Not Everyone Loves Their Chances

The Dodgers have been anything but shy about how good they will be this season, and most prognosticators are predicting a Dodger runaway, but Cub Manager Jim Riggleman has a sobering thought.

“I don’t think anybody will run away with anything,” he said. “I think that division will be very competitive, especially with those three teams [the Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies].”

The Cubs, who saw the Padres all spring, say San Diego will give the Dodgers everything they can handle. The Dodgers may be the team to beat, but the Cubs say the Dodgers are fooling themselves if they think they’re going to run away with it.

“The Dodgers have been talking a lot about how there’s no way they can lose,” Cub center fielder Brian McRae said. “But [the Padres] are a good team. They have some of the better young arms in the league.”

Said Riggleman: “[Cubs first base coach Dan] Radison thinks the Padres will score more runs than anybody in the National League with the exception of the Rockies because of Coors Field. I like their lineup. I don’t there’ll be many games where the Padres will score only four runs. I think they’ll score five, six, seven runs a game.

“Believe me, it will be interesting.”

Certainly, Colorado Rockies Manager Don Baylor says he’s not impressed with the Dodgers and their confident attitude.

“They don’t intimidate me or the club,” Baylor told the Rocky Mountain News. “They might irritate but they don’t intimidate. I told our players there are certain things that feed you and motivate you. That’s one of them. They can talk a great game, but you have to win on the field.

“We’re not going to be distracted by idle threats when we go on the field.”

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Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said that umpire John McSherry’s death will inspire him to start losing weight, but he said, as McSherry had, that when his time comes, he would like to die on the baseball field.

“Why not?” Lasorda said. “If you want to pick a place where you want to go, you might as well pick a place where you’re happy.”

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Pitcher Ramon Martinez raised a few eyebrows when he walked outside wearing a short-sleeved shirt and no socks.

“I’m tough,” Martinez said, not wanting to confess that he had forgotten his jacket.

Said Dodger starter Ismael Valdes, who’s scheduled Sunday: “I’m not sure if I’m ready for this. I’ve never seen snow in my entire life, so I sure don’t want to see it on the pitcher’s mound.”

Said left fielder Billy Ashley: “My dad usually comes down to Chicago, but it’s so cold, he’s not even coming.”

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Pitcher Hideo Nomo, who told reporters that he will break his recent silence today in a mini-press conference, was planning to go to Thursday night’s Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat game to watch his idol, Michael Jordan. Lasorda and his coaching staff also were going, to see Pat Riley, the former Laker coach now coaching the Heat.