Arrival of Brown Could Stir Things Up

The intensity level at Dodgertown figures to increase today if pitcher Kevin Brown reports to spring training as expected.

The Dodgers turned a corner last season without the injury-plagued former ace, who enters camp in an unfamiliar position, attempting to reclaim a rotation spot, never mind the front-end job. The perception is that the Dodgers need Brown to take another step forward, but the club views things differently.

The right-hander has been on the disabled list six times in the last three seasons, and the Dodgers won 92 games last season while Brown went 3-4 with a 4.81 earned-run average in only 17 games, so they figure his availability isn’t a make-or-break situation for them.

Some in the organization had hoped Brown, coming off surgery last June for a herniated disk in his lower back, would report last week with pitchers, catchers and players rehabilitating from injuries. However, he hasn’t arrived early since joining the club and didn’t start doing so in the fifth season of a seven-year, $105-million contract.

The Dodgers have practiced patience because Brown has sacrificed his body to win, although his sullenness has worn thin.

However, the team has rallied around Brown again after his commitment had been questioned in the media because others had arrived earlier.

“Brownie definitely gets a bad rap in the media,” said All-Star right fielder Shawn Green, scheduled to arrive in Dodgertown today after attending his sister’s wedding Sunday night in Newport Beach. “He works as hard as anyone, and they’re not the ones who play behind him and see how competitive he is.”

Right-hander Darren Dreifort, in camp with the first group of players after undergoing right knee surgery in July, said players of Brown’s stature are entitled to certain liberties.

“If Nolan Ryan showed up six days late, think anybody would have a problem with it?” Dreifort said. “Think they would tell him about it?”

The Dodgers just hope Brown has something to smile about this season.

“It’s unfair to criticize him for not being here [early],” left fielder Brian Jordan said. “If he’s a young guy and he’s unproven, then you make a big deal out of it. If you’re a veteran guy like him, who knows what he has to do this year, it’s unfair. He’s [coming] off an injury and you know he’s going to come in here ready to play. I just hope he has fun this year because last year was understandably tough.

“There’s a lot of pressure when you’re making that type of money, and it’s hard to understand what he’s going through unless you’ve been through it. He’s such a great competitor and you know he wants to earn his money. It’s tough to do that when you’re hurt, but you continue to try and try, and sometimes you hurt yourself and you hurt your team in a sense because they see that frustration all the time. Hopefully, he’ll come in with a great attitude.”

*

Dean Taylor, former general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, has been hired as a consultant to General Manager Dan Evans. Taylor, fired Sept. 25 in a front-office shakeup, will be based in Atlanta, focusing on the Dodgers’ minor-league operation while assisting Evans in administrative projects.

A longtime assistant general manager with the Atlanta Braves, Taylor was hired by the Brewers in 1999 and is under contract until 2003, but is permitted to work for other clubs, Evans said.

“He’s one of the classiest and most respected people in the game,” Evans said. “I can only benefit from his experience and his knowledge.”

The Brewers (56-106) finished last in the National League Central, 41 games behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals.

*

With the national terrorism alert at the second-highest stage, Dodger players are concerned about traveling to Mexico City for exhibition games scheduled March 15-16 against the New York Mets.

“I would be lying if I said it hasn’t been talked about a little bit,” said catcher Paul Lo Duca, the club’s player representative. “We want to go to Mexico City because the majority of the fans there are Dodger fans, and I think it’s a good thing for baseball.

“But if there’s a war going on, let’s step back and talk this over. As a team, we would want to get on the phone [with baseball officials] and talk about the subject. Honestly, I don’t think it would be a good idea [to go] if there’s a war going on.”

*

Jordan expects the offense to apply more pressure on opponents. “Last year, [Manager Jim Tracy] really had his hands tied a lot in situations,” he said, “but now we’ve got some new guys in here and we shouldn’t have to sit back and wait for the three-run home run. We’re going to do a lot more.” ... Kazuhisa Ishii, one of the worst bunters on a poor-bunting pitching staff last season, defeated closer Eric Gagne in the final of a bunting contest.... Pitcher Bill Simas has agreed to a minor-league contract. A right-handed reliever, Simas, 31, spent parts of six seasons with the Chicago White Sox, last pitching in the major leagues in 2000.... Andy Ashby was held out of drills because of lower back stiffness.