Dodgers’ Karros Takes His Cuts While He Can

Thursday night marked the transcendent moment in Eric Karros’ young career. In his first major league start, playing before several dozen friends and family in his hometown, Karros homered in his first at-bat and sent another ball to the warning track.

His first big-league homer, a rocket into the left-field seats, gave the folks in his Del Cerro neighborhood something to savor. “My dad was probably pumped up,” said Karros, the 24-year-old Dodger first baseman.

But by Friday, Karros had put his shining moment behind him, and was once again pondering a cloudy future.

Karros, pride of Patrick Henry High School and a sixth-round 1988 draft choice out of UCLA, has batted better than .300 in all four stops through the Dodger system. He tore up the Grapefruit League, with a .370 average. He doesn’t feel he has anymore to prove at the minor-league level.

But Karros is caught in a dilemma: He’s third man in a trio of first basemen on a team that doesn’t figure to carry three for very long. And he’s in an organization that hasn’t fed many youngsters into its lineup who aren’t strong-armed pitchers.

So Karros didn’t do much celebrating Friday. He was back out at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium early for some extra batting practice. He wasn’t in the lineup and doesn’t know when he’ll play again--or for whom. His bags are packed for Albuquerque when Dodgers reliever Jay Howell comes off the disabled list, probably next week. He’s still paying for an apartment there.

“It was nice to do it last night, but today’s a new day,” Karros said. “I’ve already put it behind me, just like I would if I had a bad night. It was nice, I’m glad I did it here, in front of a lot of people I knew. More than anything I’m just happy I hit the ball hard three times (he was one for three before being removed for Todd Benzinger).”

Karros is No. 3 on the depth chart behind left-handed Kal Daniels and the switch-hitting Benzinger.

He’s prepared to go to Albuquerque but has been vocal about letting everyone know it won’t be by choice. After hitting .352 at Double-A San Antonio in 1990, Karros hit .316 last year at Albuquerque and had 22 homers and 101 runs batted in. He was the Dodgers minor league player of the year.

“I know it’s a numbers game. When Jay comes back they’re gonna have to make a decision. There’s a pretty good chance I’ll go back to Albuquerque,” he said.

“I’ll be the first to tell you I don’t want to go back to Triple A. I guess they think I need the work--from a developmental standpoint . . . I’d argue that. I don’t think there’s much more for me to prove at Triple A.

“But it’s a numbers game and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Karros didn’t even know he was starting Thursday when he got to the park for some early private batting practice with hitting Coach Ben Hines. With Padres left-hander Craig Lefferts starting, Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda decided to give Karros his first start, but has been noncommittal about platooning his first basemen.

“I came to the park at 2:30 to hit . . . and Ben told me, ‘Don’t overdo it.’ I did figure there was a chance with a lefty (starting),” Karros recalled. “But nobody said anything to me.”

It’s a situation with which Karros has become familiar. And despite his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame, he seems powerless to do much about it.