Mondesi Finds the Right Spot

With the baseball world focused on Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in St. Louis, the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks played a meaningless game here Tuesday night.

Then again, they play meaningless games every night.

The Dodgers won this one, 6-5, on a sacrifice fly by Eric Karros in the 11th inning before a crowd of 40,262 at Bank One Ballpark.

Karros drove in Matt Luke from third with a deep fly to center, and Raul Mondesi tied the score in the eighth with his team-leading 30th home run in his return to the lineup after missing three games because of back stiffness.

Rookie left-hander Jeff Kubenka (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief to earn his first major-league victory. Jeff Shaw pitched a 1-2-3 11th to earn his 41st save as the Dodgers moved a game above .500 at 73-72.

But Mondesi was the main story.

The star outfielder singled, doubled and homered in five at-bats. He tied the score, 5-5, in the eighth with a three-run homer to left-center against reliever Willie Banks.

The 411-foot shot tied his career high established last season when he became the first player in franchise history to hit at least 30 homers and steal 30 bases in a season.

In an attempt to ease the strain on Mondesi’s sore back, Manager Glenn Hoffman moved him to right field against the Diamondbacks.

Hoffman said Mondesi will play in right for the remainder of the season. Gary Sheffield, the everyday right fielder, will be sidelined for the final 17 games because of a severely sprained left ankle.

At the request of club officials, Mondesi agreed to move from right to center to accommodate Sheffield after the historic Mike Piazza trade with the Florida Marlins on May 15. Right field is Sheffield’s best position, so the versatile Mondesi--a two-time Gold Glove award winner in right--went to center, where he has started 94 games.

But Mondesi is concerned about the wear and tear on his back, and wants to return to right next season. Well, sort of.

Mondesi changed his mind throughout a conversation about the situation Tuesday. He alternated between vowing never again to play in center, to saying he would do whatever is asked of him.

“Right field, that’s my best position,” Mondesi said. “I should be in right field to help my team [the most]. If the team wants to win a lot of games, I can help do that in right field.

“I know [he agreed to change positions], but I did that already. When they asked me to do it, I wanted to help the team, you know? But that’s enough.”

But after reflecting for a few moments, Mondesi revised his position.

“I don’t know, maybe I can do this,” Mondesi said of playing center. “Maybe I’ll just stay there because my team needs me there.”

Dodger officials are undeterred by Mondesi’s comments.

“We want to save his back a little over the last [17 games],” Hoffman said. “But he’s still a center fielder in my opinion.”

Tom Lasorda agrees. The Dodger interim general manager chuckled when informed that Mondesi might not want to play center next season.

“What?” Lasorda asked. “He doesn’t want to play center field? Well, that’s where we need him to play, and he’s done a great job there for us.

“I’ve known Raul for a long time, and that’s just talk. He wants his name on that lineup card, and he’ll play in center if that’s where his name is.”