BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : A Short, Strange Trip for Rodriguez

The Dodgers have had some fascinating player discoveries, but there are few stories more compelling than that of reliever Felix Rodriguez, who made his major league debut Saturday night, pitching one-third of an inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rodriguez, 22, was raised on a sugar cane plantation in the remote town of Montecristi, Dominican Republic, without electricity or running water. Now he’s in the big leagues, called up Friday.

Rodriguez was a catcher only two years ago, never having thrown a pitch. Today, scouts say that he has the finest arm in the organization.

“You can go up and down through the baseball encyclopedia,” said Fred Claire, executive vice president, “and I don’t know if you’ll find anyone at the major league level who has pitched only two years of his life.”

It was two years ago in spring training when third base coach Joe Amalfitano began marveling at Rodriguez’s arm. He had just seen him throw the ball so hard that it knocked the glove off second baseman Jody Reed’s hand.

Rodriguez’s stay might be short considering that his triple-A experience consists of three games, but in time, Claire says, “You’re going to be seeing a tremendous relief pitcher.”

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The Dodgers are planning a rash of moves Monday night when teams are required to cut their rosters to 25. They are expected to option outfielder Reggie Williams, infielder Eddie Pye and Rodriguez to triple-A Albuquerque. They will also probably purchase the contract of catcher Tom Prince and send Noe Munoz back to Albuquerque.

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It was a game that Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully called, “The most forgettable game I’ve ever seen.”

Said Cardinal Manager Joe Torre: “If you can forget it, yeah.”

The Dodgers’ 8-4 victory over the Cardinals on Friday night produced 12 errors, three shy of the modern National League record, and had Torre screaming at his team in the clubhouse.

“It was the worst damn game I’ve been involved in,” Torre said. “It was embarrassing. I don’t know if there are any explanations for it, but there’s no excuse for it.”