BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : New Day, New Position for Fonville

Infielder Chad Fonville was tapped on his shoulder Wednesday afternoon and informed that he should take some fly balls in center field before the game.

“That’s all they told me,” Fonville said. “But the way things have been going, I kind of figured out I’d be playing in center.”

It was the third consecutive game he has started at a different position and the fourth in the last five days.

Oh yeah, it also was the first time in Fonville’s career that he started a game in center field.

“I’m going to have to call my agent and tell him to order me some outfielder’s gloves,” said Fonville, who started in left field Sunday for the first time. “But it’s kind of fun, really. I think I can play any position but catcher. I don’t want to go back there.”

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In what is becoming a ritual in almost every city the Dodgers visit, another out-of-town columnist took a few vicious jabs at Manager Tom Lasorda.

The latest was from Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette, who wrote: “The Dodgers are a Mercedes of a baseball organization with a Ford Pinto engine in the manager’s chair. Lasorda is great at lapping up linguine Lasorda Da Vinci or schmoozing in La-La Land, but managing a baseball team is no longer his thing.

“Without the constant draft of Lasorda, this team would be up there with the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves. . . . Put Felipe Alou in Dodger blue and the Dodgers are 30 games over .500--they have that much talent.”

Lasorda’s reaction: “What is going on here? What is it, time to get Tommy? It’s like people have a personal vendetta.”

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Starter Kevin Tapani, who suffered a strained left quadriceps muscle in Tuesday’s start, said he probably will make his scheduled start Sunday. “I should be all right,” said Tapani, who has not missed a start since the 1990 season when he had a rib-cage pull. “I think I could have even gotten back in [Tuesday], but by the time my leg was wrapped, the inning was over.” . . . The Dodgers will meet early next week to decide who’ll be called up from the minor leagues Sept. 1. Center fielder Roger Cedeno, catcher Tom Prince and left-hander Joey Eischen are virtual locks. The Dodgers are undecided whether top outfield prospect Karim Garcia will be included in the group because the 40-man roster will be filled once they call up Prince. . . . The Dodgers are planning to activate outfielder Chris Gwynn on Sept. 1, which would permit him to be on the postseason roster that must be submitted Aug. 31.