BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Mondesi a Virtual Lock to Become Right Fielder

You can pencil in Raul Mondesi as the opening-day right fielder. It is virtually his job to lose and has little to do with the injuries that have beset Cory Snyder. Mondesi has been touted by Manager Tom Lasorda for the last two years and was the favorite coming into camp.

Through the first seven exhibition games, Mondesi is batting .300 and has three stolen bases. He threw out two runners in a recent game and has made some key catches. Of the Dodgers’ seven hits in an 8-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, Mondesi had two.

“Not too many players know I can throw, but maybe more know now,” Mondesi said.

At 5 feet 11, Mondesi weighs 215 pounds, an increase of 60 since he signed with the Dodgers in 1988. He is often kidded by his Dominican Republic teammates about how much he eats, but most of his weight gain is muscle.

“He looks like a big crab,” said Miguel Batista, a friend who pitches for the Montreal Expos.

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Orel Hershiser, who started against the Braves, threw mostly fastballs, giving up four runs and eight hits in four innings.

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The legality of Chan Ho Park’s hesitation pitch has become hotly debated among major league umpires, who may watch Park when he pitches Sunday to determine how they will deal with it.

Park has a series of unorthodox deliveries, but what had some New York Mets confused Monday was his hesitation shortly after the start of his windup, a pause so long that three times batters stepped out of the box.

Lasorda didn’t think the umpire should allow time out after Park had begun his windup, hesitation or not. But National League umpire Bruce Froemming, who worked first base during that game, is not so sure. So he held a meeting Wednesday with Park, his interpreter Don Yi and Dodger pitching coach Ron Perranoski to discuss the topic. Ed Vargo, the league’s director of umpires, may also attend Sunday’s game to check out Park.

Rule 8.01a states that a pitcher must begin his windup while touching the pitching rubber with his pivot foot and the other foot free. “From this position any natural movement associated with his delivery of the ball to the batter commits him to the pitch without interruption or alteration.”