BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Piazza, Gwynn Share a Laugh on Rivalry

San Diego Padre outfielder Tony Gwynn walked to home plate in the first inning Thursday, started to dig in, and then broke out laughing, having to step away.

Dodger catcher Mike Piazza kidded Gwynn about the National League batting title, saying it’s time he step aside and allow Piazza to win.

“What does he need another batting title for,” Piazza said, “so he can make a bannister out of them?”

Gwynn, who began the game batting .365, is vying for his sixth batting title. Piazza, who was batting .357, is bidding for his first.

“I’m in position to win it, I’d love to win it,” Gwynn said, “but it’s not life or death for me. I’ve been in this position more than anybody in the league.

“If I don’t win it, I know I’ll be back next year with the chance to win it. But for Mike, he wants to win it bad. I think he feels he has to take advantage of it because you only have so many opportunities to win a batting title.

“The kind of player he is, he’s got a chance to be the MVP for a lot of years, but he might not have too many seasons where he’s batting .360.

“But I hate this. For the season to come down to this, and for this to be the focus, is ridiculous.”

Piazza, who never imagined that he’d still be in the batting title hunt with 10 games remaining, says he plans to enjoy the batting race. Besides, it can take a little pressure off the division race.

“If I’m going to have a chance to win it,” Piazza said, “I’m going to have to be within two or three points the last two days. It’s something I certainly would enjoy to win, but you’ve got to keep it in perspective.

“Maybe if we make some nasty pitches on him, we can shut him down to one or two hits a game and not three and four.”

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Gwynn may be an 11-time all-star, a five-time batting champion and a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, but he still remembers wanting to play collegiately at Cal State Fullerton, only to be rejected by Coach Augie Garrido because he also wanted to play basketball.

“I never let [Garrido] forget it,” Gwynn said. “I rag him all of the time. I wasn’t good enough. They had [Tim] Wallach and all of those other guys.”

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Gwynn doesn’t reflect the views of all his teammates, but considering he grew up a die-hard Dodger fan and his brother, Chris, plays for the Dodgers, he’s pulling for the Dodgers to win the National League West.

“I’d still like to see a Gwynn make it to the show,” he said, “and it doesn’t look like it will be me.”