BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Helmets for Coaches Not a Bad Idea

When Bucky Dent, third base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, was hit in the back of the head recently by a line drive by Tom Pagnozzi, the incident did not go unnoticed by Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully. For years, Scully has been after baseball to require field coaches to wear helmets.

Dent, who said he has been hit in the legs and arms but never in the head, said he saw the ball coming but couldn’t get out of the way. “It scared me to death,” said Dent, who was knocked down by the ball but returned to the game without injury. “Since then, I ordered a liner (molded out of a form of plastic) to wear inside my hat. Buddy Bradshaw used to play with one, and so did Pete Rose, so I thought I would give it a try.”

Dent and Dodger first base coach Ben Hines, who was hit on the arm by a line drive by Brett Butler earlier this season, both said they thought wearing an actual batting-type of helmet would be cumbersome and hot. “It’s not a macho thing,” Hines said. “If a helmet was required, I wouldn’t object.”

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After playing in 117 of 129 games this season, Ozzie Smith took a couple of games off at his request. Smith, in his 16th major league season, is batting a .281 with 43 runs batted in, 62 runs and 17 stolen bases. He leads his team with 130 hits and is on a pace for his highest RBI total since 1987, when he had 75.

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Injury report: Dave Hansen remained at home because of flu Saturday. . . . Eric Davis and Lenny Harris, sidelined because of ankle injuries, were available to pinch-hit Saturday. . . . Darryl Strawberry took batting practice again and is progressing well. . . . Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said that when rosters expand Sept. 1, the players called up from triple-A Albuquerque may be delayed a bit. “Why have them come up here and sit on the bench when (Manager Bill) Russell is in a fight for a pennant?” Claire said. . . . Converted catcher Felix Rodriguez threw a no-hitter for the Vero Beach Dodgers (Class A), who beat Sarasota, 11-0, Saturday.