One Is Down, but Other Is Up : Dodgers May Be Better, If Not Just a Little Older

There won’t be the usual suspense when the Dodgers open spring training Thursday in Vero Beach, Fla.

Gone is that annual rite of spring known as the Guerrero watch, which had players, coaches, writers and a certain manager idling away the early days of camp by speculating when Pedro Guerrero would grace the team with his presence.

No more leaky roofs, Dominican independence day celebrations, or visa problems that used to delay his arrival. The unique torch carried by Guerrero throughout the 1980s has been passed on to the St. Louis Cardinals. One last toast, please, with Guerrero’s beverage of choice. Pedro, this El Presidente’s for you.

Happily, the Dodgers haven’t eliminated all intrigue, or otherwise they could just fast-forward to opening day, six weeks hence, when they will open defense of their World Series championship in Cincinnati on April 3.

On the lighter side, of course, is whether there is any mortal fool enough to Orosco-ize Kirk Gibson’s cap, put itching powder in his spikes, or smear Crazy glue in his glove . . . and live to tell about it. Anybody seen Jesse Orosco lately?

On the field, however, the questions are more serious in nature:

--How many good left arms do you get when you combine Fernando Valenzuela with John Tudor? One? Two?

Or is it three strikes and they’re out?

Valenzuela will be the first critical test of spring. Tudor, if he pitches at all, isn’t expected back until July after undergoing major reconstructive surgery.

“All signs are good,” said Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president, speaking of Valenzuela. “He’s as encouraged as he’s been in some time. There’s a lot of room for optimism.

“The primary thing with John is to try to keep the reins on him, so he doesn’t try to overdo it.”

--Speaking of left-handers, is there a left-handed reliever in the house? Ricky Horton, by default, is something of an incumbent in that role, but the Dodgers would gladly have given Horton to the New York Mets last winter in a package for Wally Backman, who wound up with the Minnesota Twins instead. Keep an eye on Mike Munoz, who had a 1.00 earned-run average in double-A last season.

“If we could add another pitcher, certainly we would like to do that,” said Claire, who also lost prized setup man Brian Holton in the trade for Eddie Murray.

--Can the pride of the New York Yankees, long-time captain Willie Randolph, compensate for the loss of the Dodgers’ court and spark, Steve Sax, especially with Randolph facing his 35th birthday in July?

“Sax’s contributions to the ballclub last year, what he gave us, were significant,” Claire said. “You knew he always was going to be playing.

“He was an outstanding offensive player, and he gave everything he had defensively.

“But as far as the ballclub overall, I think we’ll be stronger in 1989. Willie gives us a lot defensively, he’ll be well-served playing on grass, and he’ll help us offensively. He’s a smart player with an outstanding on-base percentage.”

Randolph is hardly alone, by the way, among Dodgers celebrating birthdays on the far side of 30. Of the nine players Manager Tom Lasorda is expected to inscribe on his opening-day lineup card--assuming Orel Hershiser, 30, is his pitcher of choice--only two, Mike Marshall, 29, and Jeff Hamilton, who will be 25 in March, are under 30.

Of the Dodgers’ top reserves, Rick Dempsey will be 40 in September, Mickey Hatcher 34 next month, and Mike Davis 30 in June.

Old team? Not quite. A team susceptible to multiple breakdowns? Without a doubt, or haven’t you noticed Kirk Gibson’s knees lately?

“It’s been a number of years since we’ve had eight position players set,” Claire said. “I’m not saying the door is closed to Franklin Stubbs, Mike Davis or Mariano Duncan, but they’ve got to be realistic about it.

“If Tommy had to fill out his opening-day card today, there wouldn’t be any surprises.”

--Of the Dodgers’ prospects, is Ramon Martinez, the 21-year-old right-handed pitcher, ready to step into the starting rotation? On the basis of his performance in winter ball--7-1, 1.63 earned-run average--the answer would appear to be yes. Can Duncan, who expressed his willingness to kiss and make up with Lasorda, provide the kind of speed the Dodgers so lack without Sax?

There will be relatively little competition among nonpitchers this spring, unless Claire satisfies the desires of Davis, Stubbs or both to be sent somewhere they can play every day. That would open a spot for Mike Devereaux or Chris Gwynn, but Claire sounded reluctant to part with either of his veteran reserves.

“Mike knows his fate is in our hands as to what happens this year,” Claire said. “He would like to play every day, but he’s not pounding on the door, because that’s not Mike Davis.

“I think he’s a very valuable part of our ballclub. I have as much confidence in Mike Davis’ ability as I did the day I signed him. I don’t care what the statistics say (.196 average, 2 home runs, 17 runs batted in during 1988).”

--And finally, perhaps most importantly, will Eddie Murray--who has driven in more runs than any other big league player in the ‘80s--make anywhere near the impact that Gibson did upon his arrival? That’s asking a lot, of course, considering that Gibson went home with the National League’s most valuable player award last winter. But Murray has a wonderful chance to prove beyond a doubt that his career, at age 33, is not in decline, regardless of how he might have struggled for the first half of 1988 in Baltimore.

Lasorda probably has put his pet phrase of last spring, “Awesome Fivesome” into a deserved final resting place, but a projected middle of the lineup of Gibson, Marshall and Murray would rival any in the league for power and production.

A year ago, Claire was executive vice president in charge of damage control, and rehabilitated a bad ballclub far beyond anyone’s wildest expectations, except for maybe his own.

This spring, he said he welcomes the challenge of becoming the first Dodger team ever to win consecutive World Series championships. No guarantees, a la Pat Riley of the Lakers. Merely a confidence that his team, if healthy, could make it two in a row.

“As exciting as last season was, it may not match what awaits us,” Claire said.

No team has repeated as National League champion since the Dodgers of 1977 and ’78. The ’59 Dodgers, the first World Series winner in Los Angeles, finished fourth the next season. The ’63 world champions finished sixth in ’64. The ’65 champs were swept four straight by Baltimore in the ’66 Series. And the ’81 winners failed to win the division title the following season, losing on the last day.

“I’m not making any predictions, because I don’t think it’s done by making predictions,” Claire said.

“But now we have the opportunity to do something no Dodger team in history has ever done.”

And it never looks easier to do than in the spring.

The Dodger spring-training roster:

PITCHERS (16): Tim Belcher, Tim Crews, Jeff Fischer, Mike Hartley, Orel Hershiser, Ricky Horton, Jay Howell, Chris Jones, Tim Leary, Ramon Martinez, Mike Munoz, Alejandro Pena, Ray Searage, John Tudor, Fernando Valenzuela, John Wetteland.

CATCHERS (4): Rick Dempsey, Carlos Hernandez, Gilberto Reyes, Mike Scioscia.

INFIELDERS (12): Dave Anderson, Mariano Duncan, Alfredo Griffin, Jeff Hamilton, Dave Hansen, Mickey Hatcher, Eddie Murray, Willie Randolph, Mike Sharperson, Franklin Stubbs, Jose Vizcalno, Tracy Woodson.

OUTFIELDERS (7): Mike Davis, Mike Devereaux, Kirk Gibson, Jose Gonzalez, Chris Gywnn, Mike Marshall, John Shelby.