National League : Dodgers Give Second Dimension to Routine of ‘Who’s on First?’

After running through more than 100 lineups last season, Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda was determined to use a set lineup in 1985. Through eight games, Lasorda had used six lineups, or one more lineup than he had players on the disabled list.

The real fun should begin, however, when some of the wounded return. Sid Bream, for instance, has taken Greg Brock’s place at first base. Will Brock, who played for the first time this season Friday night after his sore right elbow improved, automatically get his position back from Bream, who isn’t hitting for average but has shown unexpected power with two home runs?

If so, what becomes of Bream? He’s too young to be wasted on the bench, and too experienced to learn anything more at Albuquerque. Besides, Franklin Stubbs is playing first base for the Dukes and hit three homers in the first week.

Equally intriguing is what will become of Mariano Duncan, once Steve Sax recovers from his leg injury. Duncan, with only double-A experience, has been the Dodgers’ most exciting player the first two weeks of the season, on his speed alone. Sax had an outstanding spring, but can the Dodgers afford to send out Duncan for more seasoning, especially if he may not need it? Sax, you may recall, also made the jump directly from double-A to the majors.

The Dodgers’ intentions will become known in the next couple of weeks, but here are a couple of alternatives they may or may not be considering:

--Move either Bream or Brock to left field, especially if Al Oliver’s defense becomes a major concern.

Granted, neither Brock nor Bream would win a Gold Glove in the outfield, either. But both say they’ve played there, Bream at Liberty Baptist College, Brock in the low minors, and neither is categorically opposed to the idea.

“I’m not the fastest thing in the world but I could do an adequate job,” Bream said. “I’ve got a pretty good throwing arm. It would just be a matter of taking a few balls out there.”

--Keep Duncan at second base and make Sax an outfielder, a potential challenger to Ken Landreaux in center.

Now we’re treading on highly speculative territory, especially since Sax, a one-time outfielder in the minors, is opposed to the idea. “I’m not playing no outfield,” Sax said.

The argument, too, is that Sax doesn’t give the Dodgers enough power in that position--he had one home run to Landreaux’s 11 last season. But Sax actually had more extra-base hits than Landreaux, 29 to 27, last season.

In any event, don’t hold your breath on this one. More indicative of what the Dodgers’ thinking may be was last Sunday’s game, in which Sax played one inning at second base, with Duncan shifted to shortstop.

Bigger things: Ed Gottlieb, the agent who negotiated shortstop Ozzie Smith’s new $8.7-million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals: “Ozzie wants me to go to the Soviet Union and negotiate disarmament. We’ll make the Soviet Union our 51st state.”

Said Ozzie, who hit a home run the day he signed his contract, equaling his output of one for 1984: “It’s taken this long for a guy who specializes in good defense to get this kind of recognition. . . . You get paid for driving in runs, why shouldn’t you get paid for saving them?”

Have cash, will travel: Cincinnati pitcher Jay Tibbs, asked what was most difficult about playing for four teams in one season: “Closing out bank accounts.”

Tibbs pitched for Jackson, Tidewater, Wichita and the Reds, who got him from the New York Mets last June.

Mr. Popularity: Relief pitcher Gene Garber of the Atlanta Braves is the favorite target of Atlanta Stadium’s boobirds. He hears jeers just walking to the bullpen before a game.

Said Garber, who in a recent game gave up a home run to San Diego’s Terry Kennedy that some say was the hardest-hit ball in the last three seasons in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium: “At least they could wait until I throw a pitch.”

Mr. Popularity, II: St. Louis reliever Neil Allen, before the Cardinals’ opener, at which players were driven onto the field in open convertibles: “Anybody know where I can get a bulletproof car?”

So much for fresh starts: The Philadelphia Phillies, who ended last season by losing nine straight, had a 1-7 start this season, giving them one victory since Sept. 19.

The top four players in the Phillies’ order--Juan Samuel, Jeff Stone, Von Hayes and Mike Schmidt--were hitting a combined .208, with no home runs and five runs batted in. Schmidt had a 1-for-23 streak going.

Not worth the wait: A city councilman in Cincinnati has proposed that the address of Riverfront Stadium be changed to 4192 Rose Way, in recognition of Pete Rose’s pursuit of Ty Cobb’s hit record. There’s a slight hitch, however. There’s a law in Cincinnati that says a person has to be dead before he can be honored with a public monument or street.

Add Rose: Henry Aaron, the all-time home run leader, told Tim Sullivan of the Cincinnati Enquirer that when he was chasing Babe Ruth’s record, he’d come into a city and take two hotel rooms, one under his name, another under an assumed one, to escape the public crush. His choice of a name in one stop: George Ruth.