Oates Entertained the Kid Piazza

Texas Ranger Manager Johnny Oates, a former Dodger catcher, was one of the first to realize Mike Piazza had the potential to be a great catcher.

Piazza’s father, Vince, a lifelong friend of former Dodger manager Tom Lasorda, brought Mike into the Dodger clubhouse.

“I think he was 7,” Oates recalled, though it was more like when Piazza was 10 or 11. “I made sure to pay attention to him. I was a real [people pleaser]. I played catch with him.”

In the Ranger-Dodger series, Piazza is matched against Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez, voted the American League’s starter for next week’s All-Star game.

Piazza, the National League’s leading vote-getter for the All-Star game, is batting .438 in June with eight home runs and 25 RBIs and has increased his average 46 points from .321 to .367.

Rodriguez, who leads the AL with 110 hits, batted .419 in his last nine games with four doubles, a triple, a home run and four RBIs.

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Dodger Executive Vice President Fred Claire said he is disappointed with the club’s first-half performance. The Dodgers, 39-42, were 42-39 after 81 games last season. But they were 48-33 in the second half last season to earn their second consecutive playoff berth.

“You can’t be [three] games under .500 and [eight] games out and be pleased,” Claire said.

TONIGHT’S GAME

DODGERS’ TOM CANDIOTTI (4-2, 2.76 ERA) vs. RANGERS’ JULIO SANTANA (3-3, 6.03 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m.

* TV--Channel 5. Radio--KABC (790), KWKW (1330).

* Update--Candiotti, who replaced Ramon Martinez in the rotation, is making his third start. He pitched seven shutout innings in an 11-0 victory against the San Francisco Giants in his first start, and gave up four runs on five hits in six innings in a 9-7 loss to the San Diego Padres in his last start. Raul Mondesi, who missed Sunday’s 10-4 victory over the Padres because of a shoulder injury, started Monday night, getting a second-inning double. Santana, who hasn’t won since May 31, made three scoreless relief appearances after being moved to the bullpen because of off days in the Ranger schedule.