Sporting Gestures

Things continue to change with the Dodgers, who formerly frowned on the mound antics of Carlos Perez.

Nothing angered them--and other teams as well--more than the flamboyant left-handed pitcher continually pumping his fists after great plays, and directing handgun motions at them with his index finger and thumb after strikeouts. Perez realized exactly what the Dodgers thought of him.

But those running the New Dodger Order have short memories because victories are at stake--and Perez can help.

They put the past behind them Friday night when interim General Manager Tom Lasorda acquired the starting pitcher and shortstop Mark Grudzielanek from the Montreal Expos in a seven-player deal.

Perez made his Dodger debut Saturday against the New York Mets, pitching seven shutout innings in a 2-1 loss. His act is still colorful, but he’s working for the Dodgers now.

“He’s definitely into the game, and I guess he even used to be more animated,” Manager Glenn Hoffman said. “You can tell he really gets into everything he does out there, but he’s not doing it at anyone.

“He’s just competing and having fun, and he’s always battling. That’s what you want to see.”

Even the old-school Lasorda now views Perez differently.

“The thing I always admired about him was that he was tough,” Lasorda said. “He would never back down when he was out there against anyone, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Perez was immediately welcomed by many of his new teammates Saturday when he arrived at Shea Stadium only an hour before his tentatively scheduled start. He is aware of his poor reputation, so he appreciated the gestures.

“That made me feel very good when my whole team came over to say hi,” Perez said. “They made me feel very good that they wanted me to be here.”

His presence is welcomed because he’s talented and the Dodgers are among several teams in the National League wild-card derby. With his outing against the Mets, Perez (7-10) lowered his earned-run average from 3.75 to 3.59.

Perez was a rookie all-star with the Expos in 1995. Last season, he went 12-13 with a 3.88 ERA--including a major league-leading five shutouts--after being sidelined in 1996 because of surgery on his throwing shoulder.

“Watch, he is going to win a lot of games for our team,” said Raul Mondesi, who grew up near Perez in the Dominican Republic. “He didn’t get a lot of runs in Montreal, but we will give him runs.

“And the fans in L.A. are going to love him. I know what people say about him, I know some people don’t like him because of the way he pitches, but he’s a great guy.”

Second baseman Eric Young likes Perez’s style.

“That just shows that he’s going out there giving everything he’s got,” Young said. “You want guys to show some emotion out there.”

But Perez concedes he’s unconventional.

Many compare his style to that of his brother, Pascual, who pitched with four teams from 1980-85 and 1987-92. Their brother, Melido, who pitched in the major leagues from 1988-96, was more reserved on the mound.

“People tell me that I’m trying to be like my brother [Pascual], but this is just my personality,” Carlos said. “That’s just something natural that comes from my heart.

“I don’t do any of that to get anybody upset, that’s just the way I am. I had the same problem when I was in the minor leagues, and my manager told me that I would have to change. I told him that he could release me, but I wasn’t going to change. That’s just me.”

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Trades Dodgers have made this season:

* May 15--Traded catcher Mike Piazza and third baseman Todd Zeile to Florida for catcher Charles Johnson, third baseman Bobby Bonilla, outfielders Jim Eisenreich and Gary Sheffield and pitcher Manuel Barrios.

* June 4--Traded pitchers Hideo Nomo and Brad Clontz to the New York Mets for pitchers Greg McMichael and Dave Mlicki.

* July 4--Traded infielder/outfielder Paul Konerko and pitcher Dennis Reyes to Cincinnati for pitcher Jeff Shaw.

* July 10--Traded McMichael to the Mets for pitcher Brian Bohanon.

* July 23--Traded pitcher Jim Bruske to San Diego for pitcher Widd Workman.

* July 31--Traded second baseman Wilton Guerrero, outfielder Peter Bergeron, pitcher Ted Lilly and first baseman Jonathan Tucker to Montreal for pitcher Carlos Perez, shortstop Mark Grudzielanek and outfielder Hiram Bocachica.