BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : Game Ball Almost Goes Out of the Park

The Dodgers’ 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs had been over for about five minutes, but there were Dodger closer Todd Worrell and pitching coach Dave Wallace standing on the top step of the dugout with worried expressions, looking into the crowd.

Worrell had made a critical mistake.

It turns out that instead of hanging onto the game ball, Worrell flipped it into the crowd to a kid for a souvenir. Worrell didn’t know what he had done until he was told that it was Chan Ho Park’s first career victory.

It not only was the first victory by Park, but the first victory by a Korean pitcher in major league history.

The ball deserved to be in Park’s hands, or in a national museum in South Korea, or perhaps even Cooperstown, not in the hands of some kid who didn’t realize the historical impact.

“I was shocked,” Worrell said. “I thought he already had his first win. Nobody told me. I was looking all over for that kid, but we finally found him.

“I told him, ‘Look, I’ll give you anything you want, but I need that ball.’ I asked what he wanted. I thought he was a Cubs fan, so I knew a Dodger jacket wasn’t going to do.

“I got it back for a couple of new autographed baseballs.

“Thank God.”

*

The Dodgers now have their first true international rotation with starters from five countries--Park (South Korea), Hideo Nomo (Japan), Pedro Astacio (Dominican Republic), Ismael Valdes (Mexico) and Tom Candiotti (United States).

*

First baseman Eric Karros tried to play without long sleeves in the 36-degree temperatures, but finally gave up in the ninth inning.

“I was trying to inspire myself,” said Karros, hitless in his last 16 at-bats. “I was trying to trick myself into thinking I was capable of hitting in this weather.”

*

Second baseman Delino DeShields drew some complaints by the Cubs when he slid hard into shortstop Rey Sanchez, and accidentally spiked him. DeShields said that he simply was trying to break up the double play. “I’m just playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played,” DeShields said. “Those guys have been trying to take me out too. They just haven’t got me yet.” . . . Manager Tom Lasorda would like to give catcher Mike Piazza a day off soon, but backup catcher Carlos Hernandez is not at full strength because of his strained groin.