This Team Will Be Tested in Unique Way

With the Angels, you don’t just wait for the next shoe to drop. You keep expecting a delivery guy to pull up with a truckload of Nikes.

After wincing along with Troy Glaus when he jammed his fingers sliding into second base Monday night, the organization clenched its teeth and cast its eyes downward Tuesday following the news that Anaheim police are investigating pitcher Jarrod Washburn for an allegation of sexual assault on an unidentified female.

Injuries are a part of any pennant race. But sexual assault allegations?

On the one hand, the Washburn situation goes beyond anything as simple as an X-ray. On the other, it’s only an allegation; no charges have been filed against him.

In a best-case scenario things work out the same way they did for Clipper center Michael Olowokandi, who was arrested on suspicion of cohabitant abuse, false imprisonment and robbery following allegations by an ex-girlfriend in December. The accuser recanted her story, the district attorney declined to press charges and Olowokandi started playing the best ball of his career.

In the worst-case scenario we’re talking about a crime victim, the betrayal of Washburn’s wife and child, and a jail sentence that causes him to miss seasons, not just a start or two.

In the meantime the Angels are in limbo.

Will Washburn--the club’s best starter with a 17-5 record and 3.32 earned-run average--be available for the duration of the stretch run? If he can pitch, what will his state of mind be if he’s the subject of a lengthy investigation and/or criminal charges?

Manager Mike Scioscia said he still plans to use Washburn in his spot in the rotation Friday, or he might move him up to pitch the final game of the Angels’ four-game series against the Oakland A’s Thursday on three days’ rest. (Although Tuesday could hardly be considered a day of rest for Washburn.)

Washburn left the ballpark to avoid the media swarm. The Angels’ clubhouse was without one of its happiest faces. Those who were around talked about getting back to business.

“This is one more test,” General Manager Bill Stoneman said. “They’ll move forward, continue to play hard baseball, solid baseball and win their share of games--with the focus on each game, just like they’ve been doing.”

Then they went out and beat the hot-hot-hot A’s, 5-2.

We’ll see if this group is more resilient than the 1997 Angels, who went to pieces after Tony Phillips was arrested on felony cocaine possession charges. They lost eight of their first 11 games following his Aug. 10 arrest and lost 21 of 30. It didn’t help that pitcher Chuck Finley and catcher Todd Greene broke their wrists. The Angels went from first place to another season of watching the Seattle Mariners celebrate at their expense in the Kingdome, then watching the playoffs from home.

You get the sense that this group won’t be derailed so easily. They’ve fought through the injuries. Despite the unsettled labor situation (Oakland’s Eric Chavez said over the weekend that the potential strike even made it hard for the A’s to appreciate the first 15 games of their 20-game winning streak), the Angels maintained their professional demeanor and played winning baseball even though all their efforts could have all been wiped out.

“We know what needs to be done on the field,” Scioscia said. “I think our club will be able to maintain its focus.”

Meanwhile, you wonder how badly Glaus injured his fingers. He sprained the middle and ring fingers on his left hand. The Angels have gone most of the season without him swinging the big bat. Just when they appeared to have it back, with Glaus’ two-homer game in Baltimore, they lost it.

The Angels say he’s day-to-day, but that’s what they said about Tim Salmon after he was hit in the hand by a pitch in July, and he was out for 18 games.

Somehow this team leads the wild-card race despite going three weeks without Salmon, two weeks without closer Troy Percival and the last two weeks without starter Aaron Sele.

Injuries are pretty routine, even if the Angels have always found creative ways to get hurt (like stumbling into the dugout or falling behind home plate).

Sexual assault allegations are entirely different.

It’s something to take very seriously; one step shy of the worst offense an athlete or anyone else can commit. On the other hand, I’m always leery of allegations made against athletes or other public figures. Fame and fortune have a way of altering tales of the truth. I always take the standard presumption of innocence.

And when it comes to this Angel team’s ability to overcome obstacles, they’ve already earned the benefit of the doubt.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at [email protected].