ANGELS NOTEBOOK: FULLMER COMFORTABLE AT DH.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Brad Fullmer is the first to note that three games of solid production ``don't mean (squat).''

But Fullmer also realizes it's no coincidence his two home runs and seven RBI in the season-opening series against Texas exceed his totals for all of last April. He has a year behind him as the Angels' primary designated hitter, which brings him greater comfort than he enjoyed a year ago, when he hit .219 with no home runs and five RBI in April.

``It's not so much mechanics as frame of mind,'' said Fullmer, who has four hits in 10 at-bats. ``From spring training on (in 2002), I was trying like hell to produce. It became a situation where I was pressing, and I was my own worst enemy. I'm in a good frame of mind now.''

He's also a little more relaxed at the plate. Before last September, hitting coach Mickey Hatcher worked with Fullmer to temper his pre-swing routine. It worked, as Fullmer hit .373 in September, the best month of his career, and followed up with a .294 postseason performance.

``If you were to watch him now on TV, you'd say he has a lot of movement. But he's calmed down a lot,'' Hatcher said. ``When you get all that movement, you get beat on pitches. With a straight path to the ball, it makes it easier to get to that zone. And now he has an idea, when his swing is bad, of what he has to do to adjust without hitting a billion balls.''

Fullmer looked so good this spring that manager Mike Scioscia did not hesitate to bat him behind Garret Anderson to start the season, in part because usual No. 5 hitter Troy Glaus is suffering from wrist tendinitis. However, Fullmer might not approach his career year of '00, when he hit .295 with 32 homers and 104 RBIs with Toronto because Shawn Wooten usually supplants Fullmer at DH against left-handers.

Without such strong numbers heading into last offseason, the Angels did not offer Fullmer arbitration, bringing him back for $1 million after he received $3.75 million in '02 during the last year of a multiyear contract he signed with Toronto. Fullmer said whatever angst he felt from his pay cut has instead been converted into a more carefree mentality.

``It's actually worked the opposite; that's why I feel so good,'' Fullmer said. ``It's like, whatever. I certainly didn't feel good about last winter, but what can you do about it? The way I look at it, it will probably be the same situation next year, so why press? I just play for respect now, not money.''

--Injury update: Second baseman Adam Kennedy, a Cal State Northridge product, continued to feel soreness in his right hamstring Thursday, when he came to Edison Field on the Angels' off day to be examined by trainer Ned Bergert. Kennedy suffered a bruise in the hamstring when he collided with Tim Salmon while fielding a pop fly on Wednesday. He is still listed as day-to-day and most likely would have sat out the first two games of this weekend's series at Oakland because the Athletics are starting two left-handers.

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

ANGELS at OAKLAND