40, who has given up 12 hits in 7 2/3 innings, and Mark Lukasiewicz, inconsistent in two previous stints in Anaheim and ineffective this spring.

The Angels aren’t about to yank closer Troy Percival or set-up man Francisco Rodriguez just so a left-hander can face a left-handed batter.

And last season, left-handed batters hit .184 against Scot Shields, .242 against Brendan Donnelly and .243 against Ben Weber.

So, in these waning days of spring training, Stoneman said he would not be scrutinizing the waiver wire in search of left-handed relievers.

“The quality guys aren’t having their names thrown around,” he said. “It’s a question of quality, not a question of counting how many guys you have that are left-handed and how many are right-handed. We’ve got quality. We’ve got a bullpen most clubs in baseball would like to have.”

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Kevin Appier, who made his major league debut in 1989, has been tinkering with the changeup and cut fastball this spring.

“For an old fossil like me, to come up with new pitches is pretty good,” he said.

The results are not. Appier gave up six runs and seven hits in four innings of Wednesday’s 10-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants. In 14 1/3 innings this spring, he has hit five batters and walked eight.

Manager Mike Scioscia said that with two exhibition starts left, the time has come for Appier to concentrate on his old and reliable pitches, not his new ones.

“Before he moves onto those, we want to make sure he gets locked in with command of his fastball,” Scioscia said.

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The cancellation of the Japanese trip for the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners forced major league officials to revise the Cactus League schedule. Those teams needed opponents for the next week, so the Angels will play the Mariners on Monday instead of the Kansas City Royals.

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Third baseman Troy Glaus, hitting .250 this spring, has no home runs and 14 strikeouts in 36 at-bats. “Troy needs at-bats,” Scioscia said. “As he gets his at-bats, he’ll be fine.” ... Designated hitter Brad Fullmer, out since last week because of an infected elbow, said he might play in a minor league game next week to get some at-bats.... Outfielders Robb Quinlan and Gary Johnson were sent to minor league camp, leaving Jeff DaVanon and Chone Figgins as the apparent finalists for the last bench spot. The Angels also sent pitchers Dusty Bergman, Kevin Gregg, Matt Hensley and Jason Secoda to minor league camp.