ANALYSIS: DODGERS' SEASON STUMBLING ALONG.

Byline: Matt McHale Daily News Staff Writer

Under the glare of an afternoon sun and a national TV audience, the Dodgers looked particularly pale.

Saturday was supposed to be a showcase event, the Fox-owned Dodgers on Fox television playing the National League's best team, the Atlanta Braves. Playoff preview? How about programming blunder.

Although the Dodgers still have a mathematical chance of reaching the postseason, the truth is 1998 just never added up.

If the Chicago Cubs, who lead for the final playoff spot, play just .500 the rest of the way, the Dodgers would have to go 26-14 in their last 40 games to catch them. For a team that has not won four consecutive games all season, that is a stretch.

And then there is team chemistry.

From the May 15 trade that sent their best player, Mike Piazza, to the Florida Marlins, to the firing of general manager Fred Claire and the hiring of Tom Lasorda, to the overall rotten play of the $61 million club, nothing has gone right.

Rupert Murdoch's Fox Group bought the team in March and brokered the deal for Piazza without checking that Bobby Bonilla, the leader they thought they got in return, was coming off two major operations and would be doing most of his work from the trainer's room.

Despite criticism that Lasorda overpaid in trading for veteran players during a stretch run that really doesn't exist, he did it to save his job. Most people would do the same, especially when given $12 million for improvements.

But a sadder commentary was the vulgar, profanity-laced tirade Lasorda gave the Long Beach Press-Telegram this past week aimed at former manager Bill Russell. Lasorda was ranting while the Dodgers were dropping 2 of 3 to the last-place Florida Marlins.

Where is his focus? On the team or on a guy he helped get fired?

``Should things be better? Sure they should,'' said Bonilla, who has been booed repeatedly by fans the past two weeks. ``But this is a team that has gotten a new owner, a new general manager, a new manager, traded their best player and have been wiped out by injuries. Tell me, how many teams could overcome that?''

Attendance slips

Most fans aren't buying it. Friday night, for the first time this season, attendance slipped below last year's average per game of 38,090 after 58 dates. The Dodgers, 61-62 after Saturday's loss, didn't make the postseason in 1997 and haven't won a playoff game since the World Series title in 1998.

The crowds are skeptical and often hostile. When new club president Bob Graziano was introduced Friday night during ceremonies for Hall of Famer Don Sutton, he was loudly booed.

Perhaps more telling is the indifference of the national baseball scene to one of the game's higher-profile teams. When Sports Illustrated came to Dodger Stadium, it wasn't to do a story on the Dodgers troubles, but about the Braves bullpen.

Center fielder Raul Mondesi has complained he is still getting taunted by fans in the bleachers about his early-season arrest for drunk driving. The more he talks about it, the more the issue refuses to go away.

When Piazza left, the club hoped Mondesi would step up as a team leader. They gave him a four-year contract worth $36 million. He showed glimpses of his potential greatness with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases last season. This year he leads the Dodgers with 26 homers and remains the club's most exciting player. But he still is a free swinger who continues to frustrate coaches and teammates.

``If he could be more selective at the plate, we'd be talking right now about him as an MVP candidate,'' third baseman Joey Amalfitano said. ``But until he does that, we'll just be talking about his potential.''

Leadership has been the biggest problem for the Dodgers the past decade. It hurt that Piazza wanted nothing to do with the job. Eric Karros was a leader for a while but retreated last year after he was criticized by teammates for his part in an altercation with pitcher Ismael Valdes. Eric Young is a fiery type, but the role doesn't fall naturally to nonsluggers.

New manager Glenn Hoffman has better people skills than his predecessor Russell, but the players are convinced Lasorda pulls all the strings. When four coaches were fired in June, Lasorda said it was Hoffman's call. No one believed him.

Lasorda's enthusiasm revived pitchers like Valdes and Chan Ho Park. But now Valdes is out with a strained side muscle and is progressing slowly.

No energy for blame

In past seasons, players would have pointed fingers. But this year, they don't even seem to have the energy for that.

``It's hard to say why the team is so fragile emotionally,'' said hitting instructor Mickey Hatcher, a key member of the 1988 World Series club. ``There is just no confidence here. There is more talent than there was with us. But if we had a lead in the seventh, eighth or nine innings, we won. We beat the bad teams.''

``It only takes a play or two to get players to believe. But we aren't making those plays.''

That was never more obvious than when the Dodgers went 3-6 during a recent nine-game stretch against Montreal, Pittsburgh and Florida, three of the league's weaker clubs. The Dodgers have 101 errors. Only the Expos and Pirates have more.

The team points to the injuries that have plagued the club all season.

Ramon Martinez, the ace of the staff, is out after having surgery on his right shoulder. Valdes is out with a strained side muscle and is progressing slowly.

First baseman Karros, who had more than 30 homers and 100 RBI in each of the past three seasons, missed the first 22 games of the season after undergoing knee surgery during the final week of spring training.

Second baseman Young, who received a four-year, $18.5 million contract during the winter, missed 32 games with a strained left thigh muscle, including 18 when he was on the disabled list from July 14-31.

Shortstop Jose Vizcaino, who signed a three-year, $8.5 million contract before the season, severely sprained his right ankle June 20 and hasn't played since. The Dodgers acquired Mark Grudzielanek with Carlos Perez to play short, but Vizcaino's steady defense has been missed.

Bonilla was brought in to play third base and he has been on the disabled list twice. He even was moved to left field in favor of rookie Adrian Beltre, who was promoted to the big leagues from Double-A San Antonio. Many players think Lasorda's decision to play Beltre is premature and bullheaded.

What's in store

Beltre has shown enormous potential but just as often seems overmatched. He was given Saturday off, replaced by Bonilla, who drove in two runs.

The future?

Lasorda, who was given the job on an interim basis despite his lifelong dream to become a general manager, has begun a search for his replacement. Fox likes Florida's Dave Dombrowski, and Cincinnati's Jim Bowden also is a candidate. The interview process is expected to begin in early September.

An additional player might be picked up for the final month. The Dodgers are hoping Vizcaino returns so they can make an evaluation on the future at shortstop.

Hoffman probably won't be back. Neither will Bonilla and maybe Young or Karros. Right now, the team is committed to paying $53.3 million in guaranteed salary to just 12 players.