Sunny Outlook

Not everything in Todd Hollandsworth’s life has been gloomy lately, although there have been dark clouds.

The Dodger outfielder’s recent troubles include a tumultuous sophomore season, during which he was demoted and injured, followed by a defeat in arbitration the day he arrived here at Dodgertown for spring training. And now, he’s fighting for his job in left field.

But Hollandsworth figures lamenting won’t help him stay in the major leagues, so he’s sticking with his plan. Determination is the key to his turnaround, and Hollandsworth is about to learn if that’s enough.

“There’s no doubt in my mind about anything,” he said. “I’ve put everything bad that’s happened to me behind me. I’m ready to go.”

Considering what Hollandsworth has been through, it’s easy to understand why he wants to forget.

His production last season dropped significantly from 1996, when he was the National League rookie of the year.

He batted .247 with only four home runs and 31 runs batted in. He lost his job early in June, and soon after was demoted to triple-A Albuquerque for 16 days.

“There were a lot of things going on then, because the team wasn’t playing well, and decisions have to be made,” Hollandsworth said. “I’m not using that as an excuse, because I wasn’t playing the way I wanted to play, but there were a lot of factors to me being sent down.”

Unshaken, Hollandsworth hit .429 with 14 RBIs in 13 games for the Dukes. He was recalled June 30 and hit .323 in his next 29 games.

He thought the worst was behind him. Then on Aug. 1, he broke his right elbow in a play at the plate at Chicago, then later severely bruised the same elbow.

The injuries kept him on the disabled list for most of August and early September, ending his bid to reestablish himself.

“After I broke my elbow in Chicago, it was almost like, ‘OK, what’s next?’ ” Hollandsworth said. “I started to expect bad things to happen to me. The way the whole thing started out, it can just blow you away.

“But even after the demotion, I felt I handled everything as best I could. I did my job down there, got back and got hot almost right away. My average was climbing, everything was going in the right direction, and then I got hurt. It felt like someone was out to get me.”

That wasn’t the case the previous season, when Hollandsworth, 24, was a rookie sensation. He was the Dodgers’ fifth consecutive rookie of the year, batting .291 with 12 home runs, 59 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.

But . . .

“If early on in your career you’re having problems, people start questioning you,” Hollandsworth said. “You start hearing that something is wrong, that maybe the guy isn’t ready for major league baseball, or maybe he’s not suited for the city he’s playing in. You hear a lot of negative things.”

In his case, though, not from the Dodgers.

Hollandsworth said the team has been supportive and the Dodgers are relying on him for left-handed power in an otherwise right-handed lineup.

“Todd is a very dedicated guy, and the thing I’ve stressed to him is to stop trying to make things happen, just let them happen,” said Fred Claire, executive vice president.

“It’s all right there for Todd, because he has the ability. But he put too much pressure on himself last year. He understands that, and he came to camp with a great attitude.”

Even losing his arbitration hearing hasn’t dampened his mood. Hollandsworth sought a raise to $1.15 million from $550,000 last season, but the arbitrator sided with the Dodgers, awarding him a $700,000 contract.

“That’s just the way it goes,” said Hollandsworth, who last March rejected a three-year deal worth about $4.2 million. “But I’m not thinking about that. I’m focusing on my job now.”

His determination pushed him through an intense off-season workout schedule, and he changed his hitting approach while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

“Getting my plate discipline back was the biggest thing,” he said. “That’s the one thing I lost for most of last season. I went up [to the plate] determined to beat up on pitchers, but you have to understand that they dictate the game. I totally threw that out the window.”

Hitting instructor Reggie Smith is reinforcing that point.

“Todd gave pitchers too many options to get him out last season,” Smith said. “He’s better than that, and that’s what he has to remember.”

Although Hollandsworth is being given first shot in left, journeyman outfielder Thomas Howard is expected to challenge. Moreover, the Dodgers are trying to convert rookie prospect Paul Konerko from a first baseman to an outfielder.

“You’re judged on how you perform, and I understand that,” Hollandsworth said. “All I want is to be judged over time, not on one bad stretch. I have a clean slate now, and I know things are going to change.”

For Hollandsworth, that would mean sunny skies again.

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HOLLANDSWORTH FILE

A look at how Todd Hollandsworth’s second season compared to his rookie - of - the - year season: *--*

Year AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI AVG 1996 478 64 139 26 4 12 59 .291 1997 296 39 73 20 2 4 31 .247

*--*

Opening-day age: 24.

Named rookie of the year in 1996.

Led Dodgers in batting average, .333, in 1996 divisional playoff series against Atlanta.

Demoted to Albuquerque for 16 days in June 1997.

Returned from Albuquerque and hit .323 before breaking his elbow in August.