ANGELS NOTEBOOK: KENNEDY'S DEFENSE TOP PRIORITY.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. - Nobody stops Adam Kennedy in a restaurant to tell him what a great job he did staying 10 extra minutes after a workout to improve his fielding.

But it was that work in spring training a year ago, not his three-homer performance in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, that put him firmly in control of the second-base job this spring.

On Thursday, the Angels held their first full-squad workout, and the former Cal State Northridge star began a spring he anticipates will look a lot like the last one, highlighted by plenty of overtime spent with shortstop David Eckstein and first-base coach Alfredo Griffin.

Just because Kennedy hit a career-best .312 and became one of just five players (one named Ruth, another named Reggie) to hit three home runs in a postseason game doesn't mean he's here for his offense. He said tooling around Southern California is ``a lot different than in the past'' because of his ALCS MVP honor, but that hasn't changed his spring-training mindset.

``It's the same exact stuff, the same exact approach,'' Kennedy said. ``It's just competitive, working with Eck and getting to know him more. We understand there's never too much disagreement on where to play hitters. The big step last year was getting to know what each other was going to do on a double play.''

Kennedy and Eckstein are entering their third season together anchoring the middle of the Angels' defense. The Angels set club records last season for fielding percentage (.986) and fewest errors (87). Familiarity should only breed further success this season, especially since Eckstein is a converted second baseman and Kennedy a converted shortstop.

``We turned the double play better last year than we had since I've been here,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``(Kennedy) had to learn (second base) at the major-league level. It's a progression, a combination of hard work and Adam feeling comfortable making the plays, and his work with Alfredo. And we could see the comfort level of (Kennedy and Eckstein) rise as they played together. They're comfortable as to where the other's going to be.''

Benji Gil will continue to get most of the starts at second base against left-handed pitchers. But Kennedy, who signed a one-year, $2.27 million contract in the offseason, said he can't deny the progress he's made in a year. And it's not like he tires of talking about his epic game last October.

``It's not something I think about every day,'' he said. ``But I enjoy talking about it when people bring it up.''

--Ortiz arrives: His wait for a visa in the Dominican Republic finally over, starting pitcher Ramon Ortiz arrived in camp six days late but no worse for the wear. He threw a bullpen session and later professed little concern for his tardiness.

``I'm ready to go,'' Ortiz said. ``Down there, I work more hard than here. I run in the mountains. I swim. I missed five or six days, but I'm ready.''

--Odds and ends: As for the first full-squad workout, Scioscia said, ``Everything that happened today was good.'' The team has eight more workout days before its exhibition opener against Seattle on Feb. 28. ... The Angels agreed to terms with pitchers Francisco Rodriguez, Mickey Callaway, Rich Fischer, Bobby Jenks and outfielder Robb Quinlan on one-year contracts.