Angels : This Spring, McLemore Is Making the Most of Second Time Around

PALM SPRINGS — Mark McLemore politely asks that you don’t refer to this spring as a “second chance.”

“Everybody says that to me, and I just don’t look at it like that,” he said. “I don’t think I did that badly last year. I did what they asked me to do.”

The Angels wanted McLemore to hit a little and play steady defense. Last spring, rookie McLemore hit .301 and earned the starting role at second base. He hit .263 in April before tailing off to .209 in May, .212 in June and .198 in July. He rallied to hit .278 in August, but on the 29th of that month, the Angels got Johnny Ray from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

McLemore was sent down--the road, that is, to Palm Springs--for three days before being recalled on Sept. 1 when the rosters expanded. Still, it was somewhat humiliating for McLemore.

“I think I can say I gained something from it,” he said. “It made me a better person a lot more than it made me a better ballplayer, that’s for sure. I learned something about the game, the hard way. I hope I don’t have to learn it again. But that’s all in the past.”

Presently, Ray is in left, reluctantly learning to play a new position, and McLemore is back at second and leading off, too.

Manager Gene Mauch says he believes the year of experience will mean more walks and a better on-base percentage for McLemore. So far this spring, McLemore isn’t proving him wrong. He walked twice during the Angels’ 8-6 exhibition victory over the Oakland Athletics at Angels Stadium Tuesday, raising his spring total to a team-leading 14. His on-base percentage is .408.

“I feel really comfortable now,” McLemore said. “I think the year of experience will make a big difference. I know the pitchers better. I’m used to the atmosphere. I have more confidence. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a piece of cake.”

McLemore understands that he is a key to the Angels’ outfield realignment and that even if he hits and fields reasonably well, his starting job could be in jeopardy if Mauch and Co. decide that Ray can’t cut it in left. But he refuses to dwell on it.

“I can’t worry about that,” he said. “I’ve got to go about getting ready for the season like always. I’ve got to work hard and watch out for myself. If I’ve got an eye on how someone else is doing, who’s gonna watch out for me?”

Donnie Moore worked one inning in relief against the A’s, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out one. The strikeout victim was Dave Henderson, who hit a go-ahead homer and then the game-winning sacrifice fly in Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series off Moore.

Moore said his tender elbow is feeling better and he felt strong Tuesday.

“I’m not holding anything back now,” he said. “I’m cutting loose. And my velocity is improving. I was about 88-89 (m.p.h.) last time. This time, I hit the low 90s.”

Angel Notes

Manager Gene Mauch said he still feels the effects of antibiotics prescribed to combat chronic bronchitis, but he plans to be back in uniform by the weekend at the latest. He has seen most of the Angels’ five games here and said his perspective hasn’t changed just because he’s not in the dugout. “Baseball is baseball and you get involved,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what clothes you’re wearing.” . . . General Manager Mike Port, discussing his less-than-Mr.-Nice-Guy image: “It goes with the territory. You can go about the job two ways. You can use your head and try to put the best team on the field or you can go about it with your heart. Take the Doug DeCinces (who was released in September) case last year. Doug is a friend and a gentleman. If that was handled with the heart, he’d have gotten a 15-year contract. But I don’t think that would have been in the best interest of the club.” . . . More Port: Asked how baseball has changed, he said, “An old friend, Harry Dalton, told me once that we don’t sign players anymore, we sign agents. Another old friend, Buzzie Bavasi, once said that the best thing about being an agent is you don’t have to watch your clients play.” . . . Injury Report: Catchers Darrell Miller and Jack Fimple have tender right elbows. Mark Ryal’s pulled thigh muscle pull is improving. Devon White cut and bruised the little finger of his left hand after a collision with Oakland catcher Ron Hassey when Bob Boone missed a bunt on a suicide squeeze play in the third inning. . . . The Angels recalled outfielder Dante Bichette and catcher Mike Knapp to bolster their injury-weakened roster. Bichette played Tuesday and had a double in three at-bats. . . . Under interim manager Cookie Rojas, the Angels are 8-3 with 132 hits and 82 runs.