Salmon’s Newest Role Comes Out of Left Field

Tim Salmon was in left field during batting practice Monday in Tempe Diablo Stadium, but he was not just shagging balls. The longtime Angel right fielder and soon-to-be full-time designated hitter is learning a new position this spring, and every move he makes in left field has a purpose.

“I’d like to think I can do a good job, but at the same time, it’s like putting anyone out there once every two weeks -- you’re not going to be as sharp, you’re not going to make the reads you’d make playing there every day,” said Salmon, who will spell Vladimir Guerrero in right and Jose Guillen in left periodically this season. “That’s why it’s important to make reads during batting practice and to stay sharp every day.”

It has been 16 years since Salmon played left field on a regular basis -- his last stint there was as a freshman at Grand Canyon College in Phoenix -- and Salmon has never played left field in 11 big league seasons. The transition, he said, will be tougher than most think.

“There’s no comparison between the positions -- there are different angles seeing the ball off the bat,” Salmon said. “When a right-hander slices a ball to right, he usually mis-hits it. When a left-hander hits to left, he usually drives the ball because he’s trying to hit it there. Left-handers seem to have more action on the ball.

“Plus, how many left-handers really turn on the ball [and drive it down the line]? A lot of right-handers do that, so you have to play a little deeper and know the ball is going to get to you quicker.”

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With the Angels’ projecting unprecedented attendance of 3.2 million this season, they have declared three sellouts even before single-game tickets go on sale Saturday.

Tickets will be unavailable for the June 11 and June 13 games against the Chicago Cubs and the July 15 game against Boston, team officials said Monday. A limited number of tickets will be sold for the home opener April 13 against Seattle.

The Angels have sold a record 22,600 season tickets, according to team President Dennis Kuhl, with a target of 23,500. The actual number of ticket holders is greater, with four 20-game plans counted as one season ticket, and many partial-season customers included the Chicago and Boston dates in selecting which games to attend.

The Angels attracted 3.06 million fans last season, topping 3 million for the first time. The Dodgers drew 3.14 million last season and last drew 3.2 million in 1997.

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Ervin Santana, a 21-year-old right-hander who is considered the Angels’ top pitching prospect, suffered a setback in his long-toss program and is not expected to throw again this spring. Santana, who first experienced problems in his throwing shoulder over the winter, has begun a physical therapy program aimed at reducing inflammation in the shoulder.

Santana, who last year went 10-2 with a 2.53 earned-run average in 20 starts for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA in six starts for double-A Arkansas, will be re-evaluated Saturday by team physician Lewis Yocum, and will remain with the organization’s minor leaguers when their camp opens Saturday.

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The Angels pushed their contract renewal date back from today to Thursday because assistant general manager Ken Forsch, who negotiates most deals for younger players, returned to Southern California to undergo minor eye surgery. Forsch is expected to return to camp today. Four players remain unsigned: pitchers Brendan Donnelly, John Lackey, Scot Shields and Kevin Gregg. ... The Angels will hold a 4 1/2-inning intrasquad game Wednesday.

Staff writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this report.