They Are More Than Ready to Start : Dodgers: Lasorda brought team together in clubhouse during spring, but it’s time to do it on field.

Nearly every day for the past six weeks, Tom Lasorda has done an unusual thing for the manager of a baseball team dominated by veteran millionaires. He has encouraged the players to act like children.

In morning meetings behind closed clubhouse doors, Lasorda has thrown open the discussion so his team could talk to him and one another.

The resulting 15-30 minutes featured loud jokes, playful insults, and even a prank that left one of the team doctors covered with shaving cream and tartar sauce.

The seven new players on the 25-man roster were initially asked to participate by telling about their backgrounds. Soon they were trading barbs with everyone else.

Amid the laughter, a chemistry was evolving.

“It sounds funny, but it was like male bonding at its best,” said pitcher Bob Ojeda, one of seven new players on the 25-man roster. “It was corny, but nice. We’ve come in every morning, sat down, and gotten to know each other.”

Today those meetings end when the Dodgers begin their 1991 regular season at 4:30 p.m. PDT against the Atlanta Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

Lasorda hopes the camaraderie he fostered will take over.

“I have always thought that building togetherness and spirit was one of the most important things of spring training,” Lasorda said. “And I think that’s what we have now.”

The players, so far anyway, agree.

They point to new center fielder Brett Butler, who worked with young Dodgers on bunting before the morning meetings. In the afternoon, he worked with other outfielders on proper positioning, often conferring with them during games as well. “I want the guys to know that we’re all in this together,” Butler said.

Gary Carter, a new catcher, has been quietly exerting influence. On the final day of spring training in Florida, he was throwing batting practice to triple-A players, not the usual work for a probable Hall of Famer. “They needed somebody to throw, so why shouldn’t it be me?” Carter asked.

The merging of Darryl Strawberry has occured more subtly. He jokes with a few players, talks hitting with a few others, but mostly he has blended by showing everyone how he can help them win. He hit .386 this spring with four homers, six doubles, a triple and 12 runs batted in, in 44 at-bats.

“Chemistry happens when guys can count on one another,” Carter said. “This spring, guys have realized that you can look at Darryl and say, ‘Yes, this is a guy we can count on.’ ”

The Dodgers’ physical well-being seems to be as strong as their mental outlook. The only starter suffering an injury is Eddie Murray, who has a sore right hip.

But Murray has missed only seven games in two seasons, and trainers doubt that his injury, which forced him to miss two games in the Freeway Series last weekend, will keep him out of the lineup today.

“Every indication I have is that he is going to play, although that is not set in stone,” therapist Pat Screnar said Monday.

The injury may force the Dodgers to reconsider future spring trips. Murray hurt the hip on the hard turf in the New Orleans Superdome, where the Dodgers played the Oakland Athletics several weeks ago.

“At the time, you’ll remember, Eddie was recovering from an injury to his left foot,” Screnar said. “He was favoring that foot, and that may have resulted in the injury to his hip.”

If Murray does not play, his probable replacement will be Mike Sharperson, which isn’t all bad. The Dodgers were 4-1 with Sharperson as the starting first baseman last year, and 53-38 in all games he started.

The starting pitcher for the Dodgers will be Tim Belcher, who has a 4-1 record with a 2.41 earned-run average against the Braves. He will face Charlie Leibrandt, who in his nine-year career has beaten every team in the National League but the Dodgers.

Perhaps as conspicuous as the Dodgers who will play are the two former Dodgers who are not playing--Fernando Valenzuela and Mickey Hatcher.

Both veterans were released near the end of spring training, and both may have to wait until the middle of the month until they are approached for new jobs. Many teams will give their opening-day rosters a chance to produce before making changes.

“Everybody seems to want to give the younger players a chance right now,” said Willie Sanchez, Hatcher’s agent. “There are a lot of older players without jobs. I don’t know if it is because of salary caps or what. Sometimes I wonder what the owners are doing.”

Sanchez, who has had no serious discussions with any teams about Hatcher, said Hatcher has even agreed to play in the minor leagues for any team that will eventually give him another chance in the majors.

Valenzuela could sign somewhere before the middle of the month if a team comes up with an injury to a left-handed pitcher and requires a veteran.

“We have nothing to report at this time,” said Dick Moss, Valenzuela’s lawyer. “He will not be with a team (today).”

(Orange County Edition) DODGERS’ OPENING DAY LINEUP

PLAYER: 1 Brett Butler POSITION: CF COMMENT: Hopes to make a giant impact on L.A. running game PLAYER: 2 Juan Samuel POSITION: 2B COMMENT: Can he can tame his bat to protect Butler? PLAYER: 3 Darryl Strawberry POSITION: RF COMMENT: Of his 14 spring training hits, 10 were for extra bases PLAYER: 4 Eddie Murray POSITION: 1B COMMENT: Mastered NL pitching and strike zone to bat .330 PLAYER: 5 Kal Daniels POSITION: LF COMMENT: Took NL-high average of 3.09 pitches before swinging PLAYER: 6 Jeff Hamilton POSITION: 3B COMMENT: Dodgers still looking for someone to replace Ron Cey PLAYER: 7 Mike Scioscia POSITION: CCOMMENT: Closing in on team record for games caught (1,218) PLAYER: 8 Alfredo Griffin POSITION: SS COMMENT: Back pain will determine how long Offerman is in minors PLAYER: 9 Tim Belcher POSITION: PCOMMENT: Making his second opening day start in three seasons