Surprise! Guerrero Is First Dodger to Report for Spring Training Camp

When Pedro Guerrero promised Dodger officials that he would report early to spring training this year, it drew more than a few snickers and skeptical looks.

But Tuesday night, true to his word, Guerrero, who often reports late, was the first Dodger to arrive in Florida for the start of spring training.

A Dodger spokesman said Guerrero arrived in Miami from the Dominican Republic Tuesday night. Manager Tom Lasorda met him at the airport, and the two will drive to Vero Beach this morning.

Dodger pitchers and catchers aren’t scheduled to report until Thursday. Other veterans will report next Wednesday.

On Guerrero’s first night in Florida, he and Lasorda took in the University of Miami-Tampa University baseball game in Miami.

Guerrero, coming off a season ruined by a knee injury, can usually be counted on to be the last Dodger to report. In past springs, his reasons for reporting late were: the flu, the roof of his home in the Dominican Republic caving in and real estate problems.