Anderson Makes a Strong Case

The All-Star teams will be announced today, and Garret Anderson believes his name ought to be called.

“You can’t tell me the numbers aren’t good enough,” he said.

Anderson, the Angels’ left fielder and cleanup hitter, is in his eighth season and has never made an All-Star team. He is hitting .301 with 15 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He leads the American League in doubles, leads all AL outfielders in extra-base hits and ranks second among AL outfielders in hits, RBIs, total bases and slugging percentage.

“I don’t know of too many outfielders that have better numbers across the board. I’m not disrespecting [Seattle’s] Ichiro [Suzuki], [Minnesota’s Torii] Hunter and [Boston’s Johnny] Damon, but when you look across the board, my numbers speak loud,” Anderson said.

“Mo [Vaughn] always told me, put your numbers up. That’s basically what I’ve done. In that respect, yeah, I think I should go.”

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The Angels are believed to have discussed a trade for Toronto closer Kelvim Escobar, whom they would use as a setup man for Troy Percival.

Escobar, 26, is 4-4 with a 4.70 earned-run average, 13 saves and 39 strikeouts in 36 innings. He makes $2.3 million, so the Angels could pay him half that for half the season. He is not eligible for free agency this fall.

The Blue Jays, who traded designated hitter Brad Fullmer to the Angels in a salary dump for pitcher Brian Cooper, are willing to do the same with Escobar. The Blue Jays want a pitching prospect or two in return, and the Angels have plenty to offer.

As the Angels continue their search for pitching help, they appear more inclined to add a reliever than a starter.

When a rival general manager talks trade with the Angels’ Bill Stoneman, the first question usually is, “How about John Lackey?” The Angels have no plans to trade Lackey, 23, who makes his second major league start tonight.

The Detroit Tigers are shopping ace Jeff Weaver, although the Angels might have to package Lackey with two other prospects to get him. Weaver, 25, is 6-8 with a 3.18 ERA this season, the first of a four-year, $22-million contract. In three career starts at Edison Field, his ERA is 1.17.

The Tigers have a scout in Anaheim this weekend. At this time, the Angels and Tigers are not believed to have discussed a trade for Weaver.

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Dodger Manager Jim Tracy apparently couldn’t contain himself any longer with the Dodgers back where they believe they belong, praising the organization for making all the right off-season moves.

He singled out General Manager Dan Evans for sticking with his plan to improve the club despite industry and media criticism of his decisions and methods, saying he knew Evans was pushing the right buttons and now everyone else does too.

“Some of the decisions that have been made here the last couple of years were looked at with eyes rolling,” he said. “Some moves were looked at with statements that followed to the extent of, ‘Can you believe that one!’ And that’s fine.

“But it’s obvious that our general manager had a lot of other things in mind at the times some of those deals were made. It’s obvious that there was a plan in place that was going to be followed. It’s time to seriously tip your cap to Danny Evans, with some of the things he’s done.”

Tracy points to the acquisitions of left-handers Kazuhisa Ishii and Odalis Perez, left fielder Brian Jordan and center fielder Dave Roberts as proof that Evans was on top of his game last winter while many thought the Dodgers were still rudderless.

“People were very critical of a lot of decisions that were made,” Tracy said, “and they had the right to be. But you can’t let that [affect] your decision-making. You have to hold firm in your belief that this is the direction we need to head in.”

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Dodger left-hander Omar Daal is nursing a slight left groin strain and will throw a bullpen session today to determine his fitness for Tuesday’s scheduled start against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

If Daal feels discomfort, the Dodgers could start Terry Mulholland or Guillermo Mota or possibly recall Kevin Beirne, Robert Ellis or Ricardo Rodriguez from the minor leagues.

Daal, who missed a start earlier this month because of biceps tendinitis, gave up one run and four hits in six innings Thursday in the Dodgers’ 7-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

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Dodger right-hander Darren Dreifort threw batting practice for the second time and said he felt fine after throwing 30 pitches.

“I got whacked around a little bit more today, but I felt better,” said Dreifort, who threw fastballs and changeups in his comeback from elbow reconstruction surgery.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

JOHN LACKEY

(0-1, 3.86 ERA)

vs.

DODGERS’

ODALIS PEREZ

(9-3, 2.33)

5 p.m, Edison Field

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090), KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

Update--Perez, in line for selection to the All-Star team, is 5-0 with a 2.03 earned-run average in his last six starts.

Tickets--(714) 663-9000.