A BLESSING FOR SCIOSCIA NOT GETTING MANAGER'S JOB WITH DODGERS PAVED THE WAY TO ANAHEIM.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Mike Scioscia never took the bait before and he's not about to take it now.

Scioscia has earned the right to swagger a bit - if only he knew how - since he's led the Angels to a 38-25 record and the doorstep of first place in the American League West. Tonight, he'll lead the club into Dodger Stadium for a three-game series, and while the situation might prompt some to play the role of scorned former employee returning in grand fashion, Scioscia never has and probably never will go that route.

He certainly could.

After all, it was Scioscia who spent 13 seasons as a Dodgers catcher, put in five years in the organization as a coach and manager, and seemed to at least be on the short list when it came to inheriting the manager's office at Chavez Ravine.

Instead, when his range of opportunity in the organization seemed limited, there was a mutual parting in September 1999, which was a blessing in disguise for Scioscia since it cleared the way for his hiring as Anaheim's manager two months later.

Although this weekend's series marks the third time the Angels' ex-Dodger-dominated coaching staff returns to its old haunt, it's the first time it will arrive with legitimate pennant hopes as the season approaches the halfway mark.

And since Scioscia's steady-as-she-goes mentality is what got them here, he's not about to abandon it now merely for the sake of grinding an ax.

``He just wants to beat everybody,'' said Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, one of four former Dodgers on the Angels coaching staff. ``Doesn't matter if it's the Dodgers or whatever. That's what we've brought to this team. It was just another game last year. We played them and we moved on. But it's exciting for me and him to go back to Dodger Stadium. We both have a lot of memories.''

Scioscia's ability to move on helped the Angels out of their 6-14 hole to start the season. At a time when fingers could have been pointed and blame assigned, Anaheim kept its spirits up, then reeled off 21 victories in 24 games.

Right fielder Tim Salmon says that no matter how the team's performing, Scioscia makes it painfully clear that it's never about him. So it's not surprising that tonight's contest will be nothing more significant than game No. 64 on the schedule.

``He doesn't come across as a manager who's trying to gain anything from a reputation standpoint,'' Salmon said. ``He's not like that at all. He gives everybody freedom. It's never about, 'I'm the captain of this ship.' From the beginning, it's just, 'We're going to win it with 25 guys and five or six coaches.'

``I'm sure he'd like to be able to make a good showing and show that organization what they missed out on, but it's not really an issue. The issue is more, it's another game against a good club, so hey, win it not because of me but because of the importance to our season and our standings.''

Of course, Scioscia can't go back to Dodger Stadium and not feel a little wistful. He was a rock for the Dodgers' 1988 world-championship club, catching Orel Hershiser during his record 59-inning scoreless streak, and hitting perhaps the second-most significant postseason home run that year.

While Kirk Gibson's home run off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the World Series was voted Los Angeles' No. 1 sports moment ever, it wouldn't have been possible were it not for Scioscia's two-run home run in the ninth inning off Dwight Gooden in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

With Scioscia, however, sentiment lasts only so long before pragmatic reality returns.

``Anytime you walk into Dodger Stadium, it's an incredible feeling,'' he said. ``I've got so many memories there, those things are always special.

``But we go about trying to beat this club like any club. It doesn't impact what we need to do. The club is very focused on our task at hand and what we need on a daily basis and I think that keeps everybody in perspective and where we need to be.''

And as Hatcher notes, it's not easy to reminisce under the Dodgers' new ownership, anyway.

``You'd like to say, it'd be great to back and reunite with everybody ... but I don't know who to reunite with over there,'' said Hatcher, who hit two home runs in the '88 Series. ``Still, there's a lot of great memories for me. I never thought I'd be anything but a Dodger my whole life.''

Scioscia once felt that way, too, but three years ago, he thought it was in his best interests to leave the organization and make himself available for other opportunities. His roll of the dice paid off handsomely when the Angels called in November 1999, and now he's got an emerging young ballclub and a contract that runs through 2005.

So you believe him when he says that this weekend's series ``is in perspective'' and any extra attention the Angels earn by a strong showing is ``irrelevant to what we need to do.''

That's fine, but don't think he's detached completely from his Dodgers days. In fact, Salmon says, the '88 team is a frequent topic of conversation when the coaching staff discusses the Angels' ultimate goal.

``The thing they always imparted to us when they were with the Dodgers was that they weren't the best team in the league,'' Salmon said. ``They came together as a team, everybody contributed. They make those comparisons and can draw on those experiences and apply it to us.''

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Angels manager Mike Scioscia didn't get the Dodgers' managerial position, but he has some wonderful memories of his days as a player.

Ted Warren/Associated Press