Race in Center Wide Open

Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said he is “a little closer” to determining his starting center fielder, though he refused to pick a favorite among Marquis Grissom, Dave Roberts, McKay Christensen and Tom Goodwin.

But with a little more than two weeks to go before the April 2 season opener against San Francisco, it appears Grissom and Roberts have moved slightly ahead of Christensen and Goodwin in a race that is still wide open. Left fielder *

Brian Jordan could also see significant time in center.

“Can I give you a name [of a favorite]? No. Have I ruled some things out? Yes, I have,” Tracy said. “I’ve seen some things I like and some things I don’t particularly care for. I know this--you can’t win without defensive strength up the middle. Consistent defense doesn’t go into slumps. If you’re not good defensively, that can lead to disaster.”

None of the four has stood out defensively, because none has really been challenged. Most plays in center field this spring have been routine. Outfield coach John Shelby said if the season started today, “I don’t know who I’d pick.”

This much is clear: If Grissom wins the job, he will not bat leadoff. Grissom, more of a power threat than an on-base threat, is batting .379 with three doubles. If he plays center, second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, shortstop Cesar Izturis or possibly catcher Paul Lo Duca could bat leadoff.

Roberts is batting .409 with six walks and four stolen bases. He stole second on a pitchout in the Dodgers’ 5-4 exhibition loss to the New York Yankees Sunday. Christensen is hitting .360 with two walks and a stolen base, and Goodwin is hitting .227 with three walks and a stolen base.

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Hideo Nomo looked sharp Sunday, giving up one run on four hits, striking out four and walking none in four innings against the Yankees. The right-hander threw 67 pitches, 41 for strikes, displaying what pitching coach Jim Colborn said were his best sliders and forkballs of the spring.

Though Kevin Brown is the preferred opening-day starter, the Dodgers appear to be aligning Nomo for a possible opening-day start. Nomo’s next game was pushed back to Saturday, the same day Brown is scheduled to pitch. That would put Nomo--and Brown--on course to make their final exhibition appearances March 28 and pitch again five days later on April 2.

Brown, however, is recovering from elbow surgery and may not be ready to open the season with the Dodgers.

David Taylor, a 19-year-old pitcher who received a $175,000 bonus to sign with the Dodgers last year, was released Sunday for breaking team policies. A 6-foot-5, 195-pound right-hander, Taylor was a third-round pick out of South Lake High in Clermont, Fla. He went 0-1 with a 3.00 earned-run average in three games for the Class-A Gulf Coast League Dodgers in 2001.

“He was well thought of and drafted in a respectable round,” said Bill Bavasi, the Dodger director of player development. “But we have high standards, and some kids can’t handle them.”

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Outfielder Roberto Kelly, who hit .133 in 10 spring games and had no chance of winning a bench spot, was released Sunday, in order to give the veteran time to catch on with another team.... Catcher Koyie Hill had quite a thrill Sunday, blasting a 450-foot home run off Yankee ace Roger Clemens in the fifth inning. Jordan also had two hits, including a run-scoring double in the first. The Yankees won when catcher Todd Greene, a former Angel, hit a three-run homer off Jeff Williams in the eighth.