Retirement in Sight for Gagne

Shortstop Greg Gagne, off to the best start of his career, said Saturday that he is strongly considering retiring after this season.

Gagne has told several friends, including Gary Gaetti of the St. Louis Cardinals, that he will make this his final season.

“This could be my last year,” said Gagne, who leads the team with a .351 batting average. “You don’t know when is the right time, but I think this could be it. I’ve told some of my friends I’m going to be retiring.

“It’s a big decision, and there are a lot of things that’ll go with it. But it’s been tough on my family. It’s like, ‘Do I know them anymore?’

“I’ll sit down at the end of the season and know for sure.”

The Dodgers, who have a $3.2-million option on Gagne’s services for 1998, could find themselves in a bit of trouble if Gagne retires. Their top shortstop prospect is Alex Cora, 21, but he is playing at double-A San Antonio and is projected to be two years away from the major leagues.

“I think he’s nuts for retiring,” Gaetti said. “He still has a lot of good years left in him. Hopefully, he’ll change his mind because he seems like he’s getting better with age.”

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Struggling third baseman Todd Zeile was summoned Saturday for a private meeting with Manager Bill Russell.

“This is a bad start, it’s been the worst start in my history,” said Zeile, who is mired in a two-for-28 slump, and is batting .145. “It’s a mental challenge right now.

“I’ve got to get past the mental thing. I’ve got to get everything out of my mind before I walk to the plate.

“You’ve got to believe you can do it, before you do it. As soon as there’s doubt, and you don’t believe in yourself, that’s when you’ve got problems.”

Zeile did snap a 16 at-bat hitless skein with a fifth-inning double, but followed it by reaching base on an error and striking out.

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Marlin right fielder Gary Sheffield said he has been flooded with hate mail since being quoted that racism exists in baseball.

“It’s been bad, man, real bad,” Sheffield. “I’m getting all kinds of mail. Most of them tell me since I’m being paid so well, I should keep my mouth shut, like I don’t have the right to talk.

“You wonder just how much has changed in society, you really do.”

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Infielder Paul Konerko, the Dodgers’ top prospect who was batting .405 at triple-A Albuquerque, suffered a cracked bone in his left wrist and was put on the seven-day disabled list. The Dodgers are hoping he’ll be able to return in May.

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If anyone can relate to the Dodgers’ hitting woes, it is Marlin third baseman Bobby Bonilla. He has yet to hit a home run, and has only four RBIs--none since April 4. He was loudly booed Saturday after grounding out in the sixth inning.

“When I first got here,” Bonilla said, “people were wondering if I could play defense. Now, they’re wondering if I can hit. But why should I be worried? Let other people worry.

“I don’t judge myself on the way I start a season. I judge myself on the way I finish it.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TONIGHT’S GAME

DODGERS’ PEDRO ASTACIO (2-0, 2.35 ERA) vs. MARLINS’ PAT RAPP

(2-1, 5.64 ERA)

Pro Player Stadium, 5 p.m.

TV--ESPN. Radio--KABC (790), KWKW (1330).

* Update--Catcher Mike Piazza returned to the starting lineup Saturday night after being sidelined one game because of a bruised left knee. Piazza, however, has struggled against Rapp, batting .214 (three for 14). And if third baseman Todd Zeile did not have enough problems, he is hitting only .154 (two for 13) off Rapp in his career. Manager Bill Russell benched rookie second baseman Wilton Guerrero on Saturday night and played veteran Nelson Liriano. He was undecided who will start tonight, although Liriano is hitless in 10 at-bats against Rapp. Rapp is 1-3 with a 3.37 earned-run average against the Dodgers. He was hammered in his last start, yielding 13 hits and 10 earned runs in only 2 2/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. “But you’ve got to remember that the Rockies got 20 hits off John Smoltz at the stadium,” Marlin Manager Jim Leyland said. “They’re awfully dangerous there. That doesn’t justify anything, but it can happen.” Astacio has beaten the Marlins more than any team in the league, going 5-1 with a 2.67 ERA. Astacio needs four strikeouts to reach 500.