ANGELS NOTEBOOK: GORE DRILLS FICK WITH BATTING-PRACTICE PITCH.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

DETROIT - Presidential candidate Al Gore made a campaign stop at Comerica Park on Wednesday, throwing batting practice to the Tigers for about five minutes.

He hit Tigers infielder and Cal State Northridge product Robert Fick with a pitch on the hip but otherwise threw strikes.

``He threw good,'' said pitcher Tim Belcher, who was one of four Angels players to shake hands with Gore. ``If he's elected, I will have shaken hands with the last four presidents.''

Belcher said he met Ronald Reagan at the White House after the Dodgers won the World Series in 1988 and also met George Bush and Bill Clinton.

Gore made it a point to visit the Angels' dugout before the game.

``His briefing coordinator told us he told Gore, `Get a picture with the Angels, California's a swing state,' '' Belcher said.

Pitchers Jarrod Washburn, Ramon Ortiz and Seth Etherton also met Gore while dozens of Secret Service agents swarmed the field.

--Belcher needed: Belcher has spent more time on the disabled list than on the mound during his two seasons with the Angels but will try to make a contribution at a time the Angels need it most.

Belcher, who has made only four starts this year after recovering from offseason elbow surgery, will start tonight against Detroit. It will be his first start since July 2 and comes at a time when the starters are reeling: Going into Wednesday's game, no starter had won since Matt Wise beat the Indians on Aug. 25.

``With the youth in the rotation, I feel I can be a nice addition, provided I can pitch well,'' Belcher said. ``If I don't pitch well, it doesn't matter. . . . What we need is not going to center around the addition or subtraction of one player. You'd like to think I can help the team in the next four weeks.''

Belcher won his first two starts this season before his elbow began to flare up. His next two were horrible and he landed back on the disabled list.

Even though the club holds an option to bring Belcher back next season for $5.1 million, it's more likely they will buy him out for $1 million.

``I'm just thinking about Thursday,'' Belcher said when asked about next season. ``I just want to get through the last month, be productive and healthy and I'll think about next year after that. I can't lie and say I don't think about it, but I don't want to talk about it and make it an issue.''