BASEBALL / ROSS NEWHAN : At 95 M.P.H., Little Dibble Will Do It

Maybe it was wishful thinking on the part of the Dodgers after Rob Dibble visited Vero Beach last month to have his right shoulder examined by Dr. Frank Jobe.

Maybe, after Jobe gave him the whole spectrum of possibilities, it was Dibble’s own expression of concern that the discomfort could be serious, that he could be sidelined indefinitely.

At any rate, it seems to have been much ado about nothing more than a little tendinitis and a weakening of the muscles behind the shoulder, which can be easily corrected with weight work.

The Cincinnati Reds’ relief ace returned from the 15-day disabled list Thursday, rejoining a bullpen that has been held together by Norm Charlton, who has five saves in six opportunities.

“If I’m throwing 95, 96 m.p.h. instead of 100, I’m still going to be able to get guys out, and that’s the bottom line,” Dibble said.

“I’m not going to be striking out as many guys as I normally would, but I’m not looking for that. I’m looking to spot my ball and pitch instead of trying to be Hercules all the time and throw the ball by everybody. That didn’t work out during the second half of last season, and in the long run this might be the best thing for my career.”

Dibble suggested that he might be mixing in more sliders and changeups now, although pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Dibble’s function isn’t to dabble, it’s to intimidate and light up the speed gun.

“His job is to turn the ball loose, not to finesse people,” Rothschild said. “He’s a power pitcher, plain and simple.”

The Reds, Manager Lou Piniella said, will try to limit Dibble to an inning per appearance, relying more on the depth of a rebuilt bullpen. Scott Ruskin came from Montreal, Dwayne Henry from Houston, Scott Bankhead from Seattle and Charlton from a mixed role as starter-reliever to serve as Dibble’s set-up man, replacing Randy Myers, who was traded to the San Diego Padres for Bip Roberts.

“The truth of the matter is that we’ve had a lot of people pitching out of their roles,” Piniella said. “We’ve had guys in situations they normally wouldn’t be in, but I think it will pay dividends down the road and make them better pitchers.”

Charlton, for example, will continue to get an occasional save opportunity, although he said he doesn’t know if he will ever be completely comfortable with the assignment, that it has been more difficult than he anticipated.

“You never really know what it’s like until you get on the roller coaster,” he said.

BIP’S BONUS

The Reds are on a nine-game West Coast trip, hoping to sustain their strong start. Dibble is back, but the status of shortstop Barry Larkin is day to day because of a bruised knee, Chris Sabo is on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained ankle and Hal Morris might sit out at least four weeks because of a broken hand.

Of the several off-season moves by General Manager Bob Quinn, none has been better than the acquisition of the versatile Roberts. The Reds used 10 leadoff men last year. In their first eight games of ‘92, leadoff man Roberts opened the first inning with six singles and two walks.

ROSEN RIPS

San Francisco Giant President Al Rosen, in a recent Times interview, was critical of the Dodgers in several areas, with this topper:

“Despite what Tommy (Lasorda) says, he’s going to gulp every time a ball is hit to the infield.”

Rosen was at it again the other day in an interview with Glenn Dickey of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“Obviously, I think much more highly of our club than some of the writers do,” Rosen said of the Giants. “There’s no way this is a fifth-place club. I can’t believe some of the teams that people are picking to finish ahead of us. The Dodgers, for instance.

“They lost power when they lost Eddie Murray, their pitching won’t be as strong without Tim Belcher, Mike Scioscia has lost something with age, and have you seen their infield?”

Gulp, indeed.

BRONX CHEER

The New York Yankees were never known for stability under George Steinbrenner, but his son-in-law, Joseph Molloy, who recently was approved by Commissioner Fay Vincent as the team’s managing general partner, is already discussing a contract extension for Manager Buck Showalter.

Molloy said it stems more from the new work ethic and organization that Showalter has provided than the team’s strong start.

Or as relief pitcher Steve Farr said: “For the first time in my eight years in baseball, everybody knows the plays.”

O’S ANGERED

He might be sidelined only the 15 days of his current stint on the disabled list, but the Baltimore Orioles are not happy that Glenn Davis is on it to start with and are concerned that the muscle strain below his left shoulder may put Davis out considerably longer.

Manager John Oates recently slammed his office door on reporters trying to learn the nature of an injury that has sidelined Davis since the second game of the season.

“I was told two days, then it was seven, and now it will be another seven or more,” Oates said.

Signed to a $3.275-million contract last year after the Orioles traded Pete Harnisch, Steve Finley and Chuck Schilling to the Houston Astros, Davis appeared in only 49 games while battling a rare nerve injury.

The memory of the first baseman’s absence last season and his inability to provide protection for Cal Ripken Jr. haunts the Orioles, although they re-signed him to a $2.8-million contract as a free agent and their doctors say the current injury is not associated with the nerve problem of last year.

“All we can do is go on the assumption that this will be the two weeks we’re told it will be,” club President Larry Luchino said.

Davis? He has said little more than the new injury feels as if he was shot in the back. More like another pain in the neck, some in the organization think.

FENWAY FUSS

Mike Greenwell, frustrated by the booing of Fenway Park fans and believing that it stems from his negative portrayal by the Boston media, is reportedly close to asking the club to trade him.

“Don’t ever think you guys don’t have the power to do what you’ve done,” Greenwell said at an impromptu news conference, overlooking, perhaps, what his dwindling home run totals and 1991 scuffles with teammates Luis Rivera and Mo Vaughn might have done to the fans’ attitude. He hit only nine homers last season.

“In general, this comes from you all, not my baseball ability, and the sad part is that I can’t bring my 3-year-old son to watch me play (because of the booing), and that hurts,” he said.

DEER TRACKS

Rob Deer had one of baseball’s strangest seasons in 1991. The Detroit Tiger outfielder hit 25 home runs, but had only 80 hits in all. His batting average, .179, barely exceeded his strikeouts, 175.

Deer is back at it. His first five hits were home runs, meaning that at that point, 30, or 38%, of his last 85 hits had been homers.

At that pace, if Deer gets 550 times at bat, he will hit 106 home runs, which might prompt a sequel to “The Babe.” Of course, Deer has to make contact, a problem throughout his career but one he is confident he can now lick, although he is batting only .217.

Deer, at the urging of teammate Tony Phillips, got free lessons from Chicago White Sox batting instructor Walt Hriniak at Hriniak’s batting academy at Tufts University.

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf allows Hriniak to work with players from other teams, as long as they are not in the American League West, a curious policy, considering that the White Sox, as do all AL teams, play more games outside their division than in.

NAMES AND NUMBERS

* Streak: The New York Yankees’ six victories at the start of the season were within one of the club record, set in 1933. On the team were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Bill Dickey and Earle Combs, but the Yankees finished a disappointing second that year to the Washington Senators. This Yankee team--coming off 273 defeats in the last three years--would be delighted with second.

* Debut: Brien Taylor, the Yankees’ $1.55-million bonus baby of last summer, was clocking 93 to 96 m.p.h. during the five innings of his first pro start Monday, earning a 9-3 victory by the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees over the Port St. Lucie Mets in a Florida State League game. “Easy gas,” said Mark Newman, the Yankees’ minor league coordinator. “I’ve never seen a kid throw that hard that easy.”

* Blueprint: With Gary DiSarcina and Bobby Rose getting their shots at shortstop and second base, respectively, the Angels might next turn their attention to third base. They have four selections among the first 48 in the June draft, including the eighth overall, and are rumored to have Cal State Fullerton third baseman Phil Nevin currently rated their top choice.

* Banking: The addition of Schofield’s $1.5-million salary increased the New York Mets’ already record payroll to almost $46 million. The Mets almost drew a financial line, according to a club scout, and went for Cleveland Indian shortstop Felix Fermin, who is guaranteed $950,000 in 1992 and, unlike Schofield, cannot become a free agent when the season ends.

* Speed Factor: The Mets hoped Vince Coleman would give them a new element after Darryl Strawberry left as a free agent before last season. Coleman signed a four-year deal for almost $12 million. But through his first 173 games with the team, he has appeared in 76 and sat out 97 because of leg injuries, the latest a hamstring pull that has put him on the 15-day disabled list.

* On a Roll: No one has pitched better since last midseason than Andy Benes of the San Diego Padres. He is 13-1 in his last 17 starts with a 1.64 earned-run average.