Orlando Palmeiro

The roster was reduced to 25 as outfielder Orlando Palmeiro and catcher Chris Turner were sent to Vancouver.

So the Angels lost the first game of the World Series. Big deal. So the Angels lost, 4-3, to the Giants and left men at third base three times, twice with fewer than two outs, which would seem to be terribly disheartening, awfully discouraging, horribly draining But it's not. This is how they do it, these Angels. This is how they play their game. They give you something, sure. They gave the Yankees a win in Game 1 of the American League division series. Remember that?

Rickey Henderson's bat hasn't been working too well for Rickey Henderson lately, but it did wonders for Gary DiSarcina on Saturday. The Angel shortstop, using one of Henderson's bats, had three singles and a double in a 7-5 loss to Detroit, breaking out of a 1-for-25 slump. "His bats are a half-inch smaller than mine, and when I picked one up it felt good, so I went with it," DiSarcina said. "Sometimes when you're struggling it's just good to change. "The last two weeks have been tough.

Moose Jaw, Salinas and Parkersburg. Not exactly Tinker to Evers to Chance, but these being the Angels, mythology isn't always so neatly packaged. Sometimes, the three most important things in your clubhouse aren't your best infielders. Sometimes they're your three worst memories. Sometimes, a championship race is not only about chasing. Sometimes it's also about running away.

Orlando Palmeiro. This is what the Anaheim Angels are about. Orlando Palmeiro. You notice the weaknesses first with the Angels. It has been that way all season. Not enough pitching. Not enough speed. Not enough defense. Way too much bad luck. You notice the weaknesses first with Palmeiro. The speed of his bat just doesn't seem big league. Looks like a batter with too much Judy, not enough Punch. When he draws a walk you think, "Wow, that's about as good as he can do."

There was a lot of hand wringing this spring over how the Angels would squeeze four outfielders into one lineup, but the problem has yet to arise. Jim Edmonds is on the disabled list, Darin Erstad is at first filling in for the injured Mo Vaughn, and Orlando Palmeiro--once forgotten outfielder No. 5--is getting most of the starts in left field. "I'd rather have it the other way, quite frankly," Palmeiro said, "but this is kind of why I'm here.

Orlando Palmeiro started at designated hitter for the fifth consecutive game Tuesday night, leaving Benji Gil wondering if he has fallen out of favor with Manager Mike Scioscia. "I guess I'm back to not being able to hit right-handers," said Gil, who is batting .324 with eight homers and 37 runs batted in this season and has a .308 average against right-handers. "I don't know what to think. I certainly don't know what to expect."

Angel outfielder Orlando Palmeiro is always there. He was there when Jim Edmonds was getting injured diving for fly balls and crashing into walls. He was there when center fielder Darin Erstad got injured diving for fly balls and crashing into walls. "That's a tough role to fill," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's not as physically taxing as playing everyday. But being prepared every day, just in case you are playing, is tough."

Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina was pleased with the new "big league" infield in the partially renovated Anaheim Stadium. Relief pitcher Chuck McElroy admired the two 60-inch televisions in the team's clubhouse. But outfielder Tim Salmon saw a bigger picture in it. The grass, to him, is greener. "This is a fresh start," Salmon said. "The stadium is better. We have different uniforms. We want to put as much distance between us and last season as we can."

Jim Edmonds, on the disabled list with a strained right rib cage, will not leave with the Angels on their seven-game road trip, but will possibly join the team during it. Before that, though, Edmonds will make at least one rehabilitation start. "He will face live pitching before he's activated," Manager Terry Collins said. "He will get a couple days as a designated hitter. I'm not worried about his play in center field."

Angel outfielder Orlando Palmeiro is always there. He was there when Jim Edmonds was getting injured diving for fly balls and crashing into walls. He was there when center fielder Darin Erstad got injured diving for fly balls and crashing into walls. "That's a tough role to fill," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's not as physically taxing as playing everyday. But being prepared every day, just in case you are playing, is tough."

Orlando Palmeiro started at designated hitter for the fifth consecutive game Tuesday night, leaving Benji Gil wondering if he has fallen out of favor with Manager Mike Scioscia. "I guess I'm back to not being able to hit right-handers," said Gil, who is batting .324 with eight homers and 37 runs batted in this season and has a .308 average against right-handers. "I don't know what to think. I certainly don't know what to expect."

Orlando Palmeiro might as well have been playing right field with a blindfold Sunday, because that's how the Angel reserve felt when Gerald Williams' two-out flare came toward him in the 10th inning. Palmeiro, whose pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth sent the game into extra innings, got a good jump on Williams' ball but lost it in the lights, allowing Felix Martinez to score from second and give the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a 4-3 victory over the Angels before 11,808 at Tropicana Field.

Orlando Palmeiro. This is what the Anaheim Angels are about. Orlando Palmeiro. You notice the weaknesses first with the Angels. It has been that way all season. Not enough pitching. Not enough speed. Not enough defense. Way too much bad luck. You notice the weaknesses first with Palmeiro. The speed of his bat just doesn't seem big league. Looks like a batter with too much Judy, not enough Punch. When he draws a walk you think, "Wow, that's about as good as he can do."

There was a lot of hand wringing this spring over how the Angels would squeeze four outfielders into one lineup, but the problem has yet to arise. Jim Edmonds is on the disabled list, Darin Erstad is at first filling in for the injured Mo Vaughn, and Orlando Palmeiro--once forgotten outfielder No. 5--is getting most of the starts in left field. "I'd rather have it the other way, quite frankly," Palmeiro said, "but this is kind of why I'm here.

The more people see of Orlando Palmeiro, the more they like him, and that includes his manager. "He will be the one name I bring up in years to come," Terry Collins said. "We sent him down after spring training. He wasn't happy about it, but he didn't go there and pout. His attitude was, 'When I come back, I'm staying.' He has shown he belongs here." Palmeiro, who was at triple-A Vancouver until June, has become a key component for the Angels the last two weeks.

Orlando Palmeiro might as well have been playing right field with a blindfold Sunday, because that's how the Angel reserve felt when Gerald Williams' two-out flare came toward him in the 10th inning. Palmeiro, whose pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth sent the game into extra innings, got a good jump on Williams' ball but lost it in the lights, allowing Felix Martinez to score from second and give the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a 4-3 victory over the Angels before 11,808 at Tropicana Field.

The more people see of Orlando Palmeiro, the more they like him, and that includes his manager. "He will be the one name I bring up in years to come," Terry Collins said. "We sent him down after spring training. He wasn't happy about it, but he didn't go there and pout. His attitude was, 'When I come back, I'm staying.' He has shown he belongs here." Palmeiro, who was at triple-A Vancouver until June, has become a key component for the Angels the last two weeks.

Rickey Henderson's bat hasn't been working too well for Rickey Henderson lately, but it did wonders for Gary DiSarcina on Saturday. The Angel shortstop, using one of Henderson's bats, had three singles and a double in a 7-5 loss to Detroit, breaking out of a 1-for-25 slump. "His bats are a half-inch smaller than mine, and when I picked one up it felt good, so I went with it," DiSarcina said. "Sometimes when you're struggling it's just good to change. "The last two weeks have been tough.

Jim Edmonds, on the disabled list with a strained right rib cage, will not leave with the Angels on their seven-game road trip, but will possibly join the team during it. Before that, though, Edmonds will make at least one rehabilitation start. "He will face live pitching before he's activated," Manager Terry Collins said. "He will get a couple days as a designated hitter. I'm not worried about his play in center field."