Strawberry’s Apology Doesn’t Heal All : Baseball: He and Daniels meet with Claire to cool feud a bit. Daniels says he appreciates remarks, but still says, ‘what’s done is done.’

Darryl Strawberry apologized to Kal Daniels Wednesday for remarks made earlier this winter, easing but not ending the tension between the two feuding Dodgers.

Strawberry hugged Daniels behind the batting cage during Wednesday’s workout at Dodger Stadium, then later apologized during a private meeting with Daniels and Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ vice president.

“I give credit to Darryl, he came right out and said it--’I’m sorry,’ ” Claire said. “I think Kal really felt good about that.”

Well, somewhat.

“I’m glad he apologized . . . but that doesn’t change what he said,” Daniels said. “Like I said before, what’s done is done.”

Strawberry could not be reached for comment.

It was the first time the players had spoken since earlier this winter, when Strawberry said Daniels should be traded and Daniels responded by saying that Strawberry had a “mental problem.”

The players were together in the clubhouse for the first time since then on Friday, but did not speak.

“Today was good, it got us over a point,” Claire said. “It’s not as if they will be walking around shying away from each other now.”

Perhaps nobody was more relieved about the meeting than Manager Tom Lasorda, who did not relish a spring training in which two of his stars were not speaking.

“It’s good they got it cleared up,” Lasorda said. “Those two guys were friends all year long, I thought, so it is good they are friends again. I didn’t think they could continue to be mad at each other.”

Claire called for the meeting after the workout while Daniels was in the weight room and Strawberry was in the clubhouse. Earlier the two men had briefly hugged on the field.

“I told everybody I would still hug Darryl when I saw him, so I did,” Daniels said. “It wasn’t any big thing.”

Daniels continued: “I was back doing weights when Darryl came in and said Fred wanted to see us, and so we go to the training room. Fred says what he has been saying, that it was wrong for Darryl to make those statements and that (Claire) is the only person who can trade someone.”

It was at that point, Daniels said, that Strawberry offered the unsolicited apology.

“Darryl said he still loves me, he still considers us friends and that he should not have said the things he did,” Daniels said. “He said he felt bad.”

Ironically, Strawberry’s apology comes at a time when Claire is desperately trying to trade Daniels, but is having difficulty attracting reasonable offers.

“At this point I think there is no way I am getting traded before spring training,” Daniels said.

Daniels was doing his part to make it a smooth spring by taking ground balls at first base during workouts this week. Daniels lost his position in left field when the Dodgers traded for Eric Davis.

“I am very impressed and proud of Kal for that,” Claire said. “Joey (Amalfitano, coach) said it looked like Kal had really good hands. He was even already making throws to second base.”