BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Wallach Draws High Praise From Claire
Third baseman Tim Wallach has the highest ranking a player can have, according to Executive Vice President Fred Claire.
“He’s a gamer,” Claire said. “The other day in Montreal his thumb was all cut up when he took a ball off of it, and he wouldn’t even go in and have it looked at. He didn’t even want anybody to know about it.
“As far as examples go, you can’t find anybody better than Wallach and Brett Butler. The way they prepare for a game, take care of themselves, they are both gamers.”
Butler, 36, has been on base with a hit or walk in all but one game this season and needs four hits to reach 2,000. Wallach, 36, is the only Dodger to start every game this season.
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Former Dodger shortstop Bill Russell is the bench coach, but he works with infield coach Joe Amalfitano and pays particular attention to Jose Offerman.
Offerman, in his third season as the Dodger shortstop, is fielding better than in the past. After 34 games last season he had nine errors. This season, he has four.
“I think maturity is the main reason he is fielding better,” Russell said. “The last couple of years have been tough for him. “
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