BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Draft Pick Hides Out to Escape Hubbub

The Dodgers’ top draft pick, Darren Dreifort, headed for a resort in Branson, Mo., Thursday to consider the Dodgers’ offer of a $1.3-million signing bonus. The money, though generous, is a lot less than what Dreifort had been told he would get from the Seattle Mariners, who at one time were going to make Dreifort the overall No. 1 pick. The Mariners indicated to Dreifort that he would get more than $2 million and a major league contract, according to a close friend of the Dreifort family.

That’s what Dreifort was expecting when the Mariners switched gears and instead picked high school shortstop Alex Rodriguez. The Dodgers, picking second, chose Dreifort, who is a relief pitcher.

The Dodgers’ first offer to Dreifort was $600,000 and no major league contract. The Dodgers have since increased that to $1.3 million, saying it is their final offer. Dreifort and his parents recently dropped their demand for a three-year major league contract.

Meanwhile, Dreifort’s father, John, called an insurance company Thursday to renew a policy for career-ending injuries. That policy would be in force if Dreifort returns to classes at Wichita State, where he will be a senior. Once he attends a class, the Dodgers lose the rights to him.

Darren, who has the final decision, left town to get away from all the attention he is receiving in Wichita, according to a family friend who did not want to be identified.

Apparently media attention he has received in the Wichita area has been critical. “Darren is a good kid and the Dreiforts are being made to look really bad and its not fair,” the family friend said. “His option is to play here for the (Wichita State University) Shockers, and people here would love to see him play for the Shockers. The baseball coach has said he’ll have him start instead of relieve and that would make him a different kind of ballplayer. Then next year, he could hire an agent. He wouldn’t have to worry about jeopardizing his NCAA eligibility. It’s a typical hard-working family up against one of the richest organizations in baseball. It’s the classic David and Goliath story.”

Attorney Scott Boras has been advising the Dreiforts, but he cannot negotiate for them. The family friend said that when the Dodgers went to Wichita last week they brought five people from the organization. John Dreifort thought that going up against five people would be rather overwhelming, so he told the Dodgers they could bring only three.

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Something happened after the Dodgers’ 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday night that should not go unnoticed: Jim Gott had nothing to say.

It is something of a phenomenon for Gott, who is nicknamed “the Mayor” because he talks to anybody about anything. But Gott gave up the winning run in the 12th inning of a game that had droned on for nearly 4 hours with the Dodgers stranding 17 baserunners. And after that, he was silent.

“Some of the reporters came by and I just told them that I had nothing to say,” Gott said Thursday. “Then (a reporter) turned a recorder on and I said, ‘Just turn that off.’ What could I possibly say? I threw three bad pitches and lost a game after Pedro Martinez and Tom Candiotti had pitched brilliantly. I hate to lose ever.”

Gott, who has been the closer all season, has blown only three saves in 27 attempts. His 24 saves tie him for second behind Jay Howell’s 28 on the single-season Dodger save list. He has had good control all season and has given up only 16 walks while striking out 62 in 72 2/3 innings. He has a 2.23 earned-run average in 56 games, and is a major reason why the Dodgers have improved their record in one-run games from 17-40 last season to 21-18 this season.