Dodgers : Guerrero Debut at 3rd Spurs Player Reaction

Pedro Guerrero’s much-anticipated spring debut as a third baseman here Tuesday was routine on the field. He fielded two ground balls cleanly and went 1 for 3 at the plate in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

But in the clubhouse, there was considerable fallout from Guerrero’s return to third base, a position he has never played well and hasn’t played at all since early in the 1985 season. It is not known yet whether Guerrero will take up residence at third, but Manager Tom Lasorda said that Guerrero will log considerable playing time there in the near future.

The move drew the following reaction from Dodger players:

--Jeff Hamilton, one of the third base candidates, expressed frustration over his situation and came close to saying he would ask to be traded.

--Mariano Duncan, who will find himself on the bench or in the minor leagues if Guerrero starts at third and Steve Sax returns to second, said he does not want to return to the minor leagues.

--Mike Marshall, who moved to first base Tuesday and will play there if Guerrero is at third, applauded Guerrero for giving third base a shot. Pitcher Orel Hershiser echoed Marshall’s opinion.

--And catcher Mike Scioscia said that if the Dodgers put Guerrero and Marshall on the corners of their infield, the club will be sacrificing defense for an attractive offensive attack.

The decision is Lasorda’s to make, with considerable input from Guerrero. Lasorda unabashedly says that the best Dodger lineup would include Guerrero at third base, Marshall at first base, Sax at second base, Kirk Gibson in left field, John Shelby in center and Mike Davis in right.

“I’d like to see a few games with all five guys in the lineup,” Lasorda said. “They’re the awesome fivesome.

“Let’s get this clear: Pete is going to play third base because Pete and I feel that it’s the best lineup we can field. And it’s the only way to get those five guys (Guerrero, Gibson, Marshall, Shelby and Davis) in the lineup at the same time.”

So far this spring, the Dodger clubhouse has been a steam room. The list of players who have vented their emotions over managerial slights, real or imagined, now has grown to include Hamilton and Duncan.

Said Hamilton: “If this is a message like, ‘You’re just not good enough,’ then it’s time to let me go somewhere else. If it’s a message that, ‘We want to get every one (of the heavy hitters) in the lineup,’ then I think I should get a chance to be in there.

“I’m getting a little old (24 on March 19) to wait anymore, too. I might have only five more good years left in my body. Who knows?”

Hamilton has never hit better than .224 in 101 major league games over two seasons. But he also hasn’t started more than seven straight games.

“What are my options?” Hamilton asked, repeating a question. “I can show my displeasure, but do you think they are going to let me go elsewhere? There’s nothing, really, I can do. My hands are tied. But there’s got to be a job out there somewhere for me.”

Even playing as a late-inning defensive replacement wouldn’t placate Hamilton, who believes he has the ability to be a regular.

“I’m through with being a defensive replacement,” Hamilton said. “That’s about like saying you can’t hit.”

Hamilton said he has hesitated requesting a trade or sustained playing time simply because Guerrero could decide any day that he doesn’t want to play third base again. He says he’ll wait and see.

Basically, that was Duncan’s attitude. If Guerrero starts at third base, Sax will return to second base and Duncan either will find himself on the bench or in the minor leagues.

“Let’s wait and see what happens,” Duncan said.

“I don’t want to come to the office and fight with Tommy,” Duncan said. “But I know I can play the game. There are 25 other teams in the majors I can play on.

“I don’t want to go to the minor leagues. I don’t have anything to prove there.”

Lasorda began seriously entertaining the idea of returning Guerrero to third a week ago, simply because he had four offensively productive outfielders and only three spots.

He proceeded carefully, meeting with Guerrero to find out if his temperamental slugger would accept such a move. Guerrero hasn’t played third base since May of 1985. At that time, he was playing poorly on defense and wasn’t hitting well, either. Moved back to left field on June 1, Guerrero then went on an offensive tear and finished the season with 33 home runs and 87 runs batted in.

Some Dodgers figured that gete considering his past performance there and his injury history. Also, Guerrero will be a free agent next season and will need productive offensive statistics for a lucrative contract.

Said Marshall, who is agreeable to playing first base: “It’s quite a sacrifice for a guy who could stay at first or left field for the rest of his career and not risk anything and nobody would blame him,” Marshall said.

Scioscia is concerned about the effect on the Dodgers’ defense.

“Pete’s a liability at third,” the catcher said. “So, the decision is whether you go for offense over defense, because we’re going to be sacrificing something.”

Hershiser disagreed: “If Pete plays third, there’s only one guy out of position, and that’s Pete.”

Guerrero, who has been reluctant to talk about his apparent move to third, grudgingly said that he felt comfortable there, that he does not know whether it will affect his offense and that he doesn’t care where he plays as long as he plays.

“I think it’s a much better team if we could get all these guys playing,” Guerrero said. “There’s a lot of things that can happen . . . Who knows? Tomorrow I could be back in the outfield.”

Dodger Notes

The Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles improved their exhibition record to 5-0. Steve Sax and Mike Marshall hit home runs. Orel Hershiser allowed five hits and an unearned run in four innings. Shawn Hillegas pitched three scoreless innings, and reliever Jay Howell made his first spring appearance after being set back by the flu and a sore back. Howell pitched one inning and gave up a single. “I’m feeling good,” Howell said. “My back (problem) was just a little strain. It hasn’t thrown me off yet.”