A.L. West

Sporting News, The, August 9, 1999

The comeback trail

Last February, A's DH John Jaha didn't know where he would be playing this season, or even if he would be playing. Five months later, he was on the All-Star team. Comeback Hayer of the Year, anyone?

"He should be ... who else is there?" A's utility player Tony Phillips says.

Jaha, 33, lost most of the last two seasons to injuries, including a tendon problem in his left foot that required surgery last December. His medical reports scared off most teams.

But then A's scout Gary McGraw saw Jaha work out. Even though he was limping heavily, Jaha made an impression, and the A's, greatly in need of righthanded power, invited him to spring training.

"If it wasn't for that scout, there's a good chance I wouldn't have a job," Jaha says.

He didn't even know he had made the team until the day before the season opened. But since then, he has banged out a team-high 26 home runs and is tied for the team lead in RBIs, with 72.

"This organization takes pride in finding reclamation projects," G.M. Billy Beane says. "And John is such a pleasure to be around."

Jaha is on pace to top his best season with Milwaukee--34 homers and 118 RBIs in 1996. He also is set to make a big raise after signing an $850,000, one-year deal with Oakland, and the A's will have a good shot at retaining him after showing so much faith in him.

"All I wanted was a chance, and they were the only team to give me one," Jaha says. "They have shown me a lot of respect that I'm not sure I deserved sometimes, and they let me take my time and work through my injury. I couldn't ask for anything more."

--Susan Slusser

Anaheim

43-59: 4th

Asking price deemed too high for Finley suitors

General manager Bill Bavasi left Edison Field last Friday thinking he had a trade in place to send LHP Chuck Finley to the Indians. The Angels refused to budge on their demand for infielder Enrique Wilson, highly regarded minor league pitchers David Riske and Jared Camp, and either big-league reliever Jimmy Hamilton or minor league starter Willie Martinez. The Indians deemed that price too steep, and Cleveland general manager John Hart called Bavasi Saturday afternoon and said no deal. Finley, 36, then went out Saturday night and showed the Indians may have made a wise choice and the Angels may have asked for too much, getting shelled for five runs on eight hits in six innings of an 8-0 loss to the Twins. With the scoreboard flashing Cleveland's 13-10 victory over Chicago, one couldn't help but wonder if Finley should have demanded a trade instead of merely being open to one.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: With the team buried in the A.L. West and the focus on the lucre, it is only a matter of time before it promotes top pitching prospect Ramon Ortiz to the big leagues and recalls relievers Scott Schoeneweis and Jarrod Washburn from Class AAA Edmonton for auditions in the rotation. The Angels also will use the next two months to work on their offensive woes and give themselves something to build on for next season. "Everybody just needs to shut up and do their jobs," 1B Mo Vaugha says. "What we have to do now is work toward the first day of spring training and stop blaming other people."

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Batting instructor Rod Carew has been so disgusted with the Angels' approach at the plate that he wonders if they are capable of being big-league hitters. The Angels' biggest problem: When ahead in counts, their batters often swing at bad pitches, usually breaking bails or off-speed pitches, instead of zoning in on the fastball. When behind in the count, they swing too hard instead of trying to make solid contact.--Mike DiGiovanna

GRADING OUT

OFFENSE F

It had produced one run or less in eight of 15 games through last Saturday.

PITCHING D

Two superb starts by Jack McDowell are all that keeps staff from a failing mark.

DEFENSE B

The one part of the game that hasn't let the Angels down; they rank second in the A.L.

ANGELS

                  AVG     G    AB    R     H   HR   RBI

Anderson( )      .293   102   400   56   117   16    48
Palmeiro( )      .284    87   250   41    71    1    18
Vaughn( )        .277    88   329   34    91   18    64
Salmon           .273    40   143   20    39    7    30
Huson( )         .256    57   121   14    31    0     9
Decker           .255    22    47    5    12    0     3
Erstad( )        .251   101   415   54   104    8    35
Greene           .237    66   236   24    56   12    31
Walbeck(#)       .237    73   215   17    51    3    15
Glaus            .233    95   347   54    81   17    44
DiSarcina        .229    33   105   13    24    0    12
(*)Williams(#)   .222    30    63    8    14    1     6
Sheets           .202    68   203   19    41    3    26
O'Brien          .097    26    62    3     6    1     4

                  OBP    SLG   SB    K   BB    E

Anderson( )      .328   .483    0   54   23    3
Palmeiro( )      .371   .336    2   20   31    1
Vaughn( )        .358   .371    0   78   36    3
Salmon           .386   .503    1   30   29    1
Huson( )         .295   .306    4   16    7    2
Decker           .426   .340    0    6   13    1
Erstad( )        .311   .366    8   69   37    1
Greene           .273   .441    1   48    9    2
Walbeck(#)       .302   .321    1   28   18    4
Glaus            .311   .441    4   89   35   12
DiSarcina        .281   .257    0   15    8    4
(*)Williams(#)   .286   .349    2   21    5    1
Sheets           .237   .296    1   49   11   10
O'Brien          .136   .145    0   12    1    1
GRAND SLAMS: Greene, Salmon, Sheets, Vaughn, Walbeck (1)

               ERA    W-L    G     IP      H    R

Petkovsek     2.01    9-3   39    53.2    47   14
Percival      2.09    2-2   39    38.2    18    9
McDowell      2.25    0-2    2    12.0    13    3
Levine        3.35    1-0   30    48.1    44   21
Magnante( )   3.97    3-1   35    47.2    51   24
Hasegawa      5.01    1-4   40    50.1    54   31
Hill          5.10   3-10   19   107.2   108   63
Sparks        5.28    4-7   20   104.0   122   72
Fyhrie        5.57    0-2    7    21.0    26   15
Finley( )     5.76   5-10   22   134.1   139   95
Holtz( )      7.71    1-2   16    11.2    11   10

              ER   HR     K   BB   SV   Avg.

Petkovsek     12    4    27   10    1   .240
Percival       9    4    41   13   23   .136
McDowell       3    0     8    2    0   .277
Levine        18    7    23   14    0   .250
Magnante( )   21    1    31   17    0   .283
Hasegawa      28    9    33   26    0   .281
Hill          61   14    64   65    0   .269
Sparks        61   14    58   56    0   .292
Fyhrie        13    3    11    6    0   .302
Finley( )     86   19   117   59    0   .269
Holtz( )      10    2     5   10    0   .244