AMERICAN LEAGUE: INSIDE THE A.L.: ANGELS ACCEPT WEST IS TOUGH.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

There's no crying in baseball. Or whining. And it seems Angels manager Mike Scioscia will do neither.

Common sense would indicate it will be difficult for the wild card to come out of the American League West this season, considering the division's strength. It happened last year, but it took Oakland's 102 victories.

What makes it difficult for a team like the Angels to win the league's wild-card entry into the playoffs is that teams from the Central and East divisions have plenty of teams on which to beat up during the course of the unbalanced schedule.

With the schedules weighted more heavily with games between division opponents, teams such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Devil Rays to pile up wins in the East. And in the Central, the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox can load up on the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.

The West doesn't seem to have even one walkover team, not even the Texas Rangers, who have played well lately and are closing in on .500.

But Scioscia isn't about to complain or make excuses.

``We have a talented club and I think we approach it the right way,'' Scioscia said. ``If you're going to rise to the challenge, it doesn't matter who you're playing. I don't believe in looking at the strength of the division or the schedule of the division. It's not going to take away our focus.

--Sleepover at Comiskey: Bill Veeck is long gone, but the White Sox still look for odd ways to draw fans. Tickets now are available for the first ``Sleepover Night at Comiskey Park.''

For $250 per person, fans get a ticket to the game June 8 vs. Montreal. After the Saturday night game, they will be allowed onto the outfield grass, where they can sleep overnight in sleeping bags.

There will be a postgame fireworks show and a baseball-themed movie will be played on the outfield video scoreboard. Also, a midnight snack will be served. On June 9, the fans will have a ticket for the afternoon game against Montreal.

``It's the kind of fun memory we aim to create for our fans,'' said Rob Gallas, the White Sox senior vice president of marketing and broadcasting. ``And it supports our goal of growing a love of the game of baseball for fans of all ages.''

--Lackluster hurlers: It's probably just a phase, but the A's dynamic trio of Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder has lost a little luster. Combined, the highly regarded threesome is 9-10 with a 4.36 ERA this season.

Mulder (2-3, 6.83 ERA) has struggled with an arm injury and missed some time. Hudson (3-5, 3.92) has been inconsistent. Zito (4-2, 3.69), the Pierce College and USC product, has been the best of the three but still has struggled at times.

``It's just a little bit of bad luck, maybe a little control problems,'' Hudson said of his own troubles. ``I'm not worried about anything I've done. I know I can go out there and get the job done.''