Guerrero Tells Dodgers He Would Be More Productive in the Outfield

It was over lunch here the week before Christmas that Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda presented Pedro Guerrero with a gift Guerrero hopes to exchange.

“I told Pete that if we don’t make a deal for a third baseman, I wanted him to play it,” Lasorda said. “He responded by saying that he would much prefer the outfield, but that he’d do anything to help the club.

“His attitude made me happy and proud.”

Guerrero says his hitting suffers when he plays third base because he can’t relax as he does when playing the outfield.

“I’ll play with emotion and to the best of my ability no matter where I’m asked to play,” Guerrero said, diplomatically. Then he turned it over to attorney Tony Attanasio, who was visiting from San Diego.

“Pete feels he can put his mind to it and do an adequate job at third, but he isn’t comfortable there and isn’t happy about it,” Attanasio said.

“I’m sure he’ll still do everything in his power to convince Tommy that he doesn’t want to play there.

“He’s simply more relaxed and consequently more confident in his hitting when he’s playing the outfield.

“Last year he was subjected to unmerciful criticism (because of reduced production). There was one night that he hit a foul ball into the seats and a guy threw it back at him. Pete was the last player to leave the clubhouse that night. He stayed in there for three hours and he spent most of that time sitting at his locker, crying.

“He figures that if he hits below his average playing third, he’s hurting the club rather than helping it.”

Guerrero played 76 games at third base last year, making 16 errors in 193 chances, which left him 12th among the 13 third basemen who handled 190 or more chances. He had hit 32 home runs in each of the two previous seasons, driving in 100 and 103 runs respectively, but he hit only 16 home runs and drove in 72 runs last year.

Twenty-four of the RBIs came in September when Guerrero batted .398, enabling him to end the year at a respectable .303. He was overweight when the season started and also carried the burden of a new five-year, $7-million contract. At one point, he frustratingly said he was sorry he signed the contract. He batted .179 the first month, hit only three homers in the first 60 games and did not collect his 10th homer and 39th RBI until Aug. 18. He ended the season by asking Dodger Vice President Al Campanis if he could play center field in 1985.

Now, still rejected in trade bids for a third baseman, the Dodgers are leaning to an outfield of Mike Marshall, Ken Landreaux and R.J. Reynolds, who is rebuilding his status with a strong effort in the Dominican Winter League.

“We obviously need Pete’s bat,” Lasorda said. “We want him to be comfortable. We want him to want to play third base. He has the ability to do it. He played it well enough to help us win a pennant in 1983. He hit 32 homers that year. It didn’t affect his hitting then, but I think he allowed it to last year. He got off to the bad start and felt the effects of it in every way.”

Attanasio agreed that Guerrero was out of shape at the start. He said Guerrero had been deprived of workout time because of problems with his new house here. He said it would not happen again and implied that Guerrero was tired of shouldering the blame for the Dodgers’ fourth-place finish in the National League West.

“There have been a lot of fingers pointed at Pete,” Attanasio said, “and to some measure that’s justifiable. He’s the leader, the power hitter, the highest-salaried player. He’s ready to accept blame, but not in totality.

“Pete definitely did not have a Guerrero year from a power standpoint, but he did lead the team in average, RBIs, doubles, total bases and hits.

“I venture to say that 25 other teams would dance the hora in downtown Cairo if they had a player deliver the statistics Pete did last year.

“The thing to remember is that a lot of the time he was either being pitched around or had no one on base ahead of him.”

Guerrero reported to Vero Beach about a week after the rest of the team. The collective bargaining agreement reads that a player is late only when he fails to report by March 1, which is when Guerrero reported.

Said Attanasio: “Pete is a big enough man to hold the criticism and come back from it. He’s determined to do that, but it would be easier for him at a natural position.”