DODGERS : Butler Shows It’s Never Too Early for His Outfield Acrobatics

Most position players are content to work on their hitting and fielding in spring training, but Brett Butler was working on his gymnastics here Monday.

In the first inning of the Dodgers’ first intrasquad game this spring, Butler made an over-the-shoulder, diving catch of Lenny Harris’ line drive to center field.

It would have been a sensational catch in the regular season. That Butler made it on March 4 makes it something special.

Special to everyone but Butler, who was signed as a free agent during the winter, at least partly because of his positive attitude.

“I can’t do anything else but play like that,” he said. “I get in a game, any game, and I go all out. I play one way.”

He added, “I want the pitcher to know that if the ball is hit in the ballpark, I’m going into the wall after it, I’m going into the ground after it, I’m doing whatever it takes.”

The Dodgers had not seen a catch that good since Butler robbed Kal Daniels of at least a double in Candlestick Park Aug. 2 on what Butler considers the best catch of his career. It took Daniels several weeks before he could even talk about it.

“Yeah, Kal got all over me about that play when I saw him here,” Butler said. “But that’s OK. I figure if I get guys mad at me, I’m doing my job.”

Other stars in the six-inning game were new pitchers Bob Ojeda and Kevin Gross, who combined to give up one hit in four innings.

One team featured the probable starters, with the exception of Darryl Strawberry and Eddie Murray, who didn’t play. That team included Jeff Hamilton at third base, Jose Offerman at shortstop and Juan Samuel at second base.

Today’s intrasquad game will feature Stan Javier’s first appearance at third base.

Wounded feelings were apparently repaired Monday night in a meeting between Ramon Martinez and the Dodgers in Orlando.

Martinez emerged with his three representatives from the 2 1/2-hour dinner. Fred Claire, the Dodger vice president, and Sam Fernandez, the club lawyer, appeared just as positive.

“With the bases loaded and a two-and-two count, I think I would have been more relaxed than I have been going through this,” said Martinez, who signed a $485,000, one-year contract Saturday and will end his 11-day holdout today.

In leaving nothing to chance, Claire escorted Martinez and his luggage back to Dodgertown.

The pitcher faces a difficult month in preparing for a possible opening day start. According to Fernando Cuza, a representative of Martinez who spent the past two weeks with him in the Dominican Republic, Martinez worked out with “neighborhood kids.”

Both parties said Monday’s meeting smoothed hard feelings after sometimes bitter negotiations. Among issues they discussed was Martinez’s anger over being demoted one day after he was recalled from triple-A Albuquerque on June 4, 1989.

During the one day he was a Dodger, he pitched a shutout in a 7-0 victory at Atlanta. The demotion cost him valuable service time that was a factor in the size of his current contract.

“We discussed that issue because, while the demotion may have made sense for the Dodgers, Ramon had different feelings,” said Jim Bronner, Martinez’s agent.

Martinez said he had never considered playing in Japan, one possibility mentioned by his agent during the holdout.

Orel Hershiser took another step in his shoulder rehabilitation when he threw 63 pitches for 13 minutes during batting practice.

For the first time, he threw without a protective screen in front of the mound, and took two short breaks.

He is moving closer to what he has called the next biggest step in his rehabilitation, a practice game in which he will pitch for several minutes then rest for several minutes.

“For our next step, we will do what we do in a real game--he pitches, he shuts the shoulder down, then he pitches again, and so on,” said Pat Screnar, the Dodger therapist. “What we did (Monday) was progression, but the simulated game will be the next big step.”

That would simulate the real-game pressures on a pitcher’s shoulder. The simulated game could take place as early as this week, and Hershiser could be in an exhibition game by next week.

Jose Gonzalez, who batted against Hershiser Monday, said, “I thought his velocity was great. He was really extending himself, which was surprising for someone coming off surgery. He looked like he was fine.”

Hershiser continues to feel no pain. He said the only problem Monday was getting accustomed to ground balls hit back to the mound.