Malone Hasn’t Lost the Faith

Another game, another pregame gathering for the Dodgers, who meet more than Congress.

On Friday, the speaker of the clubhouse was General Manager Kevin Malone, whose lukewarm filibuster involved a vote of confidence to players, some of whom are concerned that he is intent on relocating them before the trade deadline.

“He said he believed in us as a family,” one Dodger said.

Said Malone later: “When you look at the players individually, there’s not a whole lot of difference between them and the individuals that might be available.

“When that’s the case, you have to look at affecting the team as a whole. There’s always a temptation to do something just to do something, but you want to be guarded about that. Sometimes it’s better to do nothing.”

Manager Davey Johnson agreed.

“I’m not a firm believer in a lot of trades,” he said. “Every year at the trade deadline, you hear, ‘you gotta do this, do that.’

“A trade for a change is a cop-out. That’s saying, ‘he’s at fault, he’s at fault.’ It’s the team at fault.”

*

With evidence that he might have a team of factions, rather than a team, Johnson’s message is one of unity.

“The only way you can be successful is as a team, and so far we haven’t been able to get it together,” he said. “And that’s my job.”

Friday’s lineup included Todd Hollandsworth instead of Eric Karros at first base and Craig Counsell instead of Eric Young at second.

Other lineups lately have had center fielder Devon White and right fielder Raul Mondesi on the bench.

Johnson has used 63 lineups in the Dodgers’ 84 games, 19 in their last 20 games.

No one is happy to sit, and Johnson promises more playing time for Dodgers who are normally reserves.

“I’m the guiltiest party,” he said. “I’ve probably relied on the few more than the whole . . . in [Gary] Sheffield, Karros, Mondesi, White and Eric Young. I take full responsibility for that.”

The problem, he said, is that he didn’t know the club he had, and he has spent the first 84 games learning it.

And will spend the next 78 doing things differently.

“If you’re going to lose, or you’re going to win, everybody has to feel responsible,” he said. “Everybody has to contribute to the wins, to contribute to the losses.”

To questions as to whether his message is falling on deaf ears, or perhaps that there is resentment of his actions, Johnson is candid.

“Sometimes the things I do may be misconstrued in that other managers guys have had might have done different things,” Johnson said. “I have no hidden agenda....

“It’s their team, it’s the players’ team, but it’s my job to put it together. . . . Have I done it yet? Not 100%”

*

The bat of Mariner first baseman David Segui was ejected from Friday night’s game after he singled to right field in the third inning.

Johnson asked home plate umpire Gerry Davis to look at the bat, and it was ruled to have pine tar more than the legal 18-inch limit from the knob.

Rule 1.10(c) provides that if the bat does not offer the player a distinct disadvantage, it is removed, but the player’s at-bat is unaffected. That rule was rewritten after the 1983 season, following the infamous George Brett “pine tar episode” at Yankee Stadium.

*

Dodger reliever Antonio Osuna struck out two and walked two in a no-hit rehabilitation performance for Class-A San Bernardino against High Desert on Friday night.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ KEVIN BROWN (9-6, 3.68 ERA)

vs.

MARINERS’ JOHN HALAMA (7-2, 3.02 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7

TV--Channel 5.

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Update--After proving to be the bellwether of the staff through the first 75 games, Brown has apparently caught whatever is ailing the Dodger pitchers, having given up 15 runs and 22 hits in 12 2/3 innings over his last two starts. He no longer has the best ERA on the Dodger staff, having turned that distinction over to Ismael Valdes and his 3.36.