Wanted: Leading man

It was part icy stare, part evil eye, a stern glare that told its recipient that whatever he just did, whether it was dog it to first on a grounder, give a lame effort in the field or disrespect a coach, it was unacceptable.

Darin Erstad could deliver it. So could Adam Kennedy. Troy Percival too.

“It’s the kind of look that puts you against a wall without saying a word,” said Tampa Bay Manager Joe Maddon, who spent 10 years as the Angels’ bench coach. “Leadership doesn’t have to be vocal. Guys like Ersty, A.K. and Percy could just look at someone, and they got the message.”

Who will deliver those messages this season?

Erstad, the outfielder long considered the heart and soul of the Angels, is with the Chicago White Sox, and Kennedy, the gritty second baseman, is a St. Louis Cardinal.

Two other respected veterans, outfielder Tim Salmon (retired) and reliever Brendan Donnelly (traded to Boston), left over the winter, and Percival, the team leader for a decade, has been gone for two years now.

The departure of so many key clubhouse figures in such a short period seems to have left a leadership void on the Angels, one Manager Mike Scioscia is confident will be filled.

But how? And by whom?

Left fielder Garret Anderson, the longest-tenured Angel, is even-keeled, almost detached, by nature and says he has “never been the type of person to go up to someone and say anything.”

Vladimir Guerrero, the team’s best player, speaks little English, and though he’s a leader among Latin players, the language barrier often precludes him from being a “team” leader.

John Lackey, a 28-year-old right-hander, is prepared to take on more of a leadership role and can “jump in someone’s face if it’s needed,” Kennedy said.

But even Lackey admits, “It’s kind of hard for a starting pitcher to do that. I can lead some of the young starters, but an everyday player is more of a fit to be a team leader.”

Center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. and designated hitter Shea Hillenbrand are veterans, but Matthews’ credibility may have taken a hit with this spring’s human growth hormone allegations, and it usually takes a while for players in their first season with a team to feel comfortable in leadership roles.

Youngsters such as first baseman Casey Kotchman, second baseman Howie Kendrick, catcher Mike Napoli, and third baseman Chone Figgins are still establishing themselves and don’t have the pedigrees required to police a clubhouse.

Which leaves ... shortstop Orlando Cabrera, as good a candidate as any, a 32-year-old in his 10th season and third with the Angels, a player who is fluent in English and Spanish, respected by his peers and won a World Series with Boston in 2004.

“I know those guys were important elements in this clubhouse for many years,” Cabrera said of Erstad, Kennedy, Salmon and Donnelly, “but the way this business is going, you have to adjust right away. Some players will have to step up and talk more and be leaders in the clubhouse.”

Including Cabrera?

“I have a lot of guys come up to me, young guys, who ask a lot of questions,” Cabrera said. “I just try to play that role. But there are a lot of guys having great careers who don’t need someone to follow. They know what they need to do, and I think Mike does a good job keeping everybody focused.”

As for coming down hard on a teammate, “I don’t envision having to do that,” Cabrera said, “but I will. I’ve done it before. If I feel I need to say something, I will.”

Knowing how -- and when -- to wield that clubhouse hammer is only one prerequisite for leadership.

Most important, Erstad said, is the ability to “put your teammates ahead of yourself, do whatever you can do to get other guys to play, whether they’re struggling or distracted ... if you can, help them before you help yourself.”

Erstad learned this from players such as Gary DiSarcina and Dave Hollins, the veterans when he was young.

“You have to pay attention, have a good feel for what’s going on,” Erstad said. “In this game, you can internalize so much; you can get caught up mentally in so much. From day one, I kept my eyes and ears open. Over time, you can open your mouth a little more, try to get everyone on the same page and create a good positive vibe.”

Or, as was the case last May 18, rid the clubhouse of negative vibes.

The tensions of a disappointing season and the frustration of an ugly loss that night boiled over when an argument between Figgins and Donnelly erupted in the clubhouse shower area.

Figgins and Kennedy had exchanged words in the dugout, Kennedy criticizing Figgins for a late jump from second on Kennedy’s failed sacrifice. As the dispute escalated, a team official shut Scioscia’s door. Moments later, the voice of Erstad, who didn’t know reporters were in Scioscia’s office, could be heard loud and clear.

“This is going to stop right ... now!” Erstad screamed. “There’s going to be no finger-pointing, I don’t care who you are! It’s over! If we go down, we’re all going down together! No talking behind anyone’s back! Let’s pull for each other! Let’s go!”

The Angels lost their next four games to fall to 17-28 but rebounded to go 10-4 in their next 14 games and eventually got back into the division race. Better team chemistry may have been a factor.

“When a guy like Erstad steps up and talks, everyone listens,” reliever Scot Shields said. “It brought the team together; it brought the individuals involved together. That was definitely needed.”

How did Erstad know such a tirade was necessary?

“Experience, being through different things, seeing others do it, trusting your heart and gut,” he said. “You can’t force those things.”

At the end of last season, Lackey questioned the wisdom of letting both Erstad and Kennedy go.

“We’ve lost the things that made us good, piece by piece; you can’t let them all go,” Lackey said. “Some things are more important than numbers -- intangibles, guys who know how to win, who are gamers, who have done it before.”

Scioscia is confident young players such as Kendrick and Napoli will evolve into similar players.

“When you look at the passion some of our young players have and how hard they play the game, you’re excited,” Scioscia said. “It’s the same way when Ersty and Adam came up. They established themselves as these types of players. To become a presence in the clubhouse, you have to play hard and lead by example.”

But turmoil can rip teams apart -- remember the 1996 and 1999 Angels? -- and sometimes a team needs something more forceful than a lead-by-example guy.

“When you lose that many leaders that quick, it’s going to have to go on the veterans to bring it back,” Percival said. “We broke Lackey in; he’s going to have to step up and take control of the clubhouse a bit. Guys like Shields and Darren Oliver can help.

“Garret Anderson knows this game and how it’s supposed to be played. He’s not a real vocal guy, but he can do it, and I think people will respect him if he opens his mouth. That’s the kind of leader you need, one who doesn’t say a lot, but when he does, he commands respect.”

It may take a few weeks, but Erstad believes that kind of leadership will emerge -- even if the players who possess it don’t know it yet.

“This is not the first time a group of guys left,” Erstad said. “Others will step up and create chemistry. Just like the guys I learned from left, and it was passed to me, you hope you did it right and passed it along to them. It’s a natural process.”

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com