Edmonds and Angels Have Run Into a Wall

Although there aren’t many perfect marriages in baseball, it appeared as if Jim Edmonds and the Angels could become one. He’s a fan favorite, a hometown kid from Diamond Bar who came up through the Angel organization, hits for average and power and fields even better.

But you know how those perfect marriages are. Everything looks wonderful from the outside, then you’re shocked one day to hear that divorce papers have been filed.

The difference is that there is nothing particularly shocking about the inevitable split between Edmonds and the Angels. We’ve seen it coming.

Some Angel players have grumbled that Edmonds, except for when he’s running into walls to chase down fly balls, isn’t intense enough, and management has grumbled that he’s injury-prone, which would be true of any center fielder who runs into walls to chase down fly balls.

Edmonds has grumbled because his name surfaces so often in trade rumors.

Soon, perhaps by the start of the season and almost certainly before the trading deadline next summer, one of those rumors will prove true.

Edmonds will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Angels haven’t talked to him about extending his contract. He hasn’t given any indication he would sign if they did.

If the Angels don’t trade him, they will lose him and receive nothing more than a couple of draft choices in return. The Angels have no choice but to trade him for the same reason that Seattle had no choice but to trade Ken Griffey Jr., who also would have been a free agent after this season.

When you consider that, the last unfounded rumor--the one sending Edmonds to Seattle and bringing pitchers Brett Tomko and Dennys Reyes from Cincinnati--would have been a good deal for the Angels.

Edmonds’ fans will argue that he has more value than that. But when you consider how little Seattle got for Griffey, well . . . Edmonds is good, but he’s no Griffey.

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All the news that’s fit to print. An observation from Sunday’s New York Times: “Chuck Finley, who has squandered his prime years in Anaheim. . . . “

Adrian Beltre continues to mature despite losing a year in age since the end of last season. He was named MVP of the Dominican Winter League finals. . . .

Carlos Perez, who, unfortunately, has already matured as much as he’s going to, had an 0.00 ERA in three playoff appearances for Licey. The Dodgers reported his fastball was in the high 80s and low 90s. . . .

Maurice Taylor, who has squandered his first three NBA seasons with the L.A. Clippers. . . .

Those rumors about Magic Johnson moving into the Clipper front office are back. He’s not discouraging them, but he’s not encouraging them, either. There’s no reason to believe he would have any more success than Elgin Baylor has had as long as Donald Sterling is guarding the bank. . . .

Tiger Woods has some outstanding guest stars this week at Riviera: Justin Leonard, Ernie Els, David Duval, Fred Couples, Mark O’Meara. . . .

The U.S. Golf Assn., awarded the 2005 U.S. Open to Pinehurst, N.C., over Riviera. . . .

Now will Riviera’s owners sell? . . .

According to the overnight ratings, the most-watched sports program last week was neither the NBA All-Star game nor the Tiger Show. . . .

It was the women’s long program from the U.S. figure skating championships Saturday night in Cleveland. . . .

Sasha Cohen, the 15-year-old from Laguna Niguel who almost upset Michelle Kwan? Her mother, Galina, was a ballerina in Ukraine before emigrating to the United States. . . .

Sasha’s grandfather once performed a gymnastics routine for Stalin. . . .

Kwan hasn’t looked as sharp since enrolling at UCLA. . . .

Somewhere, someone is trying to find a way to blame that on Steve Lavin. . . .

For the record, I don’t believe UCLA should fire Lavin. He hasn’t gotten as much from this team as other coaches--Henry Bibby, for example--might have. But the Bruins would have been better if not for JaRon Rush’s suspension. . . .

Morocco and Ethiopia have great middle- and long-distance runners, but they’re still not as deep as the Kenyans. . . .

Bernard Lagat, who has entered the mile in the L.A. Invitational on Saturday night at the Sports Arena, was the fourth-ranked 1,500-meter runner in the world last year and the third-ranked Kenyan. . . .

Dubai or not Dubai? Fortunately for the March 4 Santa Anita Handicap, many of the best older horses, such as Budroyale, Cat Thief and General Challenge, are staying at home this winter instead of traveling to the Emirates.

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It’s apparent now that Dave D’Alessandro’s criticism of the International Olympic Committee during last year’s scandal was all sound and fury signifying nothing.

The president of John Hancock Financial Services signed his John Hancock to a new sponsorship agreement with the IOC on Monday that runs through 2004. It just goes to show that when principle meets economic opportunity, principle usually finishes with the silver medal.

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Randy Harvey can be reached at his e-mail address: randy.harvey@latimes.com