Jersey Not His No. 1 Concern

Greg Maddux said the only aspect of his uniform that will matter tonight when he makes his Dodger Stadium debut as a member of the home team is the name across the chest, not the number below it.

The fact that teammate Brad Penny has declined to relinquish No. 31 -- the number that Maddux had worn throughout a 21-year career before joining the Dodgers on July 31 -- has not rankled the newest member of the starting rotation.

“It’s how you pitch, it’s not what shirt you wear,” said Maddux, who anticipated wearing the same No. 36 he wore Thursday while throwing six no-hit innings against Cincinnati. “We’re all wearing blue.”

But is it a sign of disrespect that Penny wouldn’t offer the uniform number to a future Hall of Famer? “I don’t take anything as a sign of disrespect,” Maddux said. “What’s important to me is how I perform on the field and my family. Other than that, I don’t let a whole lot bother me.”

Penny said last week that he would be willing to give Maddux his number as soon as he had acquired another satisfactory number from a teammate, but Penny said Monday night that he intended to keep No. 31. “Right now things are going good and there’s no reason to change,” said Penny, who said he was irked by comments made by Maddux’s agent, Scott Boras, that Penny was ignoring tradition. “It’s not a lack of respect for Maddux. I’m glad he’s my teammate.”

Maddux said he looked forward to pitching regularly at Dodger Stadium, where he is 6-5 with a 3.20 earned-run average in 15 starts and won Game 2 of the 1996 National League division series as a member of the Atlanta Braves.

Maddux said the first big league game he attended was at Dodger Stadium, when he was a youngster and his father was stationed at an Air Force base in Riverside County. He recalled a Cincinnati player tossing him a ball during batting practice as he sat near the left-field foul pole.

“I’ve always loved to come in here as a visiting player,” Maddux said, “and I look forward to spending more than just three days here for a change.”

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The New York Mets, looking for bench help, claimed Dodgers utility outfielder Ricky Ledee off waivers. In the final season of a two-year contract that pays him $1.5 million this season, Ledee is batting .245, with 33 of his 53 at-bats coming as a pinch-hitter.

“I wanted to play here, but I wasn’t going to do anything,” said Ledee, who becomes an insurance policy in case outfielder Cliff Floyd’s sore Achilles’ tendon problem is more than temporary.

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Jeff Kent made his first start at first base since last September after being activated from the disabled list, though the veteran second baseman is no stranger to the position. “I’ve played quite a few games at first base throughout my career, so it’s no big deal,” said Kent, who will likely remain at first until Nomar Garciaparra comes off the disabled list later this week.

The Dodgers opened a roster spot for Kent by placing pitcher Elmer Dessens on the disabled list retroactive to Aug. 3. Dessens has a sprained left ankle.

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The Dodgers plan to announce formal plans Wednesday for a Dodgers On Demand channel that will be distributed by Time Warner Cable in Southern California. The year-round channel will broadcast classic Dodgers games as well as player profiles, game highlights and news conferences.

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Times staff writer Tim Brown contributed to this report.