DODGERS : Gross Ill, but Makes Batters Feel Worse

Kevin Gross felt lousy Monday. He has all spring.

Sniffles, headaches, congestion, sore throat--he could do a commercial.

Kevin Gross also pitched like Don Drysdale. He has all spring.

Fastball, curve, changeup. He even plunked a batter in the back.

Gross does not understand this paradox, and no one has called for a doctor. They hand him a tissue, then the ball.

Gross added to his impressive string of spring performances by pitching five shutout innings against Houston as the Dodgers won, 3-1.

He gave up two hits, one an infield single, and struck out four while walking only one.

In 12 innings spanning three starts, Gross has given up two runs and five hits, has 11 strikeouts and four walks. His spring earned-run average is 1.50.

“I don’t feel great, but my pitching’s been good,” he said.

Despite an 8-13 record last season, Gross probably was the Dodgers’ most consistent starter.

He had a career-best ERA of 3.19, pitched 204 innings, threw his first no-hitter and averaged 6.95 strikeouts per nine innings.

It might be telling of Gross’ maturity that he has not allowed a string of spring fevers to affect his regimen.

“That’s the difference between me now and five or six years ago,” said Gross, 31. “I didn’t try to do anything I couldn’t do. I didn’t try to reach back and throw too hard, or throw the extra-hard curveball. If I felt a little fatigued, I just tried to stay within myself and do my mechanics right. Everything’s working for me right now.”

But in the dugout between innings, Gross felt like nothing was working right.

“Ever since I’ve come to Florida, I’ve had four days in a row when I didn’t have something--that was it,” he said. “When I first got here, it was just sinus problems. Then I started coughing one day. Then my nose was clogged up. Now I don’t know what I’ve got (except) a bad sore throat.

“It’s so raw, I could hardly breathe out there.”

Back at Vero Beach, the team’s proposed closer, Todd Worrell, threw 20 pitches in a simulated game against several Dodgers who did not make the trip to Kissimmee.

Worrell, who has yet to appear in a game because of tendinitis in his shoulder, faced Brett Butler, Jody Reed, Jose Offerman and Kevin Elster.

The reviews were encouraging.

“At the end of last year, Todd was throwing hard,” Butler said. “Today, he had the same velocity. He threw me an incredible changeup, and I’ve never seen his slider better than today.”

Worrell said the pitch he threw to Butler was “the best changeup of my life.”

Worrell left the mound feeling no pain.

“It felt good to get back on the mound and go full speed,” he said. “I threw free and easy, and despite the (cold) conditions, I was pleased with my control.”