Angels : Ray Gets Extended Contract; Ryal and Fimple on Waivers

PALM SPRINGS —  First, the news from the Angels’ training camp Monday:

--Johnny Ray, seeking a contract extension as compensation for the inconvenience of moving to left field, agreed to terms for the 1989 season, at the club’s option.

According to agent Tom Selakovich, the contract calls for a salary of $850,000, plus $50,000 if Ray appears in 130 games, $50,000 more for appearing in 150 games and $50,000 more for making the All-Star team.

The hitch, for Ray, is that the agreement carries a $40,000 buy-out clause.

--Greg Minton, struggling in his attempt to rehabilitate a frayed ligament in his pitching arm, was put on the 15-day disabled list, meaning that he will be sidelined until at least mid-April and probably longer.

--Outfielder Mark Ryal and catcher Jack Fimple were put on waivers.

--Utility man Darrell Miller and outfielder Dante Bichette were reassigned to the Angels’ minor league camp in Mesa, Ariz.

Now, some reaction.

Ray, who received the best news of the day, responded with a shrug and said: “It’s all right, I suppose.”

Ryal, cut loose at age 27 after leading the Angels in pinch-hits last season, said he is happy. “Maybe this means new life,” he said.

Only Miller, 29, behaved predictably, countering his demotion to triple-A Edmonton with a request to be traded.

“These guys need me worse than they know, but for some unknown reason, they haven’t given me a chance,” Miller said of the Angels. “To them, I’m an insurance policy, but I think I’m a little bit better than that.

“I know I can play in the big leagues. I can’t get that out of my mind. I need to go somewhere else and prove it to myself.”

After splitting time between Edmonton and the Angels from 1984 through 1986, Miller spent all of 1987 in the major leagues. He was used sparingly as a reserve catcher and outfielder, batting .241 with 4 home runs and 16 runs batted in for 108 at-bats.

This spring, however, Miller got just 15 at-bats, with Bob Boone and Butch Wynegar sharing most of the catching.

“Usually, I come in here border line and then I put up some numbers and I put pressure on somebody,” Miller said. “I batted .400 the last two springs, but I didn’t get any at-bats this year.

“But they’ve got a couple of guys (Boone and Wynegar) that they’re giving some bank to, so they figured they had to play them.

“I think I can play. Compare my stats to any other catcher. Put 400 at-bats up there for me and look at my numbers. I’d have some nasty numbers.”

That is, if one considers 16 home runs and 64 RBIs nasty.

“Don’t hold me back any more,” Miller said. “Let me play. Send me to Cleveland. I don’t know. Send me somewhere.”

Instead, Miller is returning to Edmonton. “The usual junk,” as he puts it. “Jack of all trades and master of none.”

In Ray’s case, however, versatility--or at least the attempt at it--paid off Monday. He was looking for an extra year on his contract and he got it, although not guaranteed.

And the buy-out figure is very low, meaning that if the Angels aren’t satisfied with the left-field experiment of ‘88, they can let Ray go for a $40,000 stipend.

Maybe that’s why Ray was less than ecstatic about the compromise.

“It’s all right, put it that way,” Ray said. “I don’t know about it giving me peace of mind.

” . . . I’m not thinking about an option year right now. Right now, I have to play baseball and play left field. I’m not going to jump for joy. I’m still learning and I’m still shaky out there.

“Everybody tells me that the major league parks are much better (than Angels Stadium in Palm Springs) so I’m looking forward to that. That’s what spring training’s for. You get all this stuff ironed out and you get after it.”

Only Ryal could claim peace of mind by the end of the afternoon. He said he had already talked with two other teams Monday and that “I have a couple strong possibilities.”

Last year, in his rookie season with the Angels, Ryal batted .200 overall but .323 as a pinch-hitter--10 for 31 with 8 RBIs. He also spent 16 games in Edmonton in August, where he batted .429.

“The last time this happened, I hit .340 (in Edmonton in 1986), and it got me to the big leagues,” Ryal said of his release. “I have nothing to prove in Edmonton. I hit .340 there. They sent me down again and I hit .429.

“I’m too good to play in triple A and not good enough to play here. What am I supposed to do?”

A limited fielder, Ryal was used mainly as a left-handed designated hitter and pinch-hitter last season, but the arrival of Bill Buckner prompted his brief demotion to Edmonton--and, ultimately, his release Monday.

“We didn’t see how he fit into our ballclub,” Angel Manager Cookie Rojas said. “We have (Tony) Armas and (George) Hendrick in the outfield (as reserves) and we have a lot of guys in triple A. This gives him a better chance to catch on with someone now.”

And for that, Ryal said he was grateful.

“I’m glad they didn’t take me to the Freeway Series and let me go on the last day,” he said. “At least now, I’ve got a chance to do something before the start of the season.”

Angel Notes

Dan Petry went to the mound for the fourth time this spring during the Angels’ 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres and came away with his first semi-respectable results. Petry pitched 5 innings, surrendered 7 hits and 3 earned runs, walking 1 and striking out 2. That lowered his spring earned-run average from 15.26 to 11.37. “He was much more consistent this time,” Angel pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said. “He pitched out of a couple of tough situations, and if you take away a couple of bloop hits, he would’ve had an easier time of it.” Said Petry: “I’m just glad to finally have a good outing. You don’t want to go into the season having bad outing after bad outing. Maybe with one more this weekend, I’ll be ready.” . . . Petry out-pitched San Diego’s Andy Hawkins, whom the Padres are showcasing around the Cactus League, hoping to find a taker. The Angels sorely need starting pitching, but by allowing 6 hits and 4 runs in 5 innings Monday, Hawkins lowered his spring ERA to 6.49. That’s better than Chuck Finley’s 7.71 and Jack Lazorko’s 6.62, but not quite up to snuff with Willie Fraser’s 6.05 or Kirk McCaskill’s 5.04.

The Angels severed ties with catcher Jack Fimple because, as Manager Cookie Rojas said: “It’s time to go with the kids. We have Edwin Marquez in triple-A and he’s hitting the ball good, getting stronger, doing a helluva job. We want him to catch as much as he can. If we send Fimple to triple A, he’s going to catch only a handful of games.” The Angels are also pleased with the progress being made by other catching prospects John Orton and Erik Pappas. . . . Greg Minton’s comeback has hit a snag with the curveball, which is why the Angels opted to place him on the disabled list. “The fastball is close to 100% without pain, but the curveball is not even close,” Angel team therapist Roger Williams said. “We know he’s not suddenly going to be pain free one day. This is a step-by-step process. He’s still a ways away.”