Spring Training / Dodgers : Tomorrow Is Another Season for Steve Sax, a .243 Hitter Last Year

Steve Sax ripped a line drive into right field, then turned excitedly to Roy Campanella, the Hall of Famer who was sitting just outside the batting cage at Holman Stadium.

“Thanks, Roy,” Sax said, then stepped back into the box for more swings.

“What did I do?” Campanella said, chuckling.

Earlier, Campanella had quietly but forcefully offered Sax some Zen-sounding advice: “You master the bat. Don’t let it master you.”

Hey, if it works, don’t knock it, especially when the advice was directed at a player whose batting average dropped 38 points in 1984 to .243, after a .281 All-Star season in 1983.

“I don’t even want to dwell on it,” said Sax, who hit .178 in June and .208 in July before he recovered by hitting safely in 15 of his last 16 games for a .271 average in September.

“If you look back, even the great hitters had some bad years. I don’t put myself in that category, but I’m just chalking it up to experience. I’m just gung-ho for this year. I can’t wait till the season starts.”

Dodger batting coach Manny Mota sees some encouraging signs.

“He’s got his confidence back,” Mota said. “He’s swinging down on the ball, he’s going the other way. He’s waiting longer, seeing the ball better.

“He’s getting more disciplined as a hitter, learning the strike zone. If he gets on base, he can be the key to our lineup, make a lot of things happen.”

Mota would like to see Sax improve in two areas: bunt more for hits, and draw more walks by being more selective at the plate. Maury Wills is working with Sax on his bunting. “With his speed, he should get 10 to 20 hits by bunting,” Mota said. “And I’d like to see him draw 40 more walks, which would be like 40 more hits.”

The Dodgers have reached a stalemate in their efforts to sign Orel Hershiser and Dave Anderson, the only two players still unsigned. Dodger Vice President Al Campanis said that the players’ agent, Robert Fraley, had failed to call on Saturday and no contact was made Sunday.

Anderson, who last spring unseated Bill Russell as the Dodgers’ starting shortstop, admitted that the uncertainty of his contract status is affecting him.

“I’ve probably been more distracted by it than I thought I would,” said Anderson, believed to be seeking a contract in the $100,000-$150,000 range. “But that’s part of baseball. There’s nothing I can do about it. The situation I’m in (a second-year player), I can’t go to arbitration, so I’m stuck with what they give me.

“You just try to get what you can, make them think you’re worth that much. But it’s one part of baseball I don’t enjoy. One day they tell you how bad you are, the next day they sign you.”

Dodger Notes

Pitcher Steve Howe threw for 10 minutes, with Manager Tom Lasorda watching. “When I saw him throw that one fastball I was thrilled,” Lasorda said. “I had to go over and tell him, ‘Hey, take it easy. I don’t want you to rush it. Take it easy.’ ” Howe is recovering from surgery on his left elbow. . . . Lasorda also threw some batting practice to Pedro Guerrero. “I’m very happy with Pete,” Lasorda said. “His weight (he weighed in at 203, 15 pounds fewer than he reported at last spring), is good, and his attitude is super.” . . . Pitcher Tom Niedenfuer is working on a new pitch--a split-fingered fastball, like the one Roger Craig taught Detroit Tiger pitchers last season. “He’s experimenting with it,” said pitching coach Ron Perranoski. “He’s got good action on it. I think he could use it.” . . . The first of two intrasquad games is scheduled for Tuesday. Slated to work two innings each are Fernando Valenzuela, Jerry Reuss and Tom Brennan for one squad; and Larry White, Greg Mayberry and Dave Eichhorn for the other.