BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Gott Has a Piece of Ripken Lore

Former Dodger pitcher Jim Gott was sitting home Sunday afternoon, watching football, and pondering his retirement.

Never in his wildest imagination did he believe that in less than 72 hours he’d be in the Hall of Fame.

Gott won his first major league game May 30, 1982, for the Toronto Blue Jays over the Baltimore Orioles, which happened to be the first game of Cal Ripken’s streak.

“I didn’t even know,” Gott said. “It didn’t dawn on me until they called that it was Ripken’s first game.”

The Orioles asked if Gott still had the game ball, and if he did, would he present it tonight to Ripken, celebrating his 2,130th consecutive game, tying Lou Gehrig. The ball would then be presented to the Hall of Fame.

Gott didn’t hesitate in saying yes, took a red-eye flight to Baltimore, and tonight he and his wife, Cathy, will be on a distinguished guest list that includes Henry Aaron, Joe DiMaggio and Ernie Banks.

“What a wonderful way for me to end my career,” said Gott, who underwent major arm surgery two weeks ago. “I’m just in awe right now. I start my career by beating Jim Palmer, a Hall of Famer. And it ends by giving my game ball to the man I believe the baseball gods have selected as the chosen one.

“I still can’t believe I’m going to be there to see it for myself. This is the game everyone wants to see, and I’ll be there. It’s something I’ll treasure for a lifetime.”

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Dodger pitcher Hideo Nomo pitched on the side Monday with no difficulties. He will make his scheduled start tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies, pitching coach Dave Wallace said.

“He threw fine,” Wallace said. “Everything’s on schedule.”

Nomo was forced to leave his last start after pitching 7 1/3 innings because of a cracked fingernail on his right index finger.

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Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said Monday if he had to do it all over again, the organization would not have offered replacement-player contracts to their minor leaguers and instead picked up players outside the organization. Yet, he said, there was no way of knowing that the replacement players would never play a regular-season game.

There are no regrets with the decision to bring up replacement player Mike Busch, he said, simply because he vowed to the replacement players that it would not inhibit anyone from being called up to the big leagues.

“The main question they asked was: ‘Fred, if we play in a spring-training game, and if you have a need for someone at the major-league level, would that stop me from being in the major leagues if there’s a need?’

“I looked at all 35 of them and said, ‘No.’ There were 35 players who put their careers on the line. The organization took a position. It stands by that position,” Claire said.

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Reliever Rudy Seanez cleared waivers and was outrighted to triple-A Albuquerque. Seanez, who is guaranteed $650,000 next season, is expected to pitch in winter ball and compete for a job in 1996. “I’m very happy he wasn’t claimed,” Claire said, “because I believe in his ability.” . . . Phillie starter Sid Fernandez, the ace of the staff, is experiencing shoulder problems and was scratched from tonight’s scheduled start. He will be replaced by Mike Williams (1-2). . . . The Dodgers tried to acquire Phillie third baseman Charlie Hayes before the Aug. 31 deadline, but the Phillies had no interest in trading him. . . . Chad Fonville started his third consecutive game at shortstop in place of Jose Offerman, who has a tender right shoulder.