Daly Becomes Lobbyist for Sheffield

The Dodgers are trying to persuade Commissioner Bud Selig to overturn a five-game suspension ordered against Gary Sheffield for his role in a May 16 melee at Wrigley Field in Chicago, baseball sources said Tuesday.

Chairman Bob Daly has increased his efforts lobbying in support of the all-star left fielder, who is scheduled to have his second appeal hearing at Milwaukee on Aug. 29.

The Dodgers believe the penalty issued against Sheffield, and upheld after the first appeal, is unfair based on their opinion of his involvement in the brawl with fans in the stands during a game against the Cubs. Daly would prefer Selig overturn, or reduce, the suspension without conducting a second hearing.

Not surprisingly, the Dodgers are concerned about losing Sheffield for five games in a pennant race.

After going 0 for 2 in Tuesday’s 6-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies, Sheffield is batting .340 with a major league-leading 34 home runs and 84 runs batted in.

“We’re basically about a month away from the hearing, and there are a lot of things that can happen in a month,” said General Manager Kevin Malone, who declined to discuss the Dodgers’ back-room efforts.

“I’m hopeful that the appeal process will resolve the situation with Sheff’s suspension being completely overturned. We’re trusting in [Selig] to do what is in the best interest of baseball.”

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Daly is amused by speculation he is leaving the Dodgers after only nine months to run Fox’s movie division.

“There is no credibility to that, none, zero, nothing,” said Daly, who returned to Los Angeles aboard his private jet after attending the game at Coors Field.

“I ran Warner Bros. for 20 years, I’ve already done that, and I have my dream job now. I don’t know how these things get started.”

The rumor circulated at the All-Star game at Atlanta, and Dodger officials said Fox had not asked Daly to change jobs.

“It has never even come up in conversation because [Fox officials] know what my response would be,” Daly said. “They are my partners, and I’ll give them my opinion if they ask, but I’m not going to Fox.

“My focus is the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s it.”

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Center fielder Devon White said his shoulder felt good a day after returning to the lineup for the first time since May 2.

The leadoff batter was one for three with two walks and a run in Monday’s 4-1 victory after sitting out 71 games because of a partially torn left rotator cuff. White, not in the lineup Tuesday, said his shoulder responded well to swinging and throwing.

“I’ve had a sore back the last five days, but that’s minor,” White said. “I’m not in tip-top shape yet, but that’s to be expected.

“The main thing is that my shoulder is fine and my legs feel good. Now, it’s just a matter of getting back to where I was before.”

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Manager Davey Johnson plans to carry three catchers on the 25-man roster because Paul LoDuca is playing well.

Todd Hundley, who has a broken right thumb, might be activated from the disabled list during the final series of the trip against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and backup Chad Kreuter also is active.

LoDuca is batting .306 with two homers and seven RBIs.

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The Dodgers are considering waiting until the rosters are expanded Sept. 1 to activate struggling utilityman F.P. Santangelo, who is on the disabled list because of a severely bruised left hand. Santangelo, on a rehabilitation assignment at Class-A San Bernardino, is batting .183 in 126 at-bats. . . . Reliever Gregg Olson is expected to be activated soon. Olson, with the team on the trip, went on the disabled list April 11 because of a right forearm strain.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

CARLOS PEREZ

(4-4, 4.98 ERA)

vs.

ROCKIES’

BRIAN BOHANON

(4-7, 6.44 ERA)

Coors Field, 6 PDT

TV--Fox Sports Net 2. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330)

* Update--Perez has not won since May 20 despite pitching well recently. He is 0-1 with a 3.34 ERA and five no-decisions in his last six appearances, and 4-1 with a 4.14 ERA in his career against the Rockies. Bohanon, who pitched for the Dodgers in ‘98, is 2-5 with a 6.41 ERA in his last eight starts.