Last year the Halos started with two holes in their lineup, one at catcher, and the other at second base. This year there are two problem positions as well, first base and shortstop. Mo Vaughn's offensive production will be lost this year; he is healing after surgery on a ruptured tendon in his left arm. Shortstop sees the absence of Gary DiSarcina at least until early May, and it may be a while of rehabilitation until he is ready.

First base will be interesting this spring, with onetime all star Wally Joyner competing with rookie Larry Barnes and utility man Scott Spezio. At this point it is anyone’s position to win, and all will give the Angels a significant edge in speed and defense over Vaughn, which will make up for some of the offensive power of Vaughn.

Wally Joyner has already stated he will retire if he does not win the starting job. Even though I understand his position, he would be a valuable asset to the Angels off the bench as a left-handed pinch hitter and as a part time DH. Hopefully if he does not win the starting position but wins a spot on the major league roster, he will reconsider.

Larry Barnes has had his ups and downs playing in the minor leagues for the Angels. Injuries kept him from playing to his full potential last year, but he is a better hitter than the numbers point out. He hit .355 in the fall league and is a good defensive 1^st baseman with decent speed. He will never put up the power numbers that you normally want out of a 1^st baseman but will drive in a good share of runs.

Scott Spezio last year proved to be a valuable member of the Angels. His 17 home runs and 49 RBI’s are simply amazing considering that he only had 297 at bats last year. Of course one of the reasons that he got so few opportunities was hitting in the .220 to .230 range most of the year and Anaheim needed more offensive production from the DH spot he was at. If Spezio wins the position, the Angels will lose some versatility off their weak bench, since Scott can play the outfield, second, first and third base.

Second base looks like a lock for several years to come if Adam Kennedy has anything to do with it. Kennedy batted .266 in his rookie season last year and had 9 home runs with 72 RBI’s. He needs to be more selective in his pitches to raise his on base percentage that was only .403. Was named to the Topps rookie team.

Gary DiSarcina will not make opening day after having rotator cuff surgery last season. It looks like sometime in May at the earliest, but it could be even longer than that. Gary will never be one of the top shortstops in the league, but he is a solid performer when he is healthy. The shortstop position will probably go to Benji Gil for most of the early season. If Wilmy Caceres, who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Seth Etherton, performs well this spring we may see him as the starter this season. Most likely he will end up in Triple-A for a year.

Troy Glaus should be a fixture here for a long time, although the Angels haven’t signed him to a contract yet for this season. There is not much Troy can do about free agency, the Angels have four more years before he is eligible. It would be a good thing to lock him in a long-term deal now though, before he is arbitration eligible, which he will be next year. Troy’s league leading 47 home runs and 102 RBI’s would be a sizable bargaining chip.

Catcher

Bengie Molina is back again after a stunning rookie year. Ben hit .281 with 14 home runs and 71 RBI’s last year and gave the Angels something they haven’t had since Brian Downing, a catcher that is also an offensive threat. Molina has shown he understands that managing his pitchers is most important, and responded with a spectacular year from behind the plate. The position went from being a negative for the Angels to a positive. Bengie was named as well to the Topps all rookie team.

Next week: The Outfielders.