Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim @ MindSay

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero was given Monday off after three cousins died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic.

Three males, all first cousins, were killed in the Sunday crash, said Tim Mead, vice president of communications for the Angels. The deceased -- Fernando Guerrero, 26; Salvador Carmona, 25; and Henry Guerrero, 23 -- were all buried Monday in the Dominican Republic. Few other details about the wreck were available.

The 2004 AL MVP was given the day off "to spend his time getting in contact with family members. [General manager] Bill Stoneman and [manager] Mike Scioscia felt it was best for Vladimir to have some time to tend to whatever he needs to tend to," Mead said.

Mead said he expected Guerrero, who was planning on leaving the team later this week to join the Dominican Republic team in preparation for the World Baseball Classic, to be back in camp on Tuesday.

"Anytime something like this happens everybody feels it," Scioscia said. "It's a tough time for Vladdy. He's excited about playing baseball and excited about a lot of things, but unfortunately this happened and, obviously, there are other priorities."

City officials plan to ask a judge to order the Angels to drop Los Angeles from their name despite last week's jury ruling that the team did not breach a contract by calling itself the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, an attorney said Monday.

The Superior Court jury also ruled Thursday that the baseball team did not violate a state law requiring good faith and fair dealing when it changed its name from the Anaheim Angels before last season.

Attorney Michael Rubin said Monday the city's lawyers would make the request at a March 2 hearing before Superior Court Judge Peter Poulos.

Rubin said city officials believe they have a good chance of prevailing based on Poulos' previous rulings concerning language in a stadium lease agreement signed by officials with The Walt Disney Co. when it owned the team. The lease required that the word Anaheim be included in the name.

Team spokesman Tim Mead was traveling to spring training in Tempe, Ariz., on Monday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

Arte Moreno, who bought the team in 2003, said he changed the name from Anaheim Angels to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to take advantage of marketing opportunities associated with the larger Los Angeles market.

Rubin said City Council members would be briefed Tuesday on the next steps in the city's litigation.

The Angels began play in 1961 as the Los Angeles Angels, becoming the California Angels when the team moved from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966. The name was changed to the Anaheim Angels after The Walt Disney Co. bought the team from founding owner Gene Autry.