Fish Out of Water

Edgar Martinez likes to ride an exercise bike, hit a little off a tee and stretch. Brad Fullmer likes to swing in the batting cage until his hands are raw. Paul Molitor preferred to remain on the bench and tune into the game, as if he were still playing in the field.

Now it is Tim Salmon’s turn to develop an effective designated-hitter routine, which should be easier considering the Angel veteran’s experience with the role, but could still be a challenge because Salmon, a right fielder by trade, has never started a season as a full-time DH.

“For any player, whether you’re a DH or playing the field, developing a routine is the key,” Salmon, 35, said. “You’ve got to get comfortable and feel good about your approach. I haven’t been in this role yet, but last year, I was the DH almost every day in the second half. So this is not a shock or a major disappointment.”

Mentally accepting the role is the first step toward success as a DH. Molitor, who will be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in July, initially balked at the idea.

He was a versatile defender who played just about every position for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1978 to 1992, but injuries cut into his playing time. The Brewers -- and later Toronto and Minnesota -- saw the DH as a way to keep Molitor’s valuable bat in the lineup.

“I loved playing defense, and it’s tough to give that up,” said Molitor, now the Seattle Mariner batting instructor. “It’s like, you’re one step closer to not playing anymore.”

Molitor spent his last eight seasons mainly as a DH, helping Toronto win the World Series in 1993, and becoming the first player elected to the Hall of Fame who appeared as a DH in more games than any other position.

“One of the hardest things for me was accepting it,” Molitor said. “I wasn’t ready for that role. Plus, I was one of the first guys to be a full-time DH who wasn’t really a power hitter. But once I started to embrace it and understand the logic behind it -- it kept me in the lineup more regularly -- it was easier.”

Salmon has always taken pride in his defense, and like Molitor, he has been reluctant to move to DH in recent years. But he began to embrace the idea this winter when the Angels signed right fielder Vladimir Guerrero -- the best position player on the free-agent market -- to a five-year, $70-million contract, and left fielder Jose Guillen to a two-year, $6-million deal.

“They went out and got some of the best players in the game to play outfield, so it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Salmon said of the move to DH. “I have a great deal of respect for Guerrero and Guillen. This makes sense now. I’m 35, and I know what my body feels like. I could still play right field every day, but it takes a toll.”

So can the anguish of a string of futile at-bats as a DH. As an outfielder, Salmon could contribute with a sliding catch in the gap or a strong throw to cut down a runner at the plate. As a DH, the bat will be his only weapon.

“There’s a big void in time that can affect a DH,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “The first thing is, you put so much importance on each at-bat because all you do is hit.”

Molitor noticed that immediately.

“For a lot of guys, especially when they first start to DH, there’s a tendency to be either really hot or really cold,” he said. “When you’re going well, it kind of flows from at-bat to at-bat. When you’re not, unlike when you’re playing defense, you have too much time between at-bats to think about the negatives.”

How players cope with that downtime usually determines how well they acclimate to DH. Martinez has elevated his routine into an art form. He has been a full-time DH for about a decade and is still one of baseball’s most productive hitters at 41, with a lifetime batting average of .315, 297 homers and 1,198 runs batted in.

“I like to be in the game, but I also have to be loose, so I cannot just be sitting there on the bench,” Martinez said. “I do the bike a lot, stretch a lot, hit off the tee. I need to move around a little more, but when I’m inside [the clubhouse] and doing these things, I’m always watching the game on TV. When my at-bat is coming, I go outside to adjust to the lights and watch from the bench.”

Molitor had success with a different approach.

“My advice might not work for everybody, but to me, the less I would think about hitting between at-bats, the better,” he said. “I didn’t want to get out of the routine I had as a defensive player. Whether it was trying to stay in the flow of the game mentally, watching the pitcher, the defense, whatever it is you’d normally do, you keep doing. Then when your time comes around, you prepare for your at-bat.

“If you go down and watch videotape, start taking swings, to me it becomes too consuming. You get four at-bats a game as a DH, and you’re probably on the field for 10 to 15 minutes at the most, so I tried to get away from the mindset of a DH.”

Salmon was a teammate of Chili Davis, who fared well as an Angel DH, he spoke with Molitor a few years ago about the DH, and he has observed Martinez for years. He also has enough firsthand experience with the job to know that a blended approach probably will work best for him.

He’ll hit some between at-bats, but he won’t overdo it. He’ll pay attention to the game, but he won’t be afraid to retreat to the clubhouse to watch some tape or tinker with his swing.

A foot injury relegated Salmon to DH for most of the 1998 season, and in 941 at-bats as a DH, he has a .274 average, 41 homers and 147 RBIs. As an outfielder, Salmon has a .286 average with 247 homers and 819 RBIs in 4,596 at-bats.

“Molitor said the key is to keep your head in the game, to watch everything, to mentally play it out like you’re a position player,” Salmon said. “Fullmer hit all the time, but that never worked for me. You can wear yourself out swinging and thinking about your last at-bat and your next at-bat, and that can snowball.

“There will be an initial adjustment this season, but I’m familiar enough with it that, coming out of spring training, I should have the role down.”

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Former Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina, who recently completed a 12-day stint as a guest instructor in the team’s training camp, has been asked to interview for the head coaching job at Division III University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, a position that will open after this season. Because the job is close to his Plymouth, Mass., home, DiSarcina said he would consider it.... The Angels were off Monday and will resume exhibition play today against the Brewers in Tempe Diablo Stadium. Right-hander Aaron Sele is scheduled to pitch for the Angels.... The Angels’ Sept. 18 game against the Texas Rangers in Angel Stadium has been moved from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. so it can be televised.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Leaning to the Right

Tim Salmon’s hitting as right fielder, DH the last three seasons:

*--* 2001 AB H HR Avg Slug% RF 430 98 14 228 374 DH 45 10 3 222 467 2002 AB H HR Avg. Slug% RF 399 117 17 293 501 DH 82 21 5 256 524 2003 AB H HR Avg. Slug% RF 278 83 12 299 514 DH 248 62 7 250 411 3 YRS AB H HR Avg. Slug% RF 1,107 298 43 269 455 DH 375 93 15 248 443

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