ANGELS NOTEBOOK: FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK KOTCHMAN SIGNS DEAL.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - The Angels signed first baseman Casey Kotchman, their first-round draft choice, Thursday. Kotchman, 18, was the 13th player selected overall in the free-agent draft last month.

Kotchman, who will get a signing bonus believed to be worth about $2.1 million, is the son of Tom Kotchman, a scout and minor-league manager in the Angels organization for 18 years.

``In my 12 years of scouting, I've never been involved in drafting a player with whom the organization has as much history as the Angels do with Casey,'' said Donny Rowland, the Angels' director of scouting. ``Casey and his family have been a part of the Angels' family for most of his life and many people in the organization have seen him play since he was very young.''

But the close relationship also made things a little awkward. Every other player drafted with the 10th through 18th overall pick signed before Kotchman.

``It was patient,'' Tom Kotchman said of the negotiations. ``We were going into unchartered waters. When you're a scout and a manager, you talk about players. You can be talking about 30 players, and then you'd say, 'Can we talk about the one who lives in Florida?' ''

Said Rowland: ``Negotiations were awkward to some degree. But they were always friendly, open and honest. Yeah, there was some worrying (that a deal wouldn't get done), but that happens anytime you're negotiating a contract for a player you really want, especially a first-round pick. I don't take anything for granted in negotiations for players.''

Kotchman had to sign soon if he was going to play in the Angels' organization this season, and it had a lot to do with the deal getting done.

``We could have waited it out more and risked missing out on playing this year,'' Tom Kotchman said. ``There are too many unknown variables (if he did not sign now).''

Casey spent many summers as a kid hanging out in the clubhouse and in the dugout with his father's teams, and believes it will work to his advantage.

``I've been around baseball all my life and I've had an opportunity to be around ballplayers,'' he said. ``I'm always observing other players and how they prepare themselves. Hopefully, I can use that in my favor.''

Kotchman hit .456 with five homers and 32 RBI in 31 games for Seminole (Fla.) High School last season and was named the 2001 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year. Baseball America ranked him as the top pure hitter and power hitter among all high school players and the eighth-best prospect in the entire draft.

``Casey is a very talented, mature player who carries himself as a professional already,'' Rowland said. ``He's an advanced hitter who can hit for average and hit with power. Defensively, he's as good as it gets for an 18-year-old player.''

Kotchman has been assigned to rookie-level Mesa of the Arizona Summer League.

--Erstad remembers: It was six years ago that center fielder Darin Erstad was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Erstad signed in late July, just in time to be able to play in Mesa and later Lake Elsinore that summer.

``The longer you wait (to sign), the more pressure it puts on the player,'' Erstad said. ``I told my agent, give me one more dollar than what the (No. 1 pick the previous year) got.''

Erstad played in only 114 minor-league games before reaching the big leagues for good in September of 1996.

--Also: Troy Percival, who was unavailable to pitch Tuesday and Wednesday because of muscle spasms in his back, was available to pitch Thursday. ... Designated hitter Shawn Wooten, hitless in his past nine at-bats, was replaced by Benji Gil Thursday. ... Left fielder Garret Anderson has started all of the Angels' 102 games this season.

ANGELS vs. BALTIMORE

Time: 7:05 p.m. at Edison Field.

TV/Radio: Ch. 9; 570-AM, 1090-AM (Spanish).

Matchup: Scott Schoeneweis (7-8, 5.04 ERA) will start for Anaheim against Jason Johnson (9-6, 3.18). Schoeneweis was the Angels' opening-day starter, but his ERA is the worst in the rotation. The three-game series in Anaheim will mark Cal Ripken's final major-league games in Southern California. For each game, 100 randomly selected fans will receive a ticket from the game autographed by Ripken.

- Joe Haakenson

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ANGELS vs. BALTIMORE (see text)