ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ROSTER SPOT UNLIKELY FOR TOP PROSPECT.Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer SURPRISE, Ariz. - Baseball America  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . ranks first baseman Casey Kotchman Casey John Kotchman (born February 22, 1983 in St. Petersburg, Florida) is a Major League Baseball first baseman for Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He hit his first Major League home run on August 5 2005. In 47 games in 2005, Kotchman had 7 home runs and 22 runs batted in. as the No. 1 prospect in the Angels' organization, ahead of Dallas McPherson Dallas Lyle McPherson (born July 23, 1980 in Greensboro, North Carolina) is a professional baseball player, and third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Career , who ranks No. 2. Although McPherson is projected as the Angels' starting third baseman third baseman n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker this season, replacing an All-Star and World Series MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. in Troy Glaus Troy Edward Glaus (born August 3, 1976 in Tarzana, California) is a Major League Baseball player who plays third base for the Toronto Blue Jays. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels (1998-2004) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005). , Kotchman seems to have a plane ticket to Salt Lake City with his name on it. Darin Erstad Darin Charles Erstad (born June 4, 1974 in Jamestown, North Dakota) is a first baseman/center fielder in Major League Baseball currently with the Chicago White Sox. Prior to 2007, he had played his entire career with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise (1996-2006). , a Gold Glove winner and two-time All-Star, is the Angels' first baseman. And with an outfield consisting of Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1976 in Don Gregorio, Nizao, Dominican Republic), and known in his native Dominican Republic as Miquéas (Spanish for Micah), is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. , Garret Anderson and Steve Finley, there is no thought of moving Erstad to the outfield to make room for Kotchman at first base. ``I try not to think about things I can't control,'' said Kotchman, who played in 38 games for the Angels last season, hitting .224. ``Right now what I can control is playing when I get a chance to play, taking each day as it comes and see where I end up after that.'' Barring an injury to Erstad, that will be Triple-A Salt Lake, where he spent much of last season, hitting .372 in 49 games. There's an outside chance he could make the club as a left-handed pinch hitter. He's hitting .366 this spring, leading the team in hits (15) and RBIs (11). ``We think he's ready for the challenge of the major leagues,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``The issue for Casey is to forge his way through and create a role for himself at the major league level. If he's going to be on the major league club, there has to be a role for him. And it's going to have to be more than playing once every two weeks.'' Kotchman's biggest strength is his defense, and he is a line-drive hitter who is patient at the plate. His only real weakness has been an inability to stay healthy. Last season he played in a career-high 115 games combined in the minors and majors. But in his first three professional seasons, he missed significant time with injuries - wrist (2001), back (2002) and hamstring (2003). --Bengie returns: Catcher Bengie Molina, recovering from a sore calf, participated in his first game Saturday since March 5. Molina played three innings and got a chance to catch new Angels pitcher Paul Byrd for the first time. ``It was very, very important for me,'' Molina said. ``I was looking forward to this day. Not because I was ready to play, but because I need to get used to him. ``I bet it's going to be really fun catching a guy like that. He has five pitches he can throw for a strike any time he wants. He can pitch.'' Joe Haakenson, (626) 962-8811 joe.haakenson(at)sgvn.com CAPTION(S): box Box: BEYOND THE BOX SCORE |
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