AMERICAN LEAGUE UPDATE: GLAUS RETURNS TO FORM AFTER LEAVING ANGELS.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

It's easy to look at the Angels' lack of home run power this season and ask how they could have let go of Troy Glaus, a player drafted and developed by the organization. Even though Glaus' projected replacement Dallas McPherson hit 43 homers in 2004 combined in the minors and majors, Glaus was a proven commodity - a World Series MVP who twice had hit 40-plus homers in a season.

For the Diamondbacks this season, Glaus has hit 30 home runs, one more than Garret Anderson (13), Steve Finley (9), Darin Erstad (5) and Adam Kennedy (2) combined.

This season the Angels have used six players at third base - McPherson, Chone Figgins, Maicer Izturis, Robb Quinlan, Lou Merloni and Zach Sorensen. Combined, the third basemen have hit .251 with 10 homers and 45 RBI.

What were the Angels thinking?

Glaus got a contract for four years and $48 million, which seems like an awful lot for a player who was beginning to show signs he might be injury prone. In 2003 and 2004, Glaus averaged 75 games, 17 homers, 46 RBI and a .250 average. Hardly numbers worthy of a $12 million average annual salary.

``We didn't have Troy for two years,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``Troy Glaus is a tremendous offensive player. When he's healthy he has great power numbers with the ability to get on base; he takes his walks. He's a premier talent, but a talent we really were without for two years.''

Angels general manager Bill Stoneman explained that it hurts an organization to stifle young players ready to break through, and McPherson certainly had done everything he could at the minor-league level. Glaus also let it be known he was reluctant to play first base even though his surgically repaired right shoulder might have called for it.

As it turns out, Glaus has remained healthy, he got his money and his position and is putting up numbers everybody knew he could. And McPherson is the one who is injured and out for the season. But one season does not determine the success or lack thereof of a personnel/financial decision.

Glaus' contract runs for three more seasons after this one, so let's judge the Glaus/McPherson decision then.

--Yankees woes: Could it be? Might the Yankees be missing from the playoffs for the first time since 1993? (There were no playoffs in '94 because of the strike).

While the Yankees' bats compare with Boston's as the most potent in baseball, their pitching staff leaves much to be desired. Kevin Brown is out for the season, Mike Mussina has elbow tendinitis and Jaret Wright got hit by a line drive on the collarbone. That leaves the Yankees' starting rotation looking like this: Randy Johnson, Al Leiter, Shawn Chacon, Aaron Small, Scott Proctor.

''Because you don't have certain people doesn't mean you can't win,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said. ``The thing is, if you're a successful team, you just find a way.''

--Plummeting Palmeiro: It's not like fans in Toronto are known as rabid, hardcore fans. In hockey maybe, but not in baseball. Still, the Orioles' Rafael Palmeiro felt the boos were bothersome enough that he wore earplugs during his at-bats in Toronto on Tuesday.

Palmeiro is in the final year of his contract and could very well end his career in disgrace after testing positive for steroids. Since the test results were revealed, Palmeiro is hitting .077 (2 for 26).

What seems like eons ago but was less than two months ago, Palmeiro had a monster series against the Red Sox. He went 5 for 13 with two homers and nine RBI in four games. That prompted this quip, as told to the Hartford Courant, from Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon: ``That was some really strong stuff he put in his body.''

Joe Haakenson, [phone]

joe.haakenson(at)sgvn.com