Dodgers to Open at Home Against Phillies

The Dodgers, who tendered contracts to all of the players on their 40-man roster by Friday’s deadline, will open their 1997 season April 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium.

The opener will begin a nine-game homestand that features a tribute April 5 to the memory of Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier 50 years ago.

The Dodgers will play their first interleague game June 12 against the Athletics in Oakland and will play the Angels June 17-18 at Dodger Stadium and July 2-3 at Anaheim Stadium.

Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of the schedule is that they will play the National League West Division champion San Diego Padres only twice after July 6. The teams played seven times in the last 10 games in last year’s race that went down to the final game.

In other news, the Dodgers will soon begin negotiations on long-term contracts with first baseman Eric Karros and catcher Mike Piazza, each of whom is eligible for arbitration. They also are planning to offer multiyear contracts to outfielder Todd Hollandsworth, the 1996 rookie of the year, and starting pitcher Ismael Valdes.

The Dodgers learned Friday that they had lost pitcher Felix Rodriguez on waivers to the Cincinnati Reds.

* SCHEDULE: C12