Brock Benched, but Campanis Says He’s Not Giving Up

Are the Dodgers losing confidence in Greg Brock?

The Dodger first baseman is batting .192 overall, just .050 (1 for 20) against left-handers, and Friday night Brock was benched for the third time in the last four games against left-handers.

Manager Tom Lasorda, asked if he had gone back to platooning Brock with Enos Cabell, shot back: “Did Brock play last (Thursday) night?”

Answer: He did, even though a left-hander, Guy Hoffman, started for the Cubs.

But in the last three months, dating back to last season, Brock is batting .208, with 8 homers and 27 RBIs, and Dodger Vice President Al Campanis is said to be down on the 28-year-old first baseman, whom he sent down to the minor leagues in 1984.

Campanis denied that was the case Friday night.

“Let’s analyze the situation,” he said. “Anybody who isn’t hitting, we’re not going to be pleased with him.

“We need hits, we need runs, we want everybody hitting . . . I have never said I am down on him. Sure, I’m hoping he will hit more, but it’s only the first of May.

“We’ve given him every chance in the world to hit against left-handers. Tommy finally had to put Cabell in.

“None of us--Tommy, the coaches, myself--are down on him. We’re just hoping he gets out of it.”

Until Friday night, when he had two hits, Cabell wasn’t hitting, either, batting .121. But as the Dodgers’ No. 1 right-handed pinch-hitter, Lasorda wants Cabell to get some at-bats, even if they come at Brock’s expense.

There are those who believe that Brock’s production suffered when Lasorda began to alternate Brock and Cabell last season.

Brock met with Lasorda this week to discuss the situation, according to a team source. Lasorda reportedly told Brock that until he started to hit left-handers, he wouldn’t play him every day.

Last season, Brock batted .176 against left-handers, a point Dodger officials emphasized during the winter in an arbitration hearing that Brock eventually lost. He was awarded $325,000 instead of the $440,000 he was seeking. In his career, Brock is batting .201 against left-handers.

Asked if he had become concerned about his slow start this season, Brock said: “No, a lot of people are struggling right now. A couple of good days and no one remembers it. All it takes is three, four games with a couple of hits.

“After 70 or 80 at-bats, a lot of guys in the league are hitting .180. I’ve always been a slow starter. I remember in Albuquerque, on the 16th of May I had two homers.” He finished with 44.

“I can remember in Double-A,” Brock said, “I was hitting about .200, .210 and I was wondering what was going on. That kind of start goes all the way back to college, when I was hitting about .160 after the first three weeks of the season.”

At the moment, the Dodgers’ options are limited. Franklin Stubbs, who could play first base, also is struggling, with a .189 average. There is a possibility that if Pedro Guerrero returns this season, he will play first base, which would seem to make Brock expendable.

“You’ve opened up a thought,” Campanis said. “He (Guerrero) has always liked first base. In the Dominican, he played first base.

“Maybe, if he can’t run, that would be his spot. I can’t answer that. They (the doctors) say it (his injury, a ruptured patellar tendon) won’t affect his running speed.

“But we’re not down on Brock. I like him. And we don’t want him to get down.”