ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ANGELS LIKELY TO MAKE EARLY OFFER TO SCIOSCIA.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Manager Mike Scioscia is signed through the end of this season and the club holds an option for 2002, which the club is expected to pick up. But the Angels won't necessarily wait until the end of the season to begin negotiating on a contract extension.

The Angels are more than satisfied with Scioscia, who earns about $325,000 per season.

``We're happy, and we think he's happy here,'' club president Tony Tavares said. ``But any contract discussions are handled by (general manager Bill Stoneman). The relationship between a general manager and manager is very important. I let them handle that.''

``Obviously we're delighted with the way Mike has handled the club and the way the players have responded,'' Stoneman said.

Stoneman had never met Scioscia before their first interview, so Stoneman made it a point to find out all he could about the former Dodgers catcher.

``I talked with people who would have worked with him, and got their take on things,'' Stoneman said. ``I had watched him as a hard-nosed player for a long time, and had seen his leadership skills as one of nine guys on the field.''

Stoneman said hiring someone who had no major league managerial experience wasn't any more of a risk than hiring someone who did.

``Anytime you make a decision on anything there's risk involved,'' he said. ``I don't know if risk is diminished if you hire somebody who's been in that job before.''

Scioscia has resisted talking about his contract status.

``Like I said before, if I have a list of 100 things that are important right now, that's No. 101,'' he said. ``I'm having a great experience here and hopefully we'll keep taking steps in the right direction.

--Hill making progress: Designated hitter Glenallen Hill took batting practice and ran the bases Thursday, testing the strained muscle in his left side. Although Hill is improving, he will not be ready to come off the disabled list on Sunday when he's eligible.

``He's making progress but it's going to run its own course, you can't speed him up,'' Scioscia said. ``It's a very sensitive area, especially for a guy who swings the bat with as much force as he does.''

Hill is at least 7-10 days away from returning, but once he's healthy Scioscia said there's no reason why he won't assume the role as the full- time DH, despite his slow start (.135, 1 HR, 2 RBI).

--Ortiz works out: Pitcher Ramon Ortiz threw a bullpen workout and felt no ill effects from his sprained right ankle. Ortiz, who rolled the ankle while covering first base last Saturday in Toronto, is scheduled to start Saturday's game on six days' rest.

ANGELS VS. TIGERS

Time: 7:05 at Edison Field

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net; 570-AM, 1090-AM (Spanish)

Matchup: Scott Schoeneweis (2-2, 2.91 ERA) starts against Detroit's Matt Perisho (0-2, 9.42). Schoeneweis has pitched into the seventh inning in all six of his starts and hasn't allowed more than three runs in any. Perisho was a third-round draft pick of the Angels in 1993 before being traded to the Rangers after the 1997 season.

-Joe Haakenson

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ANGELS VS. TIGERS (see text)