Here’s What the Dodgers Should Do

The Dodgers have this grand delusion that they are going to overtake the Reds, the Astros, the Giants and the Braves, take the division, take the pennant, then win the World Series. In all probability, this is not going to happen. However, with luck, willpower and hard work, they almost certainly will stay ahead of the Padres.

With the All-Star break coming, the Dodgers must determine if there is anything they can do to field a better club than the one with which they are, at present, littering our box scores. They must figure a way to improve their hitting, fielding, pitching and running, as well as a way of convincing Pete Rose to swap Eric Davis for Ken Landreaux, straight up.

What to do, what to do.

Consecutive fifth-place finishes in the National League West could cause the Dodgers to do some serious thinking, as well as some serious housecleaning, as well as some serious shooting of traitors at sunrise. Here are some things the Dodgers have to consider, possibly before it is too late:

CHANGING MANAGERS

Maybe the time has come for Tom Lasorda to move on to either the front office or the catering business. The Dodgers then could hire a new manager, one who qualifies under the affirmative action guidelines set by Peter Ueberroth and the Rev. Jesse Jackson: a black, female, Scandinavian war veteran.

Knowing how major league baseball works, the Dodgers probably will replace Lasorda with John Felske.

Firing Lasorda would be unfair. He won the division in 1985, then lost the division in 1986 only after losing Pedro Guerrero. Nevertheless, Lasorda might be tiring from the managerial grind, and might be reluctant to keep on commanding the Dodgers if they are going to need a complete overhaul and paint job. Two years near the bottom of the division might be enough suffering for that old rapscallion. Maybe he is ready to wear grown-up clothes for a living.

Much depends on whether Peter O’Malley believes Fred Claire is merely filling in as general manager or has the job for keeps. Claire clearly is in charge; he supervised the trades for John Shelby and Phil Garner, and the acquisition of Danny Heep. Possibly it is time for him to make his first blockbuster deal, one that would include:

TRADING MARSHALL

Outfield chatter between Guerrero and Mike Marshall recently continued in the training room, which Guerrero seemed to consider Marshall’s home away from home. Marshall, you might have noticed, misses more action than Jim McMahon. Everything has happened to him except being attacked by a pit bull.

Guerrero was just sort of wondering when Marshall planned to go on the Abled List. Guerrero hits ahead of Marshall, see, so when Marshall doesn’t play, Guerrero doesn’t see any decent pitches. The way the rest of the Dodger lineup hits, pitchers are going to start treating Guerrero like Ted Williams, intentionally walking him with the bases loaded.

Even a vague suggestion that Marshall is a malingerer was upsetting to Lasorda. “I’ve never known anybody in my entire life who wants to play as badly as Mike Marshall,” the manager said. Please, no wisecracks about the word badly .

Marshall might be able to use a change of scenery, and the Dodgers could use a shortstop or third baseman. They do have good-looking young outfielders such as Ralph Bryant, Reggie Williams, Mike Ramsey, Jose Gonzalez, Chris Gwynn and Mike Devereaux in their system, just as they once had good-looking young outfielders Candy Maldonado and R.J. Reynolds in their system. Time to use ‘em or lose ‘em.

It might also be time for . . .

TRADING GUERRERO?

Hey, he might never be worth more. He is healthy and hitting. There is a gentleman who plays first base in Baltimore, who would love to have his mail forwarded to the other coast. Franklin Stubbs could return to the Dodger outfield, and at first base, Eddie Murray could play Beverly Hills hops.

Or, how about Darryl Strawberry? In New York, Manager Davey Johnson’s relationship with Strawberry is strained, to say the least. Los Angeles is absolutely perfect for Strawberry. He’d be coming back to his boyhood home, andhe’d get three extra hours of sleep.

If the Dodgers made that deal, they could leave Stubbs at first, or, they could consider something else, namely. . .

GETTING GARV BACK

San Diego has no real use for Steve Garvey any more. He got them to a World Series in 1984, but now the Padres have a youth movement going, as evidenced by this year’s team, which couldn’t get to a World Series at Williamsport.

Given one more chance to play for the Dodgers, Senator Steve would play like gangbusters. You can count on that. Dodger fans would love seeing him again. They might even stay an extra inning.

He might come cheap this time, and might even make a pretty handy right-handed pinch-hitter. One thing he definitely wouldn’t do is malinger.

There isn’t anything much more dramatic the Dodgers can do to help themselves. Unless, of course, they do something drastic something like . . .

TRADING FERNANDO

Because of their shaky relief pitching, the Dodgers have milked Fernando Valenzuela for all he’s been worth, leaving him out there for nine innings every night he pitches. They say Valenzuela is another Sandy Koufax, and they are right. He probably will retire at an early age, to prove it. By age 30, Fernando’s arm is going to have all the life of a pine-tar rag.

But trade him? No way. If the Dodgers ever trade Fernando Valenzuela, no respectable Dodger fan will ever again show his face in the ravine, including Chavez.