Kennedy OK With Life at the Bottom

Batting ninth for the Angels: Adam Kennedy, the player with the highest on-base percentage on the team.

When Manager Mike Scioscia shuffled the lineup last week, in part to get more men on base for Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson, he left Kennedy at the bottom of the order. With Darin Erstad (sore hip) expected to return today, Scioscia could return to his new order, with Chone Figgins (.338 on-base percentage), Orlando Cabrera (.302) and Erstad (.341) preceding Guerrero and Anderson.

Kennedy entered play Saturday leading the team in batting average (.320) and on-base percentage (.374). He is hitting a league-best .390 with men on base.

“Adam’s done a terrific job. Right now, where he is works for us,” Scioscia said. “The lineup is something we went to because there was a need to get a different look. What we hope to do is create an opportunity to do more situational things in front of Vladimir and Garret.”

Scioscia said he preferred not to hit Kennedy second, ahead of Erstad, since both bat left-handed. He said he has not considered simply switching Kennedy and Erstad in the order, citing Erstad’s extra-base potential and ability to drive in runs as well as score them. Erstad leads the team with 27 doubles, and he has a higher slugging percentage than Kennedy.

“On this team, that’s how the lineup plays out. So be it,” Kennedy said. “We’ve got some pretty good guys throughout the lineup. I’ll just do my part down at the bottom.”

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Although the Angels will introduce such former stars as Bobby Grich, Doug DeCinces and Buck Rodgers during today’s Alumni Day ceremonies, there will be no old timers’ game. As the Angels build their alumni association, they plan to consider restoring such a game, spokesman Tim Mead said.

They also plan to revive the Angel Hall of Fame, he said. The Angels inducted one player annually from 1988 to ’92 -- Grich, Jim Fregosi, Don Baylor, Rod Carew and Nolan Ryan, in order -- but no one since.

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The Angels have sold out nine consecutive games.... Third baseman Dallas McPherson homered Friday in the third game of his rehabilitation assignment at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. Scioscia said McPherson would move to triple-A Salt Lake this week for “at least a handful of days, at the very minimum.” ... Scioscia said center fielder Steve Finley, benched for this series, would start again Tuesday against Oakland.