DODGERS : Mondesi Changing Opinions

Center fielder Raul Mondesi is winning favor with the club, thanks to his change in attitude.

Mondesi was angered last season when Tom Goodwin was called up to Los Angeles instead of him. At the time, Mondesi was the hottest hitter in Albuquerque. He responded by not showing up for one of the Dukes’ games.

The Dodgers responded to that by sending Mondesi a plane ticket to double-A San Antonio.

“When he did not not report to the game that night . . . that is inexcusable and will not be tolerated,” said Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president.

Mondesi, 22, said the demotion changed his attitude.

“I didn’t like being sent down, but I feel better because of that experience,” he said. “I want to work hard and I’m going to work hard all the time. When I am ready to play in the majors, then I want to go there.”

Mondesi has had a good spring, continuing to display excellent defense, speed and batting. But the Dodgers say he is a season away. They have ticketed him for Albuquerque so he can play every day.

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For the first time since anyone asked can remember, the Dodgers have sold fewer than 27,000 season tickets. On Monday, they started selling season seats in the top deck and even in the pavilion, the seats that line the outfield.

The club blames its losing season and the economy for numerous cancellations it received after losing 99 games last season.

After the cancellations, the team went through its waiting list and still came up short. This is also the first time in years the team hasn’t had a waiting list. The Dodgers are showing season seats, no appointment necessary, at the stadium daily except for Sunday.

Dodger attendance last season was 2,473,266, a decrease of more than 1 million from 1991. That was their lowest attendance since 1981, when they drew 2,381,292 and won the World Series during a strike-shortened season. The next season, 1982, the club set a National League record with 3,608,881 and continued to draw more than 3 million the next four seasons. In 1988 and 1989, attendance was a few fans shy of 3 million.

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Tom Glavine pitched six shutout innings to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 6-1 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday at Vero Beach.

Glavine scattered five hits, walked one and struck out two. Meanwhile, the Braves took advantage of a lack of control by starter Ramon Martinez, who gave up five runs on four hits and five walks before leaving the game in the top of the third inning because of a slight left hip strain.