McGwire Story No Shock to Bradley

The New York Daily News report linking Mark McGwire to steroid use hardly startled Dodger outfielder Milton Bradley.

“I’m not surprised to hear it,” Bradley said Sunday. “I’m just surprised it took this long.”

The three men to top Roger Maris’ standard of 61 home runs in a season -- McGwire, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa -- all now have been tainted by alleged steroid use. McGwire topped Maris’ mark by hitting 70 in 1998, the same year Sosa hit 66, and Bonds hit 73 three years later.

“As soon as Barry started hitting home runs, people started talking about steroids,” Bradley said. “McGwire just kind of faded out and stayed quiet. Now it’s popping back up.

“Everyone wants to say Barry did steroids and make Barry the focal point. But the first person breaking the records and getting big was McGwire. Nobody talked about it. People don’t like Barry, so they pointed at Barry.”

Although the commissioner’s office and the players’ union have objected to the federal steroid hearings scheduled for Thursday in Washington, with McGwire and Sosa among players asked to testify, Bradley and Dodger infielder Jeff Kent encouraged Congress to pursue the issue.

“I think the reason why they want to get involved is the national perception that we’re not doing a good enough job to fix the problem,” Kent said. “I agree with that.”

Said Bradley: “They’re trying to get to the bottom of this. It’s good. They said they’d have more than one hearing and get some more players eventually. Talk to some pitchers. When a guy is throwing 88-90 [mph] and he starts throwing 95-97, something’s going on there too.”

After Congress urged major league officials last year to adopt a tougher drug-testing policy, management and the union agreed to do so this year, although critics note the new policy falls far short of Olympic standards. But catcher David Ross, the Dodger representative to the union, called the policy “pretty strong” and said he wasn’t sure this week’s hearings were necessary.

“It could be a congressman trying to make a name for himself,” Ross said. “You never know what somebody’s motivation is. He might want to say, ‘I’m the one who brought down McGwire and Sosa.’ ”

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In a 7-2 victory over the Florida Marlins, Derek Lowe became the first Dodger this spring to pitch five innings. Lowe has given up one run in 12 innings. As the Dodger rotation lines up, Jeff Weaver would start the season opener. But Manager Jim Tracy said he has made no decision, so Lowe could start the opener just as easily.

“I’ve never done it,” Lowe said. “I’ve watched Pedro [Martinez] do it. There’s something special about opening day, and it’s even more special because we’re playing the Giants. My goal in spring training is to make their decision hard.”

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Kent and infielder Norihiro Nakamura homered. Nakamura, an eight-time Japanese league all-star trying to earn a major league job, has benefited from a mechanical adjustment made by hitting coach Tim Wallach and has six hits in his last 10 at-bats.... In the preceding B game, also against the Marlins, Wilson Alvarez pitched three shutout innings in a 6-1 loss. Elmer Dessens faced six batters, got one out and gave up five runs.... Former Dodger outfielder Lou Johnson, a member of the club’s community relations staff, was released Sunday after an overnight hospitalization that followed complaints of chest and stomach pain Saturday.... Tracy said the first round of cuts would come today.