Guerrero Has a Crush on Mariners

Vladimir Guerrero sat on the bench, cradling a cup and smiling. His teammates had left him alone, but the crowd would not.

His teammates had congratulated him, then went back to the game at hand. He was the designated hitter on this night, so they returned to the field without him. The video guy caught a shot of him in the dugout between innings, and the Angel Stadium crowd chanted his name and demanded a curtain call.

A second curtain call.

And, for a home run that offered statistical evidence Guerrero might be on a fast track to Cooperstown, why not? He hit his 300th home run Friday, the highlight of the Angels’ 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

“It’s nice to get that one behind him,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said, “and look forward to the next 300.”

The Angels and Oakland Athletics remained tied for the lead in both the American League West and AL wild-card races. The Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees trail by one game for the wild card.

Ten men have preceded Guerrero in hitting 300 home runs before turning 30. The list features seven Hall of Famers: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, Frank Robinson. The only other players in that exclusive club are active: Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., Juan Gonzalez and Guerrero.

“It feels very special,” Guerrero, who turns 30 in February, said through translator Jose Mota. “To be in that company is very meaningful.”

Paul Byrd (10-9) won for the first time in eight starts, holding the Mariners to one run over eight innings. He retired the final nine batters he faced and 16 of the final 17.

He made a tidy 92 pitches, yet Scioscia summoned closer Francisco Rodriguez for the ninth inning.

Rodriguez, pitching four consecutive days for the first time this season, gave up a one-out single but earned his 33rd save. Scioscia noted Rodriguez had made only six pitches Thursday and said he would be unavailable tonight.

There might be some slugging left amid the small ball. Darin Erstad hit a home run too, his first since July 4 and only his second extra-base hit since Aug. 4. Garret Anderson doubled, his third extra-base hit since Aug. 2.

But Guerrero’s power shortage was the most glaring. He had not homered since Aug. 14, frustrated by a rash of intentional walks and well aware his next home run would be his 300th. When he stepped to bat in the fifth inning, he was hitting .217 in his previous 46 at-bats, with one run batted in.

“I’ve always swung at bad pitches, but I was swinging at worse pitches,” Guerrero said. “At times, I was thinking about it, no doubt.”

So, when he crushed a 1-0 pitch from Jamie Moyer, he paused at home plate, watching the flight of a ball headed beyond the center-field fence. When the next hitter, Bengie Molina, entered the batter’s box, Moyer stepped behind the mound, graciously waiting for Guerrero to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call.

After the inning, as congratulations for his milestone flashed on video boards around the ballpark, fans chanted “VLAD-DY! VLAD-DY!” He took a second curtain call, grateful that the home run came at home.

“I wanted to do it here, for them,” he said. “Their support goes a long way.”

With that, he tucked the milestone ball into his pocket. He would present it, he said, to his mother.

“He’s an MVP with the bat,” Byrd said. “He’s got a great arm. He works as hard as he can. He’s humble in the locker room. He brings in food for everybody. I’ve never played with anybody like that. He’s a very enjoyable teammate.”

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Guerrero milestone

The Angels’ Vladimir Guerrero hit his 300th home run Friday. Here are the career home run leaders among active players:

*--* PLAYER HOME RUNS 1. Barry Bonds 703 2. Sammy Sosa 588 3. Rafael Palmeiro 569 4. Ken Griffey Jr. 535 5. Jeff Bagwell 488 6. Frank Thomas 448 7. Gary Sheffield 443 8. Juan Gonzalez 434 9. Jim Thome 430 10. Manny Ramirez 423 11. Alex Rodriguez 421 12. Mike Piazza 392 13. Larry Walker 380 14. Carlos Delgado 362 15. Tino Martinez 339 16. (t) Jeff Kent 326 Jim Edmonds 326 18. Chipper Jones 324 19. (t) Vinny Castilla 313 Luis Gonzalez 313 21. Jason Giambi 306 22. Ruben Sierra 305 23. Shawn Green 302 24. Vladimir Guerrero 300

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