Continuing the Tradition of Greg Brock

Those Dodger phenoms? Let’s see: Billy Ashley is with the Boston Red Sox triple-A team in Pawtucket, Mass., Karim Garcia is hitting .100 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Paul Konerko is batting .220 as the Dodger first baseman. One more spin, please. . . .

San Diego Padre Manager Bruce Bochy, amid his team’s hot start, was not happy when he learned that Mark Langston had a sore elbow before he went out for the fifth inning Tuesday night in San Francisco and blew a 7-4 lead during a seven-run inning that led to a 13-7 defeat.

“I know he’s competitive, but it wasn’t a good decision,” Bochy said of Langston’s attempt to pitch through the elbow stiffness. “If I’d known about it, he wouldn’t have gone out there.”

Langston won the Padres’ fifth starting spot in spring training and felt that Tuesday’s tenderness stemmed from the cold of 3Com Park. However, his fastball never got out of the low 80s and he’ll be replaced as today’s starter against the Pittsburgh Pirates by Pete Smith. . . .

The San Diego pace projects to an incomprehensible 130-32, but in Tony Gwynn’s view: “All we’ve done so far is develop some confidence.” . . .

Mike Piazza left Coors Field on Thursday with an average of .442 with 11 home runs and 34 runs batted in for 91 at bats there. Piazza has given Colorado reporters the impression that he wouldn’t mind playing in Denver if he doesn’t re-sign with the Dodgers, but Manager Don Baylor thinks that’s a negotiating ploy.

“His numbers have been legendary here, but my feel is that all [the speculation] is strictly public relations,” Baylor said. “He’s going to sign right back where he is. Guys always prefer to stay with the organization they came up with. Los Angeles is not one of those out-of-the-way places.” . . .

After Giant first baseman J.T. Snow was called out at home--and ejected for arguing--on a play against St. Louis on Monday that replays seemed to show was a bad call, teammate Orel Hershiser said baseball should show stadium replays of controversial decisions, as is done in football and basketball.

“Some fans don’t come to games because the only remaining seats are up high or way down the line,” Hershiser said. “They say, ‘I’ll stay home and have the best seat in the house and watch all the replays.’ The way I see it, I want that fan at the game, and I want him to have every advantage that the person at home has.” . . .

It’s only April, but Pittsburgh Pirate General Manager Cam Bonifay is worried that the magic of last season, the one-for-all approach that led to a Cinderella run at an NL Central title, has given way to a selfish interest in statistics. “They seem too [concerned] with what they’re doing personally,” he said of the current group.

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After five elbow operations and several failed comeback attempts with the Cincinnati Reds, Jose Rijo, 33, has concluded that his career is over and he will devote full energy to his benefactor role in the Dominican Republic, where he funds several youth teams and a baseball academy for 1,300 kids. Rijo hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 12, 1995.

“I would pay anything to get out there one more time, even if I got my butt kicked,” Rijo said. “At least I’d get to leave the right way, have a chance to say some goodbyes to the fans. This way is just so disappointing--not to be able to pitch and to have people say, ‘Whatever happened to Jose Rijo?’ ”