Jeff DaVanon calmly stepped to the plate in the top of the eighth inning, unaware he was about to become the first player in 34 years to have three multi-homer games in a row. His team was sitting comfortably on an 8-1 lead and enjoying their visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a three-game series with the Montreal Expos. Montreal pitcher Joey Eischen gripped the ball tightly and hurled it toward home plate. With one swing of the bat, DaVanon boosted his team’s lead to nine runs and etched his name in baseball history.
As DaVanon rounded the bases, he thought back to two months prior when he was left off of the opening day roster of the Anaheim Angels. The California club had acquired Eric Owens in the offseason and it looked like DaVanon was destined for another year with the Triple-A Salt Lake Stingers. But when an early-season injury continued to plague Darin Erstad and he was sent to the disabled list, it freed up a spot for DaVanon giving him the opportunity he was looking for. An opportunity he would not waste.
Since that day in mid-April, DaVanon has batted an amazing .345 with nine home runs. But with Erstad back on the roster and other injured members of last year’s World Series champs returning in the near future, the Angels have a tough call to make on who to keep and who to send elsewhere. Either way, DaVanon figures to be in the mix of things when decision time comes.
“We are going to have some tough decisions to make,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the Orange County Register. “We’re absolutely going to go with the best possible roster.”
Jeff DaVanon is caught in the middle of baseball politics. His team maintains an outfield of five players, four of whom have contracts near seven figures. In an outfield filled with all-stars, if the Angels drop an outfielder who will it be – DaVanon or Owens?
“We are going to make the best decision for the organization,” Director of Player Development Tony Reagins said. “He [DaVanon] has been playing real well as of late.”
Since teams don’t send players with million-dollar contracts down to the minors, DaVanon, whose salary information the Angels wouldn’t release, could end up back in Salt Lake City even though his numbers this year are much better than Owens’.
Owens, a career .261 hitter, is batting just .217 this season with 10 RBIs and no home runs. Those numbers fail in comparison to DaVanon’s career-high marks.
Not only are DaVanon’s stats better, but he has also managed to chalk up his nine homers and 21 RBIs in 11 fewer appearances than Owens. Unfortunately for DaVanon, money and major-league experience are other factors that figure into this equation.
“I think he [Owens] has been struggling a little bit,” Salt Lake Stingers outfielder/first baseman Robb Quinlan said. “But I think he had a real good year last year. He’s been at the major league level for a little while and he’s just had some success up there.
“You can’t say that it was a bad move to take him because he’s a good player. He’s had some big games for them [Anaheim] and he’s coming around. Obviously they aren’t going to send him down, but I think we all have got to be ready here in case something happens.”
The situation isn’t one that has affected just DaVanon. Both Quinlan and teammate Chone Figgins have spent some time this season in the Angels’ outfield. Quinlan was there in March for spring training and Figgins spent a two-week stint with the club in May.
“There isn’t a whole lot you can do,” Quinlan said. “They have got a couple all-stars out there. Its just a situation where there are a lot of good outfielders at the Triple-A and major league levels, and its one of those things where you are just going to have to put in your time.”
In the meantime, the duo of Figgins and Quinlan are putting in their time at multiple positions and hoping for their shot to contribute to the Angels. And even though the decision that the world champions face is a difficult one, it is a decision that most major-league teams would be envious of.
“I think any organization would be happy to have that problem and that’s the good part about it,” Figgins said. “When we get our shot, just make the best of it. And until our job opens, there ain’t really much we can do about it but keep playing hard and try to win here.”
In the end, Anaheim may decide that having an extra outfielder is a better option than keeping another pitcher. In which case DaVanon would keep his slot on the roster.
“It just depends on their schedule,” Salt Lake Stingers manager Mike Brumley said. “If they’ve got a real heavy pitching schedule, maybe the days off they will figure out what they need strength wise. DeVo [DaVanon] has done a great job up there and I don’t expect him to come back at all. We are happy and proud with the job he’s done.”
Regardless of the outcome, it appears Jeff DaVanon has won the respect of his teammates, coaches and even those he replaced for a spell.
“I am so happy for him,” said Angels’ centerfielder Darin Erstad. “The last four years now, he’s come up and not really gotten a chance to play every day. He’d play a couple of games, but then he’d sit and then he wouldn’t really get in a groove. Now he is getting a chance to play every day and show everybody what a great ballplayer he is.”
And while Erstad won’t be the one making the decision, he feels good about DaVanon and his contribution to the defending champions.
“He’s making our team a lot stronger,” Erstad said. “I am just glad I don’t have to make the decision of what we are going to do. A guy playing like that, he’s not going anywhere, he’s going to be in the big leagues where he belongs.”
PLAYER
2003 SALARY
Tim Salmon
$9,900,000
Darin Erstad
$7,250,000
Garrett Anderson
$5,350,000
Eric Owens
$925,000
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