Dodger Notebook : Welch Says He’s Ahead of Schedule

The conditions under which Bob Welch has pitched this spring have been highly structured. He has worked only in this city and only in early morning B games.

This is the way Welch, annually bothered by a bone spur in his right elbow, must prepare for the season. Other Dodger starting pitchers are throwing five innings against major-league batters, but Welch is content to work at his own pace.

“I’m ahead of schedule, compared to other years,” he said.

Five days after pitching two impressive innings here against the Montreal Expos in a B game, Welch took the mound against the Atlanta Braves’ minor leaguers Thursday and blew them away.

Welch gave up one hit, no runs and struck out five in four innings, the longest stretch he has thrown thus far in the spring.

But is that enough to ensure that Welch is ready?

“If it was as simple as it looked (Thursday), I wouldn’t have a problem,” said Welch, smiling.

Actually, it has been an uncomplicated spring for Welch. His right elbow flared up again early in the spring, as it invariably does, but he has learned to live with it and still get in his pitching work.

His first two outings have convinced Welch that, once again, he has spurned the spur. Now, he says, he is ready to put in some more serious work before assuming his spot in the starting rotation.

“It’s been four days between pitching, and it seemed like a year, to tell you the truth,” Welch said. “Now, it’s just a matter of getting to the mound and getting my work in. I don’t have any concern about my elbow, I’ve just got to throw the ball.

“I have about three or four more times pitching, which is normal for me (in spring training). The last few years, I’ve had a chance to pitch against the Angels, which gives me an extra appearance before the season.”

Welch threw 66 pitches Thursday, which he said was about all his arm was up to. Despite his five strikeouts, Welch said his fastballs weren’t particularly fast.

“I’ve made adjustments on the way I’ve pitched,” Welch said. “I’m not going to throw the baseball 90 (m.p.h.), like I used to. I’m trying to be more of a pitcher. I’m working on breaking balls more. Today, I had a real good breaking ball.”

That pitch has not been Welch’s specialty during his nine-year career. But, at 30, he says it is not too late to learn.

“I’ve never gotten people to swing on it,” Welch said. “I have to cut down on the arc of my arm. Perry (pitching coach Ron Perranoski) thinks I’ve probably been tipping people off on it that way. I also think it will lessen the strain on my elbow.”

Welch probably will pitch again in four days. He hopes it won’t be another early morning start.

“It’s rough throwing those,” Welch said. “You can’t get warmed up in time.”

Being a former National League batting champion, Dodger third baseman Bill Madlock was asked his opinion on free agent Tim Raines’ inability to find a team willing to meet his salary demands. Raines is last season’s batting champion.

Raines, who made $1.5 million for Montreal last season, figures to take as much as a 40% pay cut after hitting .334.

Madlock was traded by the Chicago Cubs the season after he won the batting title with a .339 average.

“I got traded after that simply because they wouldn’t give me a multiyear contract,” Madlock said. “I hit .330 and also had 90 RBI. That’s more than what (Raines) had.

“At his age, I’d be upset. At mine, I wouldn’t be. . . . But you’re worth what you can get. Having something coming in is a lot better than not getting anything. That’s the way it’s always been. It’s no more of the gravy train. What (Raines) has to put up with is what we all did before the big money came. If you didn’t have (George) Steinbrenner, (Ted) Turner and (Gene) Autry, we’d never have the big salaries. I guess we need some new owners, now.

“It’s not different. What (Raines) put up with is what Willie Mays, Frank Robinson and those guys put up with when the younger guys started making the big money.”

Jerry Reuss pitched the first five innings of the Dodgers’ 4-1 rain-shortened win over the Braves. Reuss gave up one run and five hits, but pitched in and out of trouble during his entire stint. He threw 91 pitches in five innings.

Reuss gave his performance mixed reviews.

“If you had to choose between the (good) results with a semi-performance or a great performance with bad results, I’d take the former,” Reuss said. “I made some great pitches to get out of jams, but some lousy ones to get into the jams. But that’s what spring training is for.”

Manager Tom Lasorda might have found a solution to his center-field question when he and slugger Pedro Guerrero made a scheduled stop on their way to Thursday’s game.

After giving a speech to the inmates at the Belle Glade correctional facility outside of West Palm Beach, one of the prisoners approached Lasorda and told him that he is willing and able to play center field for the Dodgers.

The idea might be attractive to the Dodgers. After all, they wouldn’t have to trade pitcher Alejandro Pena for the inmate, nor would they have to pay the big money that Raines is seeking.

Dodger Notes The game was called when a monsoon-like rain hit Municipal Stadium in the eighth inning. The Braves had runners on first and second base and none out against reliever Matt Young when the game was called. . . . Franklin Stubbs, who entered Thursday’s game with just 3 hits in 27 at-bats, had a single in the second and a double in the fourth inning. . . . Tom Niedenfuer pitched two shutout innings of relief and was pleased. “I threw some split-finger pitches three times for strikes,” Niedenfuer reported. . . . Dave Anderson’s back is still giving him problems. Anderson missed his fourth straight game because of soreness but says the injury is not a major concern. “I’ve had it before,” Anderson said. “I’m just trying to get it under control.” . . . Bill Madlock had another good day at the plate. He had two doubles, a single and two RBIs. . . . Mike Ramsey had two hits and Gilberto Reyes a double and two RBIs in Thursday’s B game.