Schoeneweis Has Unenviable Union Duty

If a strike is on today, Angel management will lock the doors to Edison Field, with players on their own for workouts. Outfielder Darin Erstad, the team leader, said players would not jeopardize their pennant chances by deciding a strike would be synonymous with a vacation.

“We won’t be sitting around doing nothing,” Erstad said.

The players plan to organize informal workouts.

“The reason we’re playing as well as we are right now is because we’re intelligent,” pitcher Jarrod Washburn said. “We’re not the most talented team, but we’re smart enough to know we have a responsibility to stay in shape and be ready to play.”

The Angels have a large contingent of players living year-round in Southern California, but infielder Scott Spiezio lives in Illinois. If a strike does not end quickly, he’s not sure how many teammates will stick around.

“Nobody’s going to leave for three days or so,” Spiezio said. “Everybody will be here. After that, everybody might be gone.”

ON DECK

Opponent--Baltimore Orioles, three games.

Site--Edison Field.

Tonight--7.

TV--Channel 9 Friday, Fox Sports Net Saturday.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Records--Angels 79-54, Orioles 63-69.

Record vs. Orioles--1-2.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

MICKEY CALLAWAY

(0-0, 3.00 ERA)

vs.

ORIOLES’

JASON JOHNSON

(4-10, 4.32 ERA)

Update--An X-ray revealed no break, just a bruise, after reliever Ben Weber took a hard-hit ground ball off his left shin in Wednesday’s game. Infielder Jose Nieves, who spent most of the season with the Angels, is out for the year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament, an injury suffered playing at triple-A Salt Lake. Robb Quinlan, 25, an outfielder at Salt Lake, was selected most valuable player of the Pacific Coast League. Quinlan is hitting .336 with 20 home runs, 13 triples and 111 runs batted in.

Saturday, 7 p.m.--Ramon Ortiz (10-9, 4.16) vs. Scott Erickson (5-11, 5.25).

Sunday, 5 p.m.--John Lackey (6-3, 3.23) vs. Rodrigo Lopez (14-6, 3.31)