ANGELS NOTEBOOK: PERCIVAL PITCH IS A HOT TOPIC.

Byline: Joe Haakenson

One day after the incident, players from both teams were still talking about Troy Percival's pitch that hit the Yankees' Derek Jeter on the left hand in Tuesday's game.

It happened with one out in the ninth inning, putting the tying run at the plate with the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters due up. That is precisely why Percival said it was ludicrous for the Yankees to suggest he hit Jeter on purpose. Particularly when the Angels were 13-19 and desperate for a win.

Angels manager Terry Collins and Yankees interim manager Don Zimmer chatted behind the batting cage before Wednesday's game, and the subject of the pitch came up.

``He said he thought (Percival) did it on purpose,'' Collins said. ``I don't care what anybody thinks. I know what's going on. Did he try to come inside? Yes. Did he try to hit him? No.''

``It was a typical 0-2 fastball, I came up and in,'' Percival said. ``I wanted to move him off the plate. He was diving out over the plate like he always does. I've been throwing those guys inside all my career - Jeter, (Paul) O'Neill, (Bernie) Williams. That was the first time I hit one of them. I have respect for every one of those guys over there, but if they're going to (complain) about pitching inside, too bad. I'll go out the next time and I'll pitch inside again.''

Jeter glared at Percival after being hit but wouldn't say he was sure it was intentional.

``He didn't have problems hitting his spots with any other hitter,'' he said. ``Whether he tried to hit me intentionally or not, I don't know. But he definitely was coming up and in. If you're going to throw that hard, you don't go for somebody's head.''

Zimmer said he could remember Percival hitting Yankees hitters ``two, three or four times.'' Percival, though, had hit only one Yankee in his career before Tuesday - Russ Davis in May 1995.

Injury update: Second baseman Randy Velarde was in the starting lineup Wednesday even though his lower back is still stiff.

``It doesn't feel great, but it's not killing me,'' he said. ``I want to be out there playing. I've taken a year-and-a-half off already (recovering from elbow surgery).''

Mo Vaughn, his left ankle still considerably swollen, will remain as the designated hitter for the foreseeable future.

``By the third inning, I can't even stand on it,'' Vaughn said of playing the field. ``As the DH, I can get off it. Before, it was causing me to change my stance because it was just fatigued. Between at-bats now I can do what I've got to do to take pressure off it.''

ANGELS vs. NEW YORK

Time: 4:35 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

TV/Radio: No TV; KCTD-AM (1540), XPRS-AM (1090, Spanish).

Matchup: Omar Olivares (3-3, 3.52 ERA) is the Angels' No. 5 starter but is No. 1 among starters in victories. He's also the only Angels pitcher to throw a complete game this season. Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens will be activated from the disabled list today but will not pitch against the Angels. Instead, it will be Hideki Irabu (1-0, 5.23).

- Joe Haakenson

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BOX: ANGELS vs. NEW YORK (see text)