White Impresses With Play, Attitude

Devon White doesn’t want the spotlight on himself, preferring to discuss the team’s performance.

Others are commenting about the center fielder’s strong start, which has helped the Dodgers start well too.

“Devo has been great for me,” said Manager Davey Johnson, who gave White the day off Saturday. “I needed him to bat leadoff for me, and he’s done a good job. That’s been a big part of it [the Dodgers’ success].”

White has batted first in 13 of the club’s 16 games. He is batting .300 (15 for 50) with three home runs, eight runs batted in and nine runs.

He has also played well defensively, showing flashes of the form that helped him earn seven Gold Glove awards. But White wants to remain in the background after his tumultuous 1999 season.

The switch-hitter was criticized by Dodger officials and fans for seemingly uninspired play during his first season with the club. The Dodgers tried to trade White during the off-season.

White underwent off-season shoulder surgery, keeping his pain private last season.

In spring training, he had to battle Todd Hollandsworth for playing time.

This season, White has done what the organization has asked of him, accepting that Hollandsworth will play often too. White’s teammates are impressed with his performance and attitude.

“Devo is the perfect player to have on a team because his whole concept is about winning,” left fielder Gary Sheffield said. “Some people might not know that about Devo, but the way he goes about his business, it’s all about just trying to win.”

White was a key member of three World Series championship clubs. He said this edition of the Dodgers has potential.

“The Dodgers are winning this year because of the way the team was constructed,” he said. “Our bench is good, our bullpen is good and we’ve got more balance in the lineup.

“Really, it’s never about one player, no matter what people think. One player isn’t responsible for the team winning or losing, it’s all about the entire team.”

*

Kevin Brown is on schedule to start Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves after his bullpen session Saturday went smoothly.

Although the right-hander continues to experience slight discomfort in his right pinky finger, which is healing after being broken, he said the injury won’t affect his pitching. Brown will have another bullpen session today, and the club plans to activate him from the disabled list Tuesday.

Rookie left-hander Jeff Williams is expected to be optioned to triple-A Albuquerque to make room for Brown on the 25-man roster.

“It went pretty good,” Brown said of his first intense throwing since suffering the injury April 8. “I was a little rusty, but I was pleased overall. It’s just a matter of me getting a feel for the ball again.”

And the pain?

“You’re aware of it [the still-injured finger] being there, it may take a couple of weeks for the swelling to go down, but it’s nothing to keep me from throwing. That finger is not really involved in any of my pitches.”

Johnson is concerned about Brown batting. The injury occurred while Brown tried to bunt, and Johnson has encouraged his No. 1 starter to be extra careful with a bat in his hand.

“Maybe I’ll teach him how to grip the bat on a bunt,” Johnson joked. “You don’t know, he just might be up there taking [pitches]. I haven’t been getting too much offense out of him anyway.”

TODAY

DODGERS’

CARLOS PEREZ

(1-1, 5.65 ERA)

vs.

REDS’

RON VILLONE

(2-0, 3.52 ERA)

Cinergy Field, Cincinnati 10:15 a.m. PDT

TV--Channel 5. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Update--Perez returns to the rotation, though probably only briefly. The left-hander was skipped in his previously scheduled turn after Monday’s rainout. The Dodgers will be forced to make decisions about Perez soon because the first week of May he will have five full seasons of major league service time and can reject being sent to the minor leagues. Perez could consent to going to the minors, but it’s unlikely. The Major League Players Assn. frowns on players giving up rights negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement. The Dodgers still owe Perez about $12.5 million of the $15.6-million contract he signed before last season. If Perez is released, the club is responsible for $5 million this season and $7.5 million next. Moreover, the Dodgers are reluctant to release Perez, fearing another team might sign him for the major-league minimum $200,000 and help him become effective again. Villone, a left-hander, doesn’t have a decision in five appearances against the Dodgers.