AN OPTIMISTIC KIRBY PLAYS THE WAITING GAME : DODGER PINES FOR CHANCE IN CROWDED OUTFIELD.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

The anger is gone. Now Wayne Kirby just waits and watches and does a lot of extra running.

Fourth in the American League's Rookie of the Year voting four years ago, but destined also to be fourth in the Cleveland Indians' outfield, Kirby is back with a new attitude in the Dodgers organization that signed him in 1983.

Nowhere near satisfied at being a utility player, he at least thinks being a baseball player is an enjoyable occupation again.

``There are a lot of good things from a year ago,'' said Kirby, acquired by the Dodgers off waivers last June. ``I'm having fun. I wasn't playing at all a year ago. To come back last year and start playing more and more and having fun and loving the game again. For now, I can be content in being a bench player or the best every-Sunday player in the game. But I'm not going to be happy. If I was on the bench and wasn't getting mad about it I wouldn't be a good player.

``Sometimes I might look mad, because I do want to start. But I know the situation. I'll just be ready for whenever I'm not sitting on the bench.''

Kirby's message is one of persistence. He talks about waiting for the door to open, and ``then don't give it a chance to close.'' For eight seasons, he was in the Dodgers' minor-league system. He felt he was going nowhere. In 1991, Cleveland signed him as a free agent.

``So many times he wanted to quit,'' his brother, Terry, said of Wayne's eight years in the minors. ``When he got (signed by) Cleveland, that was the best thing to ever happen to him. He told me, `Don't quit. Don't ever give up.' He taught me you will get your chance.''

Terry, a running back with the San Francisco 49ers, speaks with his brother often. They have a lot to talk about. Terry is something of a utility player himself, carrying the ball irregularly during his four NFL seasons. He was traded by the Miami Dolphins to San Francisco at the start of last season, just a few months after Wayne returned to California.

``Me and my brother have been doing almost the same thing,'' Wayne said. ``We're very close. We were both rookies at same time. Then last year, I go to L.A. and he gets traded to San Francisco. It's almost like we're on the same program.''

Kirby never thought it would be like this. Not after 1993, when he hit .269 with 71 runs and 60 RBI in 131 games for the Indians. He finished behind Tim Salmon, Jason Bere and Aaron Sele in the A.L. Rookie of the Year voting.

``I think back to the rookie year,'' he said. ``That was a unique year.''

Kirby did his share of pinch-hitting in 1994, but he also started two or three times a week.

After platooning with Manny Ramirez in right field for much of 1994, Kirby watched as Ramirez won the job in '95. Albert Belle and Kenny Lofton were the other two outfielders whom Kirby wasn't going to displace.

Kirby got to the plate just 188 times that year.

``I really wasn't accustomed to being a pinch-hitter, the way pinch-hitters are,'' he said. ``In '94, when I did pinch-hit a lot, I was playing a lot too. You keep your stroke. That '95 season I had to strictly pinch-hit. I go almost a month-and-a-half without an at-bat and have to face Al Leiter. The toughest thing about (being a pinch-hitter) is . . . you're not accustomed to seeing the breaking balls, the changeups and all that. You're just up there hacking.''

The first 2-1/2 months of last season, before being released, Kirby batted just 16 times. After a slow start with the Dodgers (0 for 13) and an All-Star break summit with hitting coach Reggie Smith, Kirby heated up. In a six-game hitting streak in late July, he was 12 for 32. He finished with a .271 average (51 for 188) in 65 games for the Dodgers.

It's odd that Kirby is in much the same situation here as he was in Cleveland. There is no starting job for him here, with Todd Hollandsworth's and Raul Mondesi's positions sealed, and Billy Ashley and Roger Cedeno ready to take over whenever Brett Butler leaves the game.

His goal in Cleveland was also to make the best of his situation. So he had fun in the clubhouse. Now he wants to have fun on the field. During the offseason he worked on his hitting as never before. He stays late to hit here. He runs more. When the season starts, he will lift weights and ride the stationary bike while Mondesi and Hollandsworth are working on fielding.

``I know my time is going to be limited once the season starts,'' he said. ``I'll have maybe one pitch to prove myself. I want to be ready for that pitch.''

DIMINISHING TIME

Since his solid rookie year in 1993, Wayne Kirby's playing time has decreased:

Year Team Avg. G AB

1993 Cle .269 131 458

1994 Cle .293 78 191

1995 Cle .207 101 188

1996 Cle .250 27 16

1996 LA .271 65 188

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Chart

Photo: (color) Although he prefers to start, Wayne Kirby (35) accepts utility role with Dodgers.

Juan Ocampo / Dodgers

(2) Wayne Kirby hopes his persistence pays off this season.

Daily News File Photo

Chart: DIMINISHING TIME (see text)