DODGERS : Parrish Gets Word on Catcher Situation

The Dodgers told Lance Parrish Monday that he will make the club only if the team decides to keep three catchers.

Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president, and Manager Tom Lasorda have decided to keep Mike Piazza and Carlos Hernandez, and Lasorda has said he is leaning toward Piazza as the starter.

“They didn’t want me sitting at my locker and wondering what was going on,” said Parrish, who met with Claire and Lasorda on Monday, “and I appreciate it.”

But keeping three catchers is somewhat unlikely.

If reliever Todd Worrell is ready, the team will probably go with 10 pitchers. Adding in the rest of the starters, plus backup outfielders Mitch Webster and Cory Snyder, that leaves four spots on the roster.

Barring a trade--which might happen because the team does- n’t need eight infielders and does need a left-handed stopper--Dodger insiders say three of those spots will go to utility infielders Lenny Harris, Dave Hansen and Mike Sharperson.

Harris and Sharperson play second and third base and Hansen plays third and is working in at first.

The remaining spot is expected to go to shortstop Kevin Elster, if his arm is sound.

If it is not, then the Dodgers will select from outfielders Tom Goodwin and Henry Rodriguez, both of whom are having a great spring, or choose Parrish.

However, Worrell has pitched only one inning in an intra-squad game, and the team might carry 11 pitchers as precaution.

The Dodgers have to decide by March 30 whether to keep Elster and/or Parrish because after that they would go on the payroll.

In Parrish’s case, Claire said it’s not a matter of what he can’t do, but what the young catchers have done.

“Can Lance Parrish still drive the ball? Yes, he has shown us he can,” Claire said.

Parrish, who is hitting .150 in exhibition games but has hit at least two home runs in intrasquad games, says he doesn’t have any options with other clubs.

“I think I’ve done a good job, but I’m not hitting .600,” said Parrish, referring to Piazza, who is batting .571.

” . . . In fact, I probably need to get on the horn and see what is cooking.”

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With the sun shining Monday for the first time in eight days, the Dodgertown crew warily pulled the tarp off the field at Holman Stadium.

To the crew’s surprise, not much remained of the foot-deep water that had covered the entire field the day before.

It was too late to reschedule the canceled game against the New York Yankees, so the team played another intrasquad game.

There is an exhibition game scheduled for today, when the team travels to central Florida to play the Kansas City Royals at Baseball City.

Then there are games scheduled at Vero Beach for Wednesday and Thursday, but another storm is predicted for tonight.

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The Dodgers sent infielders Mike Busch and Eddie Pye and outfielder Billy Ashley to triple-A Albuquerque and released nonroster pitchers Wally Ritchie and Lance McCullers.

The club has 13 days remaining to cut the roster to 25.