No Sympathy From Sheffield

General Manager Dan Evans and Manager Jim Tracy are surprised the Dodgers have the National League’s worst offense.

Gary Sheffield is not.

The Atlanta Brave All-Star right fielder said his former club is missing something on offense: Someone like him.

“I don’t care what lineup I’m in, it’s not going to struggle,” said Sheffield, again among the major league’s top run producers.

“I used to challenge Shawn Green and say, ‘I’m good for two [runs],’ and it pushed him. It pushed him to have the [career] season that he had [in 2001]. I’m not saying that I was the reason, but it helps when you’ve got a guy pushing you.”

Hitting coach Jack Clark recently suggested that the batting order around the struggling Green simply isn’t very good. Again, that isn’t news to Sheffield.

“Knowing how Greenie is, I think Greenie kind of bought into, ‘You have to be a leader,’ and he has to do more than just play baseball,” said Sheffield, batting .327 with 26 homers and 85 RBIs.

“He bought into it and it affected him. Nobody [in the clubhouse was] asking Greenie to be a leader, but guys around baseball know what type of player he is.”Nobody wants to face him now. When we go against him, I guarantee you our pitchers really don’t want to face him.” Sheffield said the Dodgers’ decision not to re-sign outfielder Marquis Grissom is part of their problems on offense. Grissom has been a key contributor for the San Francisco Giants.

“He played the same way in L.A., he just didn’t play,” Sheffield said. “[Some teams] think certain guys are done, or a certain age is a death sentence, and it’s not.

“Marquis is showing that he could be a leadoff guy. Now, he’s the No. 3 hitter. It’s just the way other people give you chances.”

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Left fielder Brian Jordan visited the clubhouse for the first time since undergoing season-ending knee surgery July 11.

Jordan, who makes his off-season home in Atlanta, met with team trainer Stan Johnston to discuss the rehabilitation program.

The 11-year veteran said watching the team’s slump has been frustrating.

“We were one game out at the time [of his injury], so we were right there, and it’s tough to sit back and watch us just fall like that,” said Jordan, whose $10.5-million option for 2004 is expected to be bought out for $2.5 million.

“Coming into the season, you definitely had your sights high.... It just hasn’t happened so far. We’ve got two months left, and you either make a difference or the September call-ups are going to get a lot of time.”

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Infielder Robin Ventura arrived at Turner Field at 6 p.m. EDT after experiencing travel problems, so Tracy gave him time to get adjusted to life as a Dodger.

Ventura, acquired Thursday from the New York Yankees, was not in the starting lineup, but he played first base. He struck out in the seventh inning and flied out to end the game.

“I told Jim I’m fine,” said Ventura, whose first chartered jet had engine trouble. “I’ve had worse days.”

Tracy plans to use Ventura primarily at first, and that’s fine with the six-time Gold Glove third baseman.

“I told Jim that anything he wants me to do, I’ll do,” he said. “I’ll play anywhere. Anyway I can help out, I will.”

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Friday’s game was blacked out within a 100-mile radius of Los Angeles. Turner Sports spokesman Greg Hughes said that a clause in TBS’ contract extension with Major League Baseball (which went into effect this season), requires such a blackout, whether a game is televised locally or not. The idea behind the clause is protection for area broadcasters who pay for the exclusive local programming rights.