They’re in Their Right Mind

If the Angels were to reach the American League championship series this October and play the New York Yankees, and Jason Giambi were to bat with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of a tie game, perhaps then the Angels would regret not having a veteran left-hander in the bullpen.

But with the exhibition season opener four days away and the regular season more than a month away, there is little concern among the Angels that they probably will open the season without a left-handed reliever.

“There’s not that many quality [left-handed relievers] out there,” closer Troy Percival said. “Would you rather have a mediocre left-hander or a good right-hander? That’s what it boils down to.

“It was nice to have [former Angel left-hander Scott] Schoeneweis out there [in 2002 and the first half of 2003], but we have guys who can get left-handed hitters out. The guys we have are so competitive, I wouldn’t trade them for anybody.”

In a column for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark, citing research by Elias Sports Bureau, reported that only two teams in the expansion era have made it to the playoffs and not used a left-handed reliever in any postseason games -- the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1998 Texas Rangers. Both of those teams were swept, 3-0, in their playoff series.

The last team to win the World Series without using a left-hander in the postseason was the 1910 Philadelphia A’s.

The Angels can counter with eye-popping statistics of their own. Two of their right-handed relievers -- Ben Weber and Scot Shields -- have fared better against left-handed hitters than right-handed hitters over the last three seasons.

Right-handers hit .270 with 12 home runs, and left-handers hit .244 with three homers against Weber, a power-sinkerball specialist. Right-handers hit .239 with four home runs, and left-handers hit .224 with 12 homers against Shields.

The Angels’ two primary set-up men, Brendan Donnelly and Francisco Rodriguez, have fared better against right-handers, but with their nasty slider/cut-fastball combinations, theyhave been very tough on left-handers, who hit .212 with four homers against Donnelly the last three seasons and .190 with eight homers against Rodriguez.

As the closer, Percival pitches the ninth inning regardless of who is batting, but he has held left-handers to a .194 average and 10 homers in the last three seasons. Right-handers hit .178 with five homers against him.

“Looking at a perfect situation, we’d like to have [a left-hander], but with the quality of right-handed arms we have, it’s not going to be an issue,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Where it hurts is when you can’t force matchups; you can’t turn guys around late in the game. We won’t have that luxury, but with the quality of right-handers we have, it shouldn’t really affect us.”

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New right fielder Vladimir Guerrero has been wearing a brace to support his lower back during spring training workouts, and he plans to wear the brace during the regular season.

Guerrero, who signed a five-year, $70-million deal with the Angels this winter, began wearing the brace in July, when the former Montreal Expo star returned from a monthlong absence caused by a herniated disk in his lower back.

“I feel great, but I’m going to continue to use [the brace] because it gives me confidence, it makes me feel more comfortable,” Guerrero said through an interpreter. “The day I feel extremely good will be the day I take it off.”

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The Angels, along with the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, were the only organizations to have six players ranked among Baseball America’s annual list of the top 100 prospects, released Friday. They are first baseman Casey Kotchman (15), catcher Jeff Mathis (22), pitcher Ervin Santana (29), third baseman Dallas McPherson (33), pitcher Bobby Jenks (62) and second baseman Alberto Callaspo (71). Kotchman and Mathis were ranked second among all prospects at their positions, and McPherson was third among third basemen.