BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Schofield Added to Mix at Shortstop

Dick Schofield may be a light-hitting shortstop with little range, an average arm and no speed, but he sure created a commotion Thursday in the Dodgers’ spring training camp.

The Dodgers finally were playing baseball, beating the Florida Marlins, 7-1, in their exhibition opener at Holman Field, but the game was overshadowed by the signing of Schofield.

Although the Dodgers privately admit that Schofield, 32, is little threat to starting shortstop Jose Offerman, his arrival creates intriguing possibilities.

The Dodgers now would be free to trade Offerman, using Schofield and Rafael Bournigal. They could keep Schofield on the team as a backup, using him to motivate Offerman, and option Bournigal to triple-A Albuquerque. Or they could take a look at Schofield, decide they don’t need him and dump him in two weeks.

The Dodgers say they’ll keep an open mind. Yet, they’re expected to keep Offerman as their starter and send Bournigal to the minors.

“I don’t try to prove nothing to nobody,” said Offerman, who went two for three with a double, scored two runs and made a one-handed, running play on a slow grounder. “I’m just going to play my game.

“So I got no reaction (to Schofield). It makes no difference. He’s just another guy coming to help the team.”

Bournigal, who finished last season as the Dodgers’ starting shortstop, immediately realized the possible repercussions. He has been slow recovering from a torn hamstring during the winter, and although he insists he will be ready by opening day, the Dodgers might not take the chance.

“I’m not going to sit there and lie to you,” Bournigal said, “I’m disappointed. There’s no doubt in my mind I can play in the big leagues, and I think I’ve proved that.”

Schofield, a lifetime .230 hitter, became the Blue Jays’ starting shortstop last season when they decided rookie Alex Gonzalez wasn’t ready. Schofield batted .255 with four homers and 32 RBIs, committing 11 errors in 95 games.

“I would seriously doubt that Offerman or Bournigal will be thrilled by the move, but this gives us depth in case anything should arise,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president.

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Left fielder Billy Ashley put on his pants and jersey, laced his spikes and was ready to walk onto the field when he casually looked at the clubhouse clock.

It was only 11:30 a.m., 1 1/2 hours before game time.

“It’s been so long, I couldn’t wait to get out there and play again,” said Ashley, who went one for two with an RBI. “Besides, it was my first start in a spring training game. I guess I got too excited.”

The Dodgers drew a crowd of only 1,788--329 less than the average of 2,117 fans for the replacement games. Yet, tourist season is over, and the Dodgers don’t expect any weekday crowds larger than 2,000 the entire spring.

“We waited a long time for this day,” Manager Tom Lasorda said. “We can’t look back now.”

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Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo, pitching in front of 13 television cameras, most of them from Japan, made his spring training debut in dramatic style. He worked two hitless innings, walking the bases loaded in the fifth and retiring the side in order in the sixth.

The highlight came when pitching coach Dave Wallace and catcher Mike Piazza went to the mound for a conference. Wallace, checking with Nomo’s translator, wanted to say, “Get the ball down.” Yet, it came out wrong.

“Maybe Dave forgot his Japanese,” Nomo said.

Said Wallace: “I don’t know what I said, but he got out of it.”

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What were the Marlins’ reactions to Nomo?

“His windup was so slow that you could take a nap,” third baseman Gary Sheffield said, “and when he finally released it, you were ready to hit.”

Said first baseman Greg Colbrunn: “His motion threw me off some. His windup is a lot different from anybody we’ve seen. I know he got me today.”

Nomo’s fastball was clocked consistently at 90-91 m.p.h. on the speed gun and twice reached 93.

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Third baseman Tim Wallach, sidelined because of bulging disks in his lower back, worked out again Thursday and is tentatively scheduled to play Sunday. . . . Right fielder Henry Rodriguez, wanting to submit his candidacy for a starting job, went three for three with a homer and two RBIs. “I just want the chance to show what I can do,” he said.