Wills Is Giving Tutorials

Sound baserunning begins with a good ear. Listening to Maury Wills helps especially well.

The all-time Dodger stolen base leader put on a 45-minute clinic for the players Friday, beginning at home plate and working his way around the bases.

Even accomplished runners such as Kenny Lofton, Rafael Furcal and Cesar Izturis were hanging on every word.

“When I was playing and the Dodgers did this, I was always the guy in front, absorbing as much as I could,” Wills said. “Baserunning is the least emphasized phase of the game, but you can’t say you are a great baseball player unless you can run the bases well.”

Wills, 73, is in such great condition he looks as if he could score from second on a single. But it is his knowledge that Manager Grady Little wanted to tap.

“Grady told me to take as much time as I needed,” Wills said.

Wills led the National League in stolen bases six times, had 104 in 1962 and 586 in his career.

“It is beneficial to have a guy like that impart his knowledge to the ballclub,” Little said. “He’s in the record book for how many bases he stole. And he was probably the best baserunner who ever played.”

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Pitcher Brad Penny jokingly asked Little if he could steal bases this season. Little told Penny that he would have his own steal sign.

“When [third base coach] Rich Donnelly jumps up and doesn’t come down, that’s your steal sign,” Little said.

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Outfielder J.D. Drew worked out for the first time and said his surgically repaired right shoulder and right wrist were doing well. Drew was late because his wife gave birth to their first child earlier this week.

“I’ve been hitting quite a bit for about a month and long-tossing from about 150 feet,” he said. “The wrist is not even an issue and the shoulder feels pretty good. It will be a matter of not pushing it.”

Drew played only 72 games last season because he was hit by a pitch and broke his left wrist July 3. In September, he had the surgeries on the right wrist to repair a slight ligament tear and on the shoulder to repair a torn labrum.

Drew has wanted to play center field since signing a five-year contract with the Dodgers before the 2005 season. Although it appeared he might get the chance when Milton Bradley was traded, the opportunity vanished when General Manager Ned Colletti signed Lofton a week later.

“Ned called me and asked if I was OK with right field again,” Drew said. “I told him, ‘You pay me a lot of money. I’ll play right field at the drop of a hat if it will help us win.’ ”

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When the Dodgers play an intrasquad game at Jacksonville on Tuesday, prospects who have played for the double-A affiliate in that city will be grouped together and will wear Suns’ uniforms.

Top prospect Chad Billingsley, who was 13-6 and led Jacksonville to the Southern League championship last season, will be the starting pitcher.

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Infielder Oscar Robles has decided not to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.... Bill Lajoie, former Detroit Tiger general manager, has been hired as senior advisor to Colletti.