ANGELS NOTEBOOK: WOOTEN BACK AFTER MOURNING FATHER.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

CLEVELAND - Shawn Wooten returned to the team Friday after spending the past week with his family in Covina. His father, Bob, died of lung cancer Sunday and was buried in Wooten's Angels jersey Thursday.

``He got to wear a big-league jersey, too, so that was kind of cool,'' Wooten said. ''That's what he wanted. Everybody (in the family) signed it.''

Wooten got a chance to speak with his father in the final days even though he was in a lot of pain, according to Wooten.

``He was in and out of it,'' Wooten said. ``The last day-and-a-half he was pretty much out of it. But we had some good talks. He just said `Go get 'em,' basically. There is (a sense of relief) but at the same time, it's my dad. Any time you lose a family member it's tough. I've got to move on, that's what he'd want. He's not suffering anymore and he's in a better place.''

Wooten hasn't played since Aug 2 in Anaheim, seven games ago, but said he listened to all the games on the radio.

``I'm glad to be back,'' he said. ``It's not like I wanted to leave the team. This is the only thing I'm good at, or semi-good at some days. He's going to be watching from up there. There are some other pretty good ballplayers up there, too.''

There's a chance Wooten will play today because the Indians are starting left-hander C.C. Sabathia, but Wooten isn't sure how the layoff will affect him.

``I can't remember any time, any season missing this amount of time,'' he said. ``I'm going to have to feel it out and go from there.''

--Busy as a Belcher: Tim Belcher, formerly of the Angels, Dodgers, Royals, Red Sox, White Sox and Mariners, made the 1 1/2-hour drive from his home in Cardington, Ohio, to visit with the Angels before Friday's game. The former pitcher, who retired while with the Angels in spring training, has been busy.

Belcher is helping build baseball and softball fields at his old high school in Sparta, Ohio. He's doing much of the physical labor himself.

``What can be better than a man and his tools,'' he said.

Manager Mike Scioscia told Belcher, ``the way we're playing defense, you'd be OK out there.'' To which Belcher replied: ``What, you're going to put a guy over the wall in section 103?''

--Thome, or not Thome: The Indians' Jim Thome went into Friday's game with a five-game hitting streak, during which he had four homers to increase his American League-leading total to 42.

``There are some things our pitchers will try to do,'' Scioscia said. ``But he's so strong sometimes even what seems like a decent pitch can end up going a long way.''

ANGELS vs. CLEVELAND

Time: 10:15 p.m., at Jacobs Field

TV/Radio: Ch. 11; 570-AM, 1090-AM (Spanish)

Matchup: Pat Rapp (5-9, 4.42 ERA) will start for the Angels against Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia (12-4, 4.42). The Angels are 3-1 this season against the Indians at Jacobs Field, where they haven't had a winning record since 1997.

- Joe Haakenson

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ANGELS vs. CLEVELAND (see text)