Reliever Enjoying Game Unfettered

The way Mike Fetters sees it, life and a baseball career are too short to worry about the little things.

That’s why the Dodger setup man has transformed himself from a stoic pitcher to one of the team’s more animated players.

He celebrated picking a runner off first base this week with a fist pump and, as he was running off the field, shook his head in a bobble-head doll manner, a la Shaquille O’Neal after a dunk.

“I went through three years of not having a lot of fun,” said Fetters, who had been injury-racked before joining the Dodgers this season. “This is a game that’s meant to be fun. I should have been doing this my whole career.”

As one of four nonroster spring training invitees on the Dodgers’ 25-man roster--shortstop Kevin Elster, backup catcher Chad Kreuter and outfielder Geronimo Berroa are the others--Fetters has more than resurrected his career. He is 1-0 with a 1.80 earned-run average in five appearances, having given up three hits while striking out seven and walking five as a setup man for closer Jeff Shaw. Opponents are batting .188 against him.

Last year, Fetters was 1-0 with a 5.81 ERA in 27 relief appearances for the Baltimore Orioles. But he was sidelined for almost three months because of a strained right (pitching) elbow and subsequent surgery to remove bone chips.

In 1997, he started the year on the disabled list because of a strained left hamstring suffered in spring training.

Fetters, 35, is with his fifth team--he has also been with the Angels, Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics--in 12 years. And he says he’s finally where he wants to be.

“To me, it’s a privilege to wear this uniform,” said Fetters, who was drafted by the Dodgers in 1983 but chose to play at Pepperdine.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Cincinnati Reds, three games.

* Site--Cinergy Field, Cincinnati.

* Today--4 p.m. PDT.

* TV--Channel 5 today, Saturday and Sunday.

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

* Records--Dodgers 8-6, Reds 8-7.

* Record vs. Reds--1-2.

TODAY

DODGERS’ ERIC GAGNE (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. REDS’ STEVE PARRIS (1-2, 6.60 ERA)

* Update--Any fears Dodger Manager Davey Johnson had about Gagne’s mental makeup were allayed with the pitcher’s strong outing against the Reds at Dodger Stadium last Saturday. Gagne, who was demoted to triple-A Albuquerque after a poor spring, found his groove against the Reds a day after he was recalled. He didn’t figure in the decision, a 5-4 Dodger loss, but went five innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits while striking out five and walking three. Parris, meanwhile, shut the Dodgers down Sunday for his only victory. Johnson is noncommittal about a starter for Sunday. Carlos Perez was scheduled but pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief Wednesday night. And with No. 1 starter Kevin Brown scheduled to test his broken little finger with a full-scale workout in the Cinergy Field bullpen Saturday, the Dodger rotation could be shuffled again for Monday’s makeup game at New York, Brown possibly getting the start.

* Saturday, 10:15 a.m. PDT--Chan Ho Park (2-1, 3.79 ERA) vs. Pete Harnisch (0-1, 7.07 ERA).

* Sunday, 10:15 a.m. PDT--TBA vs. Ron Villone (2-0, 3.52 ERA).