Lasorda Sets Up Competition at Third : Dodgers: Jeff Hamilton is the incumbent, but newcomer Hubie Brooks will get a look in spring training.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda couldn’t resist topping Monday’s newcomer luncheon with something even tastier than the Swiss almond ice cream--a third base controversy.

Lasorda said that new Dodger outfielder Hubie Brooks would take ground balls at third base this spring, promising that, “When the season opens, I’m going to play our best eight guys, and right now I don’t know who they are going to be.”

Somebody gently nudged Lasorda and asked, uh, what about current third baseman Jeff Hamilton?

“Put it this way--he’s the incumbent,” Lasorda said. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to be the guy. That doesn’t mean anything but that he’s the incumbent.”

Reached in his suburban Phoenix home, Hamilton sighed, having been rudely roused out of his winter calm.

“When they got Brooks, I didn’t think anything about this,” Hamilton said. “In this game you never know--obviously. We finished in fourth place, and I guess this is what happens when you finish in fourth place.

“Oh well. It’s not like I’m not used to it.”

About the only person more confused by the announcement was Hubie Brooks.

“As far as I know, I’m the right fielder, and I’m looking forward to being the right fielder,” said Brooks, who attended Monday’s luncheon with other newcomers Jim Gott, Juan Samuel and Mike Maddux. “It’s not like playing third base would be debilitating or anything. But it would mean a different mind-set.”

Not to mention a different glove, one which Brooks hasn’t regularly used since 1984, when he completed a five-year run as the New York Mets’ third baseman.

When the Dodgers signed free agent Brooks from Montreal on Dec. 21, it was assumed he would at least begin the season in right field, leaving Kirk Gibson to play left field and moving Kal Daniels to the bench or off the team if both Gibson and Daniels are fit. But Lasorda emphatically put that in doubt when asked if Brooks would work at third base this spring.

“You can bet on that,” he said. “He will take grounders, fly balls, line drives . . . we’ve got to find a place for this guy to play. A guy who drives in runs like he does, he will have a place to play.”

Although Hamilton established several career highs at the plate last season, he still had only a .245 batting average with 12 homers and 56 RBIs. Brooks has bettered those numbers in each of the last five years.

Hamilton has also failed to thrill the Dodgers with his play in the field. Among six National League third baseman who played in at least 140 games last year, his .951 fielding percentage was fourth.

Still, at 25, Hamilton has played in just two full major league seasons.

“It isn’t like I’m on the way out, I’m on the way up ,” he said.

But Lasorda sent notice that this season’s virtues will not include patience.

“We need to improve our offense and we will improve our offense,” he said. “No matter what it takes.”

This is nothing, obviously, that another Dodger trade couldn’t cure. The Dodgers have spoken with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who would like Hamilton and would be willing to trade outfielder Barry Bonds. But the Pirates are also requiring Tim Belcher, whom Dodger Vice President Fred Claire will not deal.

Another potential spring controversy was temporarily quieted when Lasorda said that center fielder Juan Samuel had convinced him that he wants to play center field, despite Samuel’s earlier comments that he wanted to return to second base.

“We ate dinner in the Dominican Republic together, and he seemed excited about playing center field for us,” Lasorda said. “They say he’s not a good center fielder. Well, maybe he wasn’t a good center fielder with the Mets. But with us, it will be different.”

Samuel seemed more resigned to his task than in earlier conversations after his Dec. 20 trade from the New York Mets for pitcher Alejandro Pena and outfielder Mike Marshall.

“Even though I play more second base than outfield, as it stands, I am the Dodger center fielder,” he said. “We will work hard at it.”

Dodger Notes

Top third base prospect Dave Hansen was named most valuable player in the Dominican Republic Winter League. Hansen, who is expected to begin this season at triple-A Albuquerque, hit .327 in 188 at-bats with three homers and 21 RBIs. . . . In the Venezuelan Winter League, top catching prospect Carlos Hernandez hit .280 with 21 RBI. He also is expected start the season at Albuquerque. . . . In the Puerto Rican League, Dodger utility man Lenny Harris hit .337 in 24 games while learning to play the outfield. Right-handed reliever Mike Hartley, who could compete for a spot in the Dodger bullpen, had 10 saves in 25 games with a 3.46 ERA.