A New Young Is Not Enough

In late July, Dodger second baseman Eric Young injured his left ankle in a game at Arizona so badly that he had to be placed on the disabled list and missed 18 games.

Throughout his rehabilitation, Young worked hard to return to the lineup, but while sidelined he noticed some things about the Dodgers.

“Guys throughout the lineup were swinging the bats better, we were playing better defense and getting good pitching,” Young said about watching the Dodgers win six of nine games over a recent road stretch. “All three things were working at the same time and for the most part of this season, it hasn’t been that way.”

Since being activated off the disabled list last Friday, Young has tried to be a catalyst for the Dodgers. And he knocked in two runs Monday night against Florida, but it wasn’t enough as the Marlins’ Preston Wilson broke open a tight game with a grand slam off Mike Maddux in the eighth inning to key a 7-5 victory before 26,754 at Dodger Stadium, the opener of a three-game series.

The defeat was the Dodgers second in a row and third in four games. Chan Ho Park (6-10) gave up two earned runs in seven innings and dropped to 6-10 as the Dodgers (53-66) hurt themselves by failing to get key hits in potential big scoring innings.

Vladimir Nunez (5-5) got his first career win as a starter, giving up two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings, the longest of his five big-league starts.

Young had two hits and a walk against Florida. He has reached base in eight of 16 plate appearances since returning to the lineup.

“He’s looking good. He’s moving better,” Dodger Manager Davey Johnson said. “Obviously, it helps when he’s on base 50% of the time.”

Johnson did not get to watch the end of Monday’s game from the dugout because he was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing about a play that involved Young.

With Florida ahead, 3-2, and the bases loaded with one out, Young grounded into a controversial double play. He was ruled out when teammate Adrian Beltre was called for runner interference in attempt to stop a relay throw to first base by Marlin shortstop Alex Gonzalez.

Young, who played three games with Class A San Bernardino on a rehabilitation assignment, has shown no ill effects from his ankle injury. He is playing with the same energy he had when he batted .324 with 74 runs batted in and 53 stolen bases for Colorado in 1996.

“I feel good at the plate. My legs feel good and my timing has come back faster than I anticipated,” said Young, who only had three hits in 12 at-bats in three games with San Bernardino. “I thought that it would take me a few games to get all of that back because I didn’t do that well in minor league ball before I was activated. . . . But I feel good in all aspects of the game.”

When Young returned to the lineup against Atlanta last Friday, he reached base three of his four times at the plate. But Johnson decided not to start Young the next night even though the former college football receiver wanted to play.

“When I told [Young to take Saturday off] it was kind of a night/mid-day type of deal,” said Johnson, whose Dodgers played Atlanta at 5 p.m. the next day. “Mainly, the thing is that it was the first day after coming back from something like that and I figured he’d be stiff. But he’s been doing all right.”

Playing every day, going all out is the only way Young knows how to play. As a multi-sport standout growing up in New Brunswick, N.J., Young loved to stay busy. In college, Young played baseball and football at Rutgers.

Another reason why this up-and-down season has been so difficult for Young, acquired by the Dodgers from Colorado for pitcher Pedro Astacio on Aug. 18, 1997.

“I still try to take [an aggressive football mentality] out there but I try to do it in a more control manner,” said Young, who leads the Dodgers with 36 stolen bases despite playing only 84 games. “I know that there is not going to be that much contact but the intensity level is the same.”

With team management on record saying that a roster shake-up may be in order over the off-season, Young is not looking at the final weeks of the season as a determining factor in whether he’ll remain with the Dodgers.

“I don’t have any control over that so I don’t worry about that,” said Young, who is signed through the 2001 season. “I am just going to out there and play hard. When they evaluate everybody during the off-season, hopefully, I am in their plans but if not, then I’ll be moving on to someone else’s team.”

*

CLEARING THE AIR

Dodger officials met with Raul Mondesi to discuss right fielder’s comments. Page 5

*

WHITE SOX 6, ANGELS 1

The Angels’ two-game winning streak ended as the hits and runs that flowed generously over the weekend just weren’t there against the White Sox. Page 3