They Find Process Has Its Appeal

The Dodgers were optimistic Tuesday after their initial meeting with baseball officials to appeal unprecedented penalties issued after the club’s May 16 brawl with fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

They said Paul Beeston, baseball’s chief operating officer, made them feel comfortable during a two-hour hearing. Suspensions and fines totaling 89 games and $77,000 were levied by the commissioner’s office against 20 Dodgers for their roles in the altercation.

Beeston met with coaches Rick Dempsey, Glenn Hoffman and John Shelby, and nonroster bullpen catcher Travis Barbary in a conference room near the team hotel before the Dodgers’ 9-6 victory over the Houston Astros at Enron Field. Frank Robinson, baseball’s vice president of on-field operations, also attended the meeting. Robinson handed down the penalties May 24.

Beeston will hear arguments today from the 16 players facing disciplinary action, and is expected to rule within a week after consulting with Commissioner Bud Selig and Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations. Beeston, citing the ongoing process, has declined comment.

The Dodgers are hopeful they laid the groundwork to persuade Beeston to give them a break.

“[Tuesday’s] appeal process went very well,” said Derrick Hall, Dodger senior vice president. “It provided us with an opportunity to give our side of the story in a very informal . . . manner. The whole process was to have both sides sit down and discuss thoughts about the action that occurred in the stands, and the ruling afterward.

“Paul Beeston made it clear he didn’t want it to be a legal setting. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, and it turned into a conversational setting. We felt very good coming out of it.”

Dodger Chairman Bob Daly, President Bob Graziano, General Manager Kevin Malone and Sam Fernandez, team counsel, spoke on behalf of Dempsey, Hoffman, Shelby and Barbary. Fernandez handled the majority of the appeal, and the Dodgers said he made a strong case to reduce the penalties.

The coaches and Barbary also expressed their opinions, and Beeston permitted Fernandez to question Robinson.

“Sam did an outstanding job,” Hall said. “He explained our side very well and gave [Beeston] a lot to consider.”

The coaches were pleased about getting to express themselves.

“We’re just thankful that Beeston had a chance to hear from us,” said Hoffman, the third base coach. “It’s the first time going through it [for Hoffman], and it was good to get the facts out. He heard us, so now we just have to wait and see what happens in the next few days.”

Shelby said he respected the manner in which Robinson handled the Dodgers’ questions.

“Frank gave his side and explained why the coaches were suspended, which was good,” said Shelby, the first base coach. “We also got a chance to talk about the role of the coaches [in brawls]. We all felt pretty good about how the meeting went, especially because we all got an opportunity to talk instead of just watching a videotape [of the incident].”

The 16 players will meet with Beeston as a group today. Attorneys from the Major League Players’ Assn. will represent the players with assistance from some of the players’ agents.

Rookie pitcher Eric Gagne, recently optioned to triple-A Albuquerque, is traveling to Houston for the hearing. Pitcher Alan Mills was traded June 13 to the Baltimore Orioles and won’t be present.

*

Orel Hershiser has been skipped in the rotation because he suffered a hip injury in his last outing.

The right-hander, who would have pitched today, is scheduled to start Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

TODAY

DODGERS’

CARLOS PEREZ

(4-3, 5.28 ERA)

vs.

ASTROS’

OCTAVIO DOTEL

(1-4, 5.21 ERA)

Enron Field, 5 p.m. PDT.

* TV--Fox Sports Net 2.

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

* Update--Perez lost, 5-1, last Wednesday to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. The left-hander gave up five runs in seven innings and struck out four with four walks. Perez, who has a 9.75 earned-run average in the first inning, hasn’t won since May 20. He is 2-2 with a 6.30 ERA against the Astros. Dotel is 0-2 in six starts at Enron Field.