DiSarcina Breaks Small Bone in Forearm

TEMPE, Ariz. — Add another tune to the broken record known as the Angels’ Worst Hits: shortstop Gary DiSarcina, team most valuable player in 1998, could miss all of spring training after breaking a bone in his left forearm Sunday, the latest in a litany of freak accidents for these maestros of misfortune.

DiSarcina, coming out of the cage after his first seven batting-practice cuts of the spring, walked right into the swing of first base Coach George Hendrick, who was hitting fungoes to infielders.

The impact of bat on arm sent DiSarcina crashing to the ground and cracked a small bone in the forearm. DiSarcina is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks, an absence that will jeopardize his chances of playing opening day.

“I just worked my [tail] off for four months, and this was the most excited I’ve been about a team and spring training in my whole career,” said DiSarcina, whose forearm was placed in a splint, his arm in a sling. “I feel I just flushed it down the toilet in two minutes.”

The Angels’ first full-squad workout isn’t until Tuesday, but DiSarcina reported early to get a head start. He had barely broken a sweat in his first practice by the time he broke his arm.

“People are going to read this and say, “You’ve got to be kidding me--already?’ ” Angel pitcher Chuck Finley said. “The fourth day of spring training, and our starting shortstop gets popped.”

The accident cast a noticeable pall over the clubhouse, the usual frivolity and optimism of spring training replaced by a sudden seriousness.

“It ruined my damn day is what it did,” said outfielder Darin Erstad, whose trance-like stare into his locker was broken by a reporter’s question. “You see that happen and it kind of changes the mood of the team in a hurry. This is as freaky as it gets.”

But is it? These are the Angels, remember, the team that lost Finley in the spring of 1997 when a bat flew out of reliever Mike James’ hands and hit Finley in the face, breaking an orbital bone.

That August, with the Angels leading their division, Finley slipped and fell backing up home plate and broke his wrist. The next night, catcher Todd Greene broke his wrist. Both were lost for the season, and the Angels faded.

Then last season, Angel pennant hopes were dashed by injuries to pitchers Ken Hill and Jack McDowell, James, Greene and Erstad, and Finley was drilled in the arm by a line drive as he sat in the Angel dugout.

“I guess I passed the baton to DiSar,” Finley said. “It’s always somebody around here. . . . but it’s not unbelievable. I don’t find it hard to believe.”

Said DiSarcina, alluding to the long-held belief that this franchise is cursed: “It’s an Indian burial ground out there.”

Though doctors at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital told DiSarcina the bone will take six weeks to heal, DiSarcina, who will be examined today by Lewis Yocum, team physician, is confident he’ll resume working out earlier.

Still, he’ll need two to three weeks to prepare after the bone heals, so it’s likely the Angels will open with another shortstop. General Manager Bill Bavasi said “anybody who can play shortstop” will be considered, but the most likely candidates are Andy Stankiewicz, Luis Rivera, Craig Shipley and Jeff Huson.

The Angels can’t afford to lose DiSarcina for long. Many felt the 1995 collapse, when the Angels had an 11-game lead on Aug. 3 and blew it, was triggered by a torn ligament in DiSarcina’s thumb, which sidelined him for six weeks in August to September.

“He’s a valuable part of our team,” right fielder Tim Salmon said. “You hate to see a guy like that go down when you don’t really have anyone to back him up.”

DiSarcina, who hit .287 with a career-high in hits (158), doubles (39) and RBIs (56) in 157 games last season, doesn’t envision a long layoff.

“I was crushed for a little bit after this happened,” DiSarcina said, “but then I came back to earth and realized this was just another bump in the road.”