Apparently, Perez Doesn’t Always Crave Attention

Stopped by Odalis Perez’s locker before Tuesday night’s Dodgers game to give him some more recognition, knowing how much he craves it, and he said, “I hate you.”

I found that odd, because as much as he likes getting attention, in fact pulling the funding on his O’s 45 program to send inner-city kids to Dodgers games because he wasn’t getting enough recognition, the last guy you’d think he’d run off would be the one willing to write down everything he has to say.

At the very least, I told him, I’ll write that down.

“You can do whatever you want to do,” Perez said, and I’ve found over the years it always makes it easier to make fun of a selfish pro athlete when you have his permission.

Perez then walked over, picked up a bat, and knowing he’s a pitcher -- and I’m being generous in that assessment with the opposition hitting .348 off him -- I saw no reason to wait and find out why he suddenly decided to arm himself.

Then I ran into Manager Grady Little and asked him how he gets along with Perez and he said, “Fine. How about you?”

I told him Perez hates me, still a little upset that someone already swiped my idea of putting “He Hate Me” on the back of a shirt and wearing it to Dodger Stadium tonight.

“How could anybody build up that kind of feeling for a human being?” said Little, and since he has been on the job as Dodgers manager for only a couple of months, I recognize the possibility he might change his mind.

Outside, I noticed Perez standing in left, moving across the field slowly to the right-field line and striking up a friendly conversation with two Mariners. I thought he was supposed to hate them.

Perez’s selfishness has turned a number of teammates off, so it’s understandable why he has to look elsewhere for a friendly face. We have two women on the sports staff who won’t talk to me, forcing me to look elsewhere for women with friendly faces, and I’m sure the wife would understand, although I see no reason to bring it up.

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THE DODGERS didn’t want to bring Perez back last season, which was understandable after watching him pitch. But when Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta couldn’t find anyone else, he gave Perez $24 million to remain here for three more years. So what does new GM Ned Colletti think of Perez’s deal?

“Lucky for him,” said Colletti, who declined to say whether he’s currently trying to trade Perez. “Am I satisfied with the way he’s pitching? No.”

As for Perez’s selfishness, and the potential for causing problems in the clubhouse, Colletti said, “I’m aware of it, and it’s something we have to manage.”

Earlier this season Frank McCourt was spotted going into Colletti’s private box during a game in which Perez was getting hit hard. He seemed upset.

“He was,” Colletti said, “and so was I.”

Perez then lost his place in the starting rotation, Colletti saying it was the manager’s decision, although he “didn’t discourage it.”

The Dodgers are now stuck with an overpaid, sullen middle reliever who believes he’s entitled to more recognition. I hope he finds it with the next team that takes him on.

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THE DODGERS said they will continue the program that Perez abandoned, in fact bringing 45 kids to Tuesday night’s game knowing he wasn’t pitching and there was no chance of scarring the youngsters for life.

They will honor seven more O’s 45 dates already set aside, but instead of subjecting the kids to the indignity of wearing Perez’s No. 45, a team spokesperson said the kids will be wearing Dodger T-shirts.

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THEY GAVE Adrian Beltre the same locker they gave Shawn Green when he returned to play the Dodgers. When Green returned, I asked him to hit a home run over Jeff Kent’s head, he did, and then waved to the press box from the dugout.

I told the story to Beltre before Tuesday’s game, suggested he do the same, but hit it over the third baseman’s head to make it easier on him. So what does Beltre do? He hits a home run -- over Kent’s head.

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NBA COMMISSIONER David Stern showed Mark Cuban. If the “league is fixed,” as Cuban reportedly yelled at Stern the other night, then for TV purposes there would have been a seventh game.

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THEY TELL me Steve Mason does a sports talk radio show in town on 710. I’ll take their word on that, but now I’m hearing he’s going to sing the national anthem before the Dodgers game tonight. I guess the sports talk show gig didn’t work out.

Last year Mason went to a studio, taped the anthem and lip-synced the anthem to his own recording at a game in Rancho Cucamonga. Later Mason played the recording for Frank’s Old Lady, earning Mason a date in Dodger Stadium to sing.

Mason said he intends to give a “respectful and mediocre performance,” so from what they tell me, it shouldn’t be any different from his radio show.

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THE DODGERS announced that “Mayor Villaraigosa, Jimmy Kimmel, Mia Hamm, James Denton and many more” will participate in the Hollywood Stars game Saturday, the emphasis on “many more,” who hope to one day become Hollywood Stars -- making it more of a Hollywood Nobodies game.

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TODAY’S LAST word comes in e-mail from Samuel Rindge:

“(You wrote the other day) more scarier? You are illeterate.”

What a relief. All this time I thought I was illiterate.

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.