Chone Figgins’ departure has hurt Angels, and he hasn’t helped much in Seattle
Things haven’t worked out so great for either party in the Angels-Chone Figgins split.
The Angels sorely miss the production of their departed third baseman, who hit .298 with a career-high .395 on-base percentage last season and was a steady sparkplug throughout his eight years in Anaheim.
As for Figgins, a new position (second base) and a new spot in the batting order, directly behind leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki, haven’t exactly invigorated him since he joined Seattle as a free agent in December.
Figgins’ .232 batting average and .329 on-base percentage going into Friday’s game at Angel Stadium actually were significantly better than they were in late May, when he was hitting under .200.
Figgins blamed his hitting woes on a too-patient approach going back to spring training that robbed him of his timing.
“I wasn’t playing attack baseball, and that’s always been my game,” Figgins said. “I was being a little too patient. Instead of swing-to-take I was take-to-swing, and as hitters we can’t hit like that.”
He has reverted to attack mode recently, hitting .272 over his last 42 games before Friday. But he hasn’t been the offensive catalyst the Mariners envisioned when he spurned the Angels to sign a four-year, $36.1-million contract.
“Right now it’s an adjustment period for him, [viewing it] from an outside standpoint,” Angels General Manager Tony Reagins said. “He definitely has ability to do some special things.”
Reagins expressed similar feelings about Brandon Wood, the minor league hitting sensation the Angels figured was ready to take over for Figgins at third base. It hasn’t worked out that way.
Wood slumped so badly over the season’s first two months that he was sent to the minors and has been relegated to a part-time role since his return. Kevin Frandsen got off to a hot start as Wood’s replacement, hitting .351 in his first 25 games, before cooling considerably, his average at .287 entering Friday.
“It’s been inconsistent,” Reagins said of the Angels’ play at third base, “but we have some talented ballplayers and when we get Izzy [ Maicer Izturis] back he’ll give us a look at third base that we haven’t had consistently this year.”
Izturis, on the disabled list since June 16 because of a strained left forearm, is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment Saturday at triple-A Salt Lake that will last at least through the weekend.
Who’s on first?
Mike Napoli acknowledged dissatisfaction with the arrangement in which he is splitting time at first base with Paul McAnulty, a 29-year-old journeyman who has hit .201 with six homers in 132 major league games.
“I’d like to be in there every day,” said Napoli, who was back at first base Friday after being out of the starting lineup the previous day. “I didn’t understand why I wasn’t in there yesterday. Mac, he’s a good hitter. He put up numbers in triple A and he came up here and he’s part of this team.
“All I can say is I was disappointed I wasn’t in there yesterday, but we won and that’s all that matters.”
Does Napoli, who began Friday hitting .246 with 14 homers and 37 runs batted in but ranked fourth in the American League with 84 strikeouts, feel like he is displaying the consistency Manager Mike Scioscia seeks from the position?
“I’ve maybe struggled a little bit right before the All-Star break,” said Napoli, who was hitless in his final 14 at-bats preceding the break. “You’re not going to be perfect 162 games in a year. You’re going to go through some things. You’d like to be out there every day to iron things out, and if you’re not, then you have to work on it in your BP.”
Cast away
Kendry Morales had the hard cast removed from the area surrounding his broken left leg, but the first baseman is still expected to miss the rest of the season.
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