ANGELS NOTEBOOK: SALMON 'COMFORTABLE' AS DH.Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer ANAHEIM - When Jose Guillen had to leave Friday night's game after being hit by a pitch, Tim Salmon bottom inning, frame - (baseball) one of nine divisions of play during which each team has a turn at bat , Salmon took Guillen's spot in left field. It turned out that Guillen's left wrist was not broken and he might return by opening day on Tuesday. But if Guillen - or any starting outfielder - is hurt and misses a considerable amount of time, Salmon doesn't expect to leave his role as the designated hitter designated hitter n. Baseball Abbr. DH A player designated at the start of a game to bat instead of the pitcher in the lineup. Noun 1. and take a starting spot in the outfield. ``No I wouldn't (expect to),'' Salmon said. ``Because we still have guys on the bench that can play the field, like (Jeff) DaVanon and maybe (Chone) Figgins. DaVanon is better defensively than me. And, if I'm not DH-ing, who's going to be in that spot? If we had a veteran guy who could handle that role, then maybe things would be different. ``The thing is, I'm comfortable in my role as the DH. If the team needed me to play in the outfield every day, I'd do it. But at the same time, I spent the whole winter convincing myself that I was a DH. I don't want to get away from that.'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia ``We have some options,'' he said. With Guillen out on Saturday against the Dodgers, DaVanon started in left field and Salmon was the DH. --On the bright side: Guillen said he has no problem catching the ball, but his bruised bruise v. bruised, bruis·ing, bruis·es v.tr. 1. a. To injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of (part of the body) without breaking the skin, as by a blow. b. left wrist won't allow him to pick up a bat until Monday at the earliest. Still, it's better than the alternative - a broken bone could have put him out for six weeks. ``I pretty much thought it was broken,'' Guillen said. ``I had no feeling in my hand. I finally got feeling back about an hour later. The doctor said I was lucky. If it hit me here (an inch away) it would have broke in a hundred pieces.'' Guillen said the pain won't stop him from playing and he hopes to be in the starting lineup For the line of action figures, see . A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes on opening day Tuesday in Seattle. ``I played with a broken hand last year; why can I not play with a sore hand?'' he said. --Vision on display: The Angels' $6.5 million stadium upgrades were on display for the first time Saturday night, and they include a 42-by-67 foot main videoboard in right field and ``Angel vision,'' a new 27-by-48 foot videoboard in left field. Also, the out-of-town scoreboard in right field and the scoreboards lining the facade facade (fəsäd`), exterior face or wall of a building. The term implies ordered placement of its openings and other features and thus seems inapplicable to a wall without design. of the loge section have been improved. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: TIM SALMON The designated hitter played as an outfielder when Jose Guillen got injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. but doesn't expect to leave his role. |
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