They Watched and Waited Too Long

There is a green sectional sofa inside the visitors’ clubhouse of Coors Field, where several Dodgers plant themselves, to watch San Francisco’s game on a large-screen TV. They have just clubbed the Colorado Rockies, 10-4. All they can do now is watch a Rocky Mountain horror picture show.

Their own work done, catcher Tom Prince sits beside bullpen catcher Jerry Berteotti, who sits by pitcher Mark Guthrie, who sits by outfielder Billy Ashley, who sits by infielder Eric Karros, who sits by pitcher Darren Dreifort, who sits by infielder Wilton Guerrero. The TV tells the story. Giants leading, 5-1. Giants leading, 9-2, 11-2, now 16-2. Man, there’s nothing good on television any more.

Gradually, the Dodger couch potatoes disperse.

In each corner of the room, someone quietly discusses the game of Home Run Derby that was held here Friday night. Any other time, a six-homer game would be a good excuse for a party. Ten homers in two nights? Raul Mondesi, Todd Zeile, Eric Karros and Mike Piazza . . . 130 homers by one quartet, in a single season? Wow, what power. What a ballclub.

Where were all these homers when the Dodgers needed them?

If only they . . .

Nah, not even worth mentioning.

“We probably blew five games in April that we should have won,” Zeile says, “but then again, we probably pulled out a few games that we should have lost.”

Ismael Valdes, the victorious pitcher Friday, had to wonder where all those runs were, all season long, when he needed them.

Greg Gagne, the struggling shortstop, had to wonder why now, why so late would he finally get his stroke back?

Bill Russell, the optimistic manager, had to wonder why his guys hit here in Denver like a bunch of Hank Aarons, but can’t buy a big hit in other parks.

“I don’t know who likes to hit here more,” Colorado Manager Don Baylor says, with no small amount of amusement, “the Rockies or the Dodgers.”

At Coors this season:

* L.A. is hitting .369.

* Averaging 9.7 runs a game.

* With 15 homers in four games.

“They can be in a total slump, then come in here and flex their muscles,” Baylor said.

“A lot of homers, for a lot of distance. No fence-scrapers.”

The Dodgers are the only visiting team this season with a winning record in Colorado.

But what good does that do them, if San Diego can’t beat San Francisco?

Twice.

Over the next 48 hours, five different games must go the Dodgers’ way. Two here. Two there. And one on Monday, in a playoff. Five optimum results, for L.A. to make the playoffs.

All those homers, well, as Karros puts it, “I don’t think there’s a man in this room who wouldn’t trade them for a postseason berth.”

What a team this should have been, could have been.

Four guys with 30-plus homers:

A catcher, hitting .359.

A first baseman, with 104 RBIs.

A right fielder, with a .310 average and 32 stolen bases.

A third baseman, batting .396 over his last 32 games.

How can a team with 3-4-5-6 hitters like this not make the playoffs?

At batting practice Friday, the fans who arrived early saw the Dodgers put on a show. Ball after ball flew to the top of the stadium, into the frankfurter pushcarts, beneath the scoreboard, some 500-odd feet away. Piazza finally put one off the Coca-Cola sign. Had to go 515, 525.

In the game, the balls flew just as far.

“A lot of good things happened tonight,” Russell says. “Mondy getting his 30-30, the other things.

“But you watch the scoreboard. Your hopes are dwindling. Good things are happening in our game, but that’s not what we’re playing for. We’re playing for the pennant.”

Where was this team, the last six months?

In second place, usually.

And still there, dying to somehow get out.