ANGELS NOTEBOOK: SALMON AWAITS SURGERIES.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Tim Salmon has spent the past few days packing up his belongings from his Orange County home and moving them to his Paradise Valley, Ariz. home as he prepares for the first of two surgeries sometime early next week.

Salmon said he doesn't know which surgery he'll have first - left shoulder or left knee - but he said he has not given up the idea of playing again, even though he'll be 37 by the time his contract is up after next season.

``I've had my moments. I've thought a lot, reflected a lot,'' Salmon said. ``I'm hearing some things you guys (reporters) have written, throwing dirt on me like I'm done. But I'm looking to rehab it and looking to see what I can do. ... My focus now is that it's not over.''

Salmon said his motivation stems from disappointment in his performance this season. Hindered by injuries, he hit .253 with two homers and 23 RBI.

``It wasn't fun for me this year,'' he said. ``It's tough. We got the (satellite TV) baseball package at home and I've been watching the last few nights at home on the couch or in bed saying, 'This is weird.'

``You feel like you're so much a part of it, yet you're so distant from it. It's hard. I've gone from being on the bench and watching to being on the couch and watching. I'm being pushed further and further away.''

After next week's surgery, the second one will come two or three months later so that he'll have had a chance to rehabilitate some from the first one. Even though both surgeries have an eight- to 10-month recovery period, Salmon hasn't ruled out playing next season.

``I'm an athlete, and athletes, we can get focused, get on a rehab schedule, follow up and do the right thing,'' he said. ``You want to go out on your own terms. This year it hasn't been on my terms.''

--Eckstein sits: Shortstop David Eckstein is not hurt, but he's hitless in his past 10 at-bats and is hitting .212 (29 for 137) since Aug. 1. That's why manager Mike Scioscia started Alfredo Amezaga on Friday against the White Sox.

``Right now, Eck needs a day,'' Scioscia said. ``He's playing a demanding position defensively, and we need to get him back on track.''

Eckstein wasn't thrilled to be out of the lineup, but said he understood.

``You never want a day off, especially during the stretch run,'' he said. ``I wasn't swinging the bat too bad until (Thursday) night, I just wasn't able to get hits. But Scioscia knows what he's doing.''

Scioscia hasn't used his bench much lately, going with set lineups in the heat of a pennant race. Going into Friday's game, Andres Galarraga and Dallas McPherson were still looking for their first at-bats since their September call-ups.

``A lot of guys on the bench have played a full season,'' Scioscia said. ``Although we can't project at-bats for the bench, we know we have them if we need them.''

--A legit error: First baseman Darin Erstad made his second error of the season on Thursday, the first one that was legitimate - considering he was charged with an error April 27 after running about 100 feet down the right-field line and trying to make an over-the-shoulder catch in Detroit.

``He's a Gold Glove first baseman; I don't think there's anyone better in baseball at first base right now,'' Scioscia said.

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ANGELS vs. CHICAGO

- Joe Haakenson