Zeile Hopes Revolving Door Ends

It has been the black hole of the Dodger organization, the deficiency that has nagged the franchise since long before it moved to Los Angeles.

The Dodgers have had 22 different opening-day third basemen since moving from Brooklyn in 1958. They have used 24 third basemen since the end of the 1986 season.

“It’s not like we traded away anybody,” said Fred Claire, executive vice president. “In fact, we’ve given a lot of young people opportunities at third. So it’s strange.

“Honestly, if you go back in the 100-year history of the Dodgers, even before Ron Cey, there was a revolving door at third base. Hopefully, now we have the guy to stop that traffic.”

Todd Zeile, a lifetime Dodger fan born the day of Sandy Koufax’s perfect game, who still treasures an autographed baseball he got from Lee Lacy, played at UCLA and lives in Santa Clarita, signed a three-year, $9.5-million contract Monday, hoping to become the third baseman of the Dodgers.

“Hopefully, I’m not just the 25th in a long succession,” Zeile said. “Hopefully, I’ll be staying here for a while.”

Zeile, 31, who bought 10 season tickets that he intends to donate to charities for underprivileged youth, is expected to bat fifth or sixth and has averaged 19 homers and 82 RBIs since 1983.

“It feels like I’ve spent 10 years in professional baseball trying to become a Dodger,” Zeile said. “I’ve been in transition in hopes of someday landing here. It’s the culmination of a lot of work. It’s the fulfillment of a dream for me.”

The Dodgers tried to acquire Zeile from the Philadelphia Phillies before the Aug. 31 trading deadline last year but would not give up rookie center fielder Roger Cedeno to get him. Zeile instead was traded to the Orioles.

Once the season ended and Zeile was a free agent, he told his agent, Seth Levinson, that his priority was to play with the Dodgers. He even rejected more money from the San Francisco Giants to sign his deal, which will pay him $3.1 million in 1997, and $3.2 million each in 1998 and 1999.

Dodger Notes

The Dodgers, who picked up second baseman Jeff Berblinger in the Rule 5 draft from the St. Louis Cardinals after a trade with the Detroit Tigers, probably will now stand pat until spring training, Fred Claire said. The Dodgers must keep Berblinger on their major league roster the entire season or offer him back to the Cardinals. Berblinger, 26, batted .288 with 32 doubles, seven triples, 11 homers, 53 RBIs and 23 stolen bases for double-A Arkansas last season. The Dodgers designated pitcher Felix Rodriguez for assignment to make room for Todd Zeile on the roster.