ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ANGELS FEEL ERSTAD'S PAIN.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

PHOENIX - Like Darin Erstad, Garret Anderson and Bengie Molina are each walking around the Angels clubhouse without the hamate bone in one hand. Unlike Erstad, when Anderson and Molina had surgery to remove it, they didn't have to worry about getting ready for a major-league season.

Erstad broke the hamate bone in his right hand during the World Series, but managed to finish the Series and even hit a home run in Game 6. In December, he had surgery to remove the bone, a fairly common procedure for hitters.

Anderson and Molina can empathize to some degree with Erstad as the Angels center fielder grits his teeth and tries to ride out the pain of playing with a hand recently operated on.

Anderson broke his right hamate, or hook bone, in 1991, his first full season of pro ball. He originally was told to try strengthening exercises for three weeks. He returned to action, but by December still was feeling pain, so he was re-examined and told to have surgery.

``It was hard to turn on a ball after it happened,'' said Anderson, who not coincidentally hit a career-low .260 for Single-A Quad City that year. ``At the time, I didn't know what it was and I didn't get proper diagnosis.''

Anderson was slated for another year of Single-A ball, and there was no compelling reason for him to rush back into action.

``I didn't have to put a bat in my hands for 2 1/2 months,'' Anderson said. ``That's it in a nutshell. I didn't have a problem because I had enough recovery time. (Erstad) doesn't have that luxury.''

Molina suffered his injury in 1995, playing for Single-A Lake Elsinore. He remembers exactly when and where it happened - at Visalia, attempting to check his swing. Unlike Anderson, Molina knew immediately it was broken.

But Molina's injury came in late August, with just two weeks remaining in the season. He immediately had surgery and was ready to play winter ball by late November.

Molina doesn't envy Erstad's situation.

``It's not one thing you can feel; it's the whole swing,'' Molina said. ``I bet you he's hurting right now on check swings, or when he's fooled on a swing.''

After getting three hits Friday, Erstad said the pain was severe afterward, significant given his near-legendary pain threshold. He sat out Saturday's 13-1 loss to Oakland, but it was a regularly scheduled day off. He's expected to play today.

--Green's long wait over: Steve Green didn't need a calendar to know how long he'd gone between appearances.

``Twenty-one months and seven days,'' he said Saturday, his arm soaking in a tub of ice after pitching an inning and giving up a solo homer to Eric Chavez. ``I'm pain-free and I can't ask for more than that.''

Green suffered a torn flexor muscle and ligament damage in his right elbow June 1, 2001, and had ligament-replacement surgery three weeks later. He has rehabilitated the injury ever since, and still is thought of highly in the Angels organization. Green, whose fastball reached 95 mph before the surgery, said he thinks his velocity will be back within a couple of weeks.

``There's more to come velocity-wise, but he's come a long way and he's had no problems coming back from his workouts,'' manager Mike Scioscia said.

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Photo:

Angels starter Ramon Ortiz gave up seven hits, but just one run, in three innings of a 13-1 loss to Oakland on Saturday.

Paul Connors/Associated Press

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ANGELS vs. TEXAS

- Gabe Lacques