Angels’ Kreuter Finally Makes Himself Heard

ANAHEIM — The silent half has been heard from now.

Chad Kreuter, the quiet part of the Angels’ May 18 trade with the Chicago White Sox, had a double and a triple, scoring one run and driving in another Sunday in a 7-6 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

When the Angels acquired Tony Phillips’ bat and babble, asking him to leadoff and lead, they also received Kreuter, a veteran catcher who missed the last half of the 1996 season when his shoulder was shattered in a collision at home plate.

Both have been essential to the Angels staying close in the American League West. But Kreuter doesn’t make a lot of noise about it.

“I got here and [Manager] Terry Collins said I wasn’t going to be the everyday guy, but I was going to get lots of playing time,” Kreuter said. “He’s been true to his word.”

Kreuter is hitting .279 in 17 games since the trade and .391 in his last six games. His two hits Sunday fueled Angel rallies.

In the fourth, Kreuter lined a pitch down the right field line, where Jose Canseco waited . . . and waited for the ball to roll to him. By the time it did, Kreuter was on third. He scored on Orlando Palmeiro’s double to tie the score, 2-2.

Kreuter also doubled off the left-field fence--missing a home run by inches--in the fifth to drive in Tim Salmon for a 5-4 lead.

On July 9 last season, Kreuter had just caught a throw at the plate when Kansas City’s Johnny Damon slammed into him.

About $40,000 worth of plates and screws were used to reconstruct his left shoulder. He still carries seven screws and two plates. But he never doubted he would return. “They told me I might never get the full range of motion back,” Kreuter said. “I had it back in a month and a half. I knew then I would be back.”