Angel Notebook : Mauch Likes His Team, If It Heals in a Hurry

PALM SPRINGS — With Mesa and now Palm Springs behind him, we bring you Gene Mauch on the state of the Angels on the eve of the Freeway series:

Catching: “I like it,” Mauch says. “Butch Wynegar can catch . What’s he hitting, .290? And Darrell Miller has played better than I’ve ever seen him play before.”

Infield: “Without any question, (Dick) Schofield and (Mark) McLemore have the greatest range of any double play combination I’ve had. They have a better chance of covering up any mistakes if I deploy them less than perfectly.”

Outfield: “Devon White’s not going to hit .400, but now we’re seeing what he’s capable of doing. And he’s had a good effect on Jack Howell, too. Howell saw the success White was having slashing the ball, so Howell started slashing, too.”

Pitching: Ahem.

The Angels broke camp Wednesday with four major health concerns--and three of them concern members of the pitching staff. Along with Wally Joyner’s sore right hamstring, the Angels left Palm Springs worrying about John Candelaria’s right leg, Gary Lucas’ left shoulder and Stewart Cliburn’s right arm.

“There’s still six days to go,” Mauch said, examining the bright side. “There is not a pitching staff in baseball that has it every way it wants it. Never has and there never will.”

Still, if Mauch were to have a wish or two granted . . .

“I would like by Friday, after the game, to know that John Candelaria can pitch like John Candelaria--with no chance of him hurting himself,” he said. “And I would like to know that Gary Lucas’ arm is able enough for him to be as effective as he was for us last year.”

Wednesday, Mauch received mixed news on Candelaria, who underwent a nerve test called an electromyogram (EMG) for the continuing numbness in his right calf.

Team physician Dr. Lewis Yocum reported “understandable abnormality” in the nerve, but not enough to place Candelaria on the disabled list. According to General Manager Mike Port, the test also showed that some strength is returning to Candelaria’s leg.

But not enough to warrant Candelaria a start in the Freeway Series. He was originally scheduled to pitch Friday against the Dodgers, but Mauch changed his mind after learning of Yocum’s findings.

“I’m gonna make (Candelaria) very angry, because I know he wants to pitch,” Mauch said. “But I’m not going to put him out there unless I get a more favorable reading than what I got today.”

Mauch said he will pitch Willie Fraser and Urbano Lugo in place of Candelaria in the Freeway Series. He still has Candelaria tentatively scheduled to pitch the second game of the season, following opening-day starter Mike Witt.

Lucas played light catch with pitching coach Marcel Lachemann Wednesday and is expected to throw in the bullpen Friday. “We’ll try to get him in (a game) Sunday,” Lachemann said.

Said Mauch: “He played a little catch with Lach and the arm didn’t feel so hot, but it didn’t feel so bad, either. It’s not unreasonable to think that we’d get him in the Freeway Series sometime.”

Cliburn threw on the sidelines for about 10 minutes Wednesday and said his arm felt strong enough to start the season on the Angels’ staff.

“I’m not saying I’m the No. 6 guy on the staff,” Cliburn said. “That’s Donnie Moore. I’m not saying I’m No. 7 or 8 or 9 either. But I’m healthy enough to help this ballclub by pitching somewhere in the bullpen.”

Angel Notes

The Angels won their sixth straight game at Palm Springs, completing a four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres with a 5-3 victory. Mike Witt improved his spring record to 3-0 by allowing eight hits and three runs over eight innings. He struck out six. Rookie DeWayne Buice, continuing his 11th-hour bid for the 10th spot in the Angel pitching staff, pitched the ninth inning and recorded his first save. Buice allowed a hit, a walk and struck out two. Said Manager Gene Mauch: “Buice did something today that’s not an easy thing to do--and that’s relieving Mike Witt. He pressed a little more than he should have. In his heart, he knows he can get (Bruce) Bochy out anytime he wants to. (Bochy walked). Buice doesn’t know how good he is. He didn’t do anything to hurt himself today.” . . . Wally Joyner appeared as a designated hitter and went 2 for 3, raising his spring average to .279. Mauch said he will hold Joyner out of the defensive lineup at least until the weekend in order to rest Joyner’s hamstring injury. “The quick movement he has to make at first base, from side-to-side, seems to bother him,” Mauch said. . . . Devon White went 1 for 4, extending his hitting streak to six games. Mark Ryal, Butch Wynegar, Gary Pettis and Mark McLemore all had run-scoring hits. . . . The Angels take a 12-15 exhibition record into the Freeway Series. They won 8 of 13 games at Palm Springs after going 4-10 in Arizona.

The Angels traded catcher Stan Cliburn to the Atlanta Braves for minor league outfielder Charles Redfield. Cliburn, 30, twin brother of Angel reliever Stewart Cliburn, appeared in just two games this spring, going 2 for 4 with a two-run homer. Last year, he batted .267 with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs at Edmonton. Said brother Stu: “Good for him. Evidently, Atlanta has some interest in him. An organization comes and gets you and that can give you new life. He was not going to get much of a shot here.”