Hard Work Was Worth It for Fetters
Mike Fetters believed in himself--his right elbow was another matter.
The reliever struggled through rehabilitation after undergoing surgery last season, wondering how his repaired elbow would fare. And the Dodgers did too.
The early results have been good for Fetters and his new employers.
The right-hander pitched two scoreless innings in his first two outings against the Montreal Expos, building on his strong exhibition performance. Fetters is finally feeling good again and enjoying his job, and the Dodgers are benefiting from his comeback.
“I’ll tell you, this has been really good,” Fetters said. “I mean, for me, this has been big. I know it’s only two games and we’re just getting started, but I’ll take these two games.
“Everything that’s happened so far has just proven that all the hard work in put in [rehabilitating] last season, in the off-season and in spring training was worth it. I thought it would be worth it, but now I can see it out there on the field.”
Fetters has struck out three without a hit or walk after going 1-0 with a 1.00 earned-run average and three saves in eight Grapefruit League appearances. The non-roster player impressed from the outset, earning a spot on the opening-day roster despite being sidelined early in spring training because of a strained left quadriceps muscle.
“But that one [injury] wasn’t going to stop me from making this team,” Fetter said. “After doing all that work to get my elbow right, I wasn’t going to let anything stop me.”
Fetters went 1-0 with a 5.81 ERA for the Baltimore Orioles last season. He was sidelined for three months after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips.
The Van Nuys native and former Pepperdine standout wanted to play for the Dodgers, but first he had to prove his elbow was sound.
“It didn’t take him long, I’ll tell you that,” Manager Davey Johnson said. “He was the story from the first day of spring. He’s got that closer’s mentality.”
Fetters had a career-high 32 saves for the Milwaukee Brewers in ’96. Johnson will use Fetters in a setup role for closer Jeff Shaw, and that’s fine with Fetters.
“I just want to prove to Davey and [General Manager] Kevin [Malone] that they didn’t make a mistake,” Fetters said. “I want to prove that every day and just win.”
*
Catcher Todd Hundley returned to the lineup after sitting out the last two games because of a slightly strained knee.
Montreal starter Carl Pavano hit Hundley with a pitch on his elbow in the fourth, and he went hitless in two at-bats with a sacrifice fly.
“It’s still a little sore,” Hundley said. “But I just wanted to get back out there.”
Reliever Alan Mills also returned to action after sitting out the last two games because of a sprained right ankle, and the right-hander pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
ON DECK
* Opponent--New York Mets, three games.
* Site--Shea Stadium.
* Tonight--4 PDT.
* TV--Channel 5, Saturday and Sunday.
* Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).
* Records--Dodgers 2-2, Mets 2-3.
* Record vs. Mets (1999)--4-4.
TONIGHT
DODGERS’
DARREN DREIFORT
(13-13, 4.79 ERA in 1999)
vs.
METS’
RICK REED
(0-0, 0.00)
* Update--Dreifort, the club’s No. 3 starter, makes his season debut in the fifth game because Johnson wanted the right-hander to face the Mets. He performed best against the Mets last season, going 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA in two starts. Dreifort finished strong down the stretch in ‘99, winning five of his last seven decisions with a 1.41 ERA in those victories. The Dodgers believe Dreifort took another step forward in spring training, when he went 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA. Reed pitched eight strong innings last Thursday in the Mets’ 5-1, 11-inning victory over the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo. The right-hander gave up four hits and one unearned run.
* Saturday, 10 a.m. PDT--Kevin Brown (1-0, 4.50) vs. undecided.
* Sunday, 10 a.m. PDT--Chan Ho Park (1-0, 4.50) vs. undecided.