BASEBALL : DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Gross to Get Infamous Glove Back

After four years of requests to the National League office, Kevin Gross finally will get back the glove he was using in the infamous sandpaper incident of Aug. 10, 1987.

Gross, who was pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies at the time, was suspended for 10 days after umpires discovered sandpaper taped to the inside heel of the glove.

The glove was confiscated, and only recently did the National League office return it to the Major League Players Assn.

“I’m glad to get it back, just to have it,” Gross said. “I don’t think the league should have kept it all this time. It’s my glove.”

Gross said he couldn’t understand where the glove could have been kept. “I heard maybe they had to get it out of (late National League president and baseball commissioner) Bart Giamatti’s house, but I’m not sure,” he said. “Maybe they wanted to keep it as a collector’s item or something.”

Juan Samuel, with three hits in his previous 27 at-bats, was benched Tuesday and could remain out of the lineup for a couple of games. Samuel, who was batting .340 on June 10, has fallen to .284. . . . Jeff Hamilton, who has rejoined the team after going 0 for 7 and suffering from soreness in two minor rehabilitation starts, said he just hopes he can improve enough to pinch-hit during the final month. . . . Tim Belcher, who was booed for not running out a grounder in Monday’s 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres, said he was considering buying an advertisement in the newspaper to apologize to the fans. “I have never not run out a grounder in my life. I don’t know what got into me,” Belcher said.