Tavares Not Angry at Phillips

President Tony Tavares said he did not take offense to comments by second baseman Tony Phillips that implied Walt Disney Co. executives did not care about Phillips’ personal welfare in the wake of his Aug. 10 arrest on felony possession of cocaine charges.

Phillips also said he did not want to be used as a “pawn” or a “whipping boy” by Disney and the Major League Baseball Players Assn. in their feud over whether baseball’s drug policy needs to be reformed.

“I’m not angry at Tony,” Tavares said. “Under these circumstances, there are going to be high emotions and a difference of opinions.”

Though Phillips was cleared by doctors to play under an agreement to undergo random drug testing and outpatient counseling, the Angels suspended Phillips when he refused to enter a drug-treatment center.

The suspension was overturned by an arbitrator and Phillips returned to the team last Thursday, but not without Disney and union officials exchanging rhetoric over which took a stronger moral stance against drug use. Phillips wants the bickering to end.

“I put myself in this situation,” Phillips said Wednesday. “I’m taking a beating on it, but I caused it myself. It’s not the union’s or Disney’s situation. It’s mine.”

Phillips told two reporters Tuesday that while General Manager Bill Bavasi and assistant GM Tim Mead offered support after his arrest, Tavares and Disney Chairman Michael Eisner “haven’t taken a personal interest in Tony Phillips.”

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Manager Terry Collins said pitcher Allen Watson’s fastball Wednesday night was “about as good as I’ve seen in a while,” but the Angel left-hander didn’t fool anyone in the fourth inning.

Perhaps that’s because the Indians may have known what was coming.

“I think they were picking up some of his pitches,” Collins said, “not because they were stealing signs but because of Allen’s delivery.”

Watson did not yield a hit in the first three innings but gave up eight runs and eight hits in the fourth. After the game, Watson reviewed a videotape of the game with pitching coach Marcel Lachemann.

“One of our guys said he heard the Indians talking about it on the bases,” Collins said.

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Second baseman Randy Velarde, expected to sit out the season because of elbow surgery, will be activated when rosters are expanded Monday, but he will be used only as a pinch-runner. . . . Reliever Rich DeLucia, who had an aneurysm removed from his shoulder in July, will throw a simulated game Monday and could be activated next week.

ON DECK

* Opponent--San Diego Padres, two games.

* Site--Qualcomm Park, San Diego.

* Today--2 p.m.

* TV--Channel 9 today, Friday night.

* Radio--KTZN (710).

* Records--Angels 72-61, Padres 62-72.

* Record vs. Padres--1-1.

TODAY’S GAME

ANGELS’ JASON DICKSON (13-5, 3.72 ERA) vs. PADRES’ PAUL MENHART

(0-2, 5.40 ERA)

* Update--The Angels close out their interleague schedule with three two-game series, at San Diego, at San Francisco and at home against Colorado.

* Friday, 7 p.m.--Ken Hill (6-11, 5.56) vs. Pete Smith (5-4, 4.78).