THE DODGERS’ LONG, HOT SUMMER

April 10, Los Angeles--Injured Dodger Pedro Guerrero, reacting to newspaper speculation that he had returned to the Dominican Republic without the team’s permission, shows up in the clubhouse and angrily condemns the report.

May 27, New York--First baseman Greg Brock and second baseman Steve Sax have to be separated by teammates after a pregame scuffle in the visitors’ dugout at Shea Stadium. After the game, Sax and Brock are playing cards in the trainers’ room. Reporters don’t recall ever seeing the two playing cards.

June 3, Philadelphia--In a postgame tirade, outfielder Cesar Cedeno threatens to knock a reporter on his (expletive) because of negative coverage. Guerrero intercedes on Cedeno’s behalf, and later stops talking to the reporter involved. Two days later, Cedeno is released.

June 17, Atlanta--Sax storms out of the visiting clubhouse after a postgame shouting match with Manager Tom Lasorda, who is upset because of Sax’s failure to reach a ground ball in an extra-inning loss to the Braves. Sax said he had left just to cool down.

Aug. 11, Houston--Catcher Mike Scioscia has a heated exchange with Sax in the dugout after Sax apparently misses a sign for a play Scioscia called.

Aug. 14, Houston--Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela hurls his glove and cap at the dugout wall, and first baseman Enos Cabell throws his cap, too, after Sax fails to tag out base-runner Billy Hatcher, who scores deciding run in Astros’ 3-2 win. Asked if Sax made the wrong play, Lasorda answers: “Absolutely.”

Aug. 17, San Francisco--Outfielder Bill Russell and outfielder Mike Marshall get in a pregame shouting match in the visitors’ clubhouse after Russell asks Marshall, who has a stiff back, why he isn’t playing. Lasorda says Russell made his inquiry in joking fashion.

Aug. 19, Los Angeles--Mariano Duncan goes on the disabled list with a fractured left foot and blames a reporter, saying he aggravated the injury by remaining in the game for four innings after he was hurt. That’s something he wouldn’t have done, Duncan said, if the reporter hadn’t written that teammates had complained of Duncan’s long absence with a sprained ankle.

Aug. 20, Los Angeles--Lasorda seals off the clubhouse and holds a pregame meeting to fend off possible negative publicity directed at Guerrero. The source of the publicity was teammates’ off-the-record criticism of Guerrero. One player says a reporter told him that the reporter had a “vendetta” against Guerrero.