ASHLEY HAS YET TO ACCEPT '95 DEMOTION.

Byline: Tim Brown Daily News Staff Writer

There's some anger left in Billy Ashley, and there's enough to go around.

Spring has been disastrous for him. His opportunity to begin his second consecutive season as the Dodgers' starting left fielder perhaps has been lost in 20 outs in 21 at-bats, in 11 strikeouts, in a hamstring injury and in his own inability to understand last year's demotion. He carries that with him, nine months later.

"Getting shut down after the All-Star break just infuriated me," Ashley said Sunday, after he had two hits in five at-bats in a minor-league game. "And I can't let it go."

The question to Ashley, then, was whether he can remain in the Dodgers organization, whether he can live with the resentment, and become the ballplayer he believes he can be.

"I would think so," he said. "They wanted me to be the left fielder last year. I'm pretty sure they want me to have at least a piece of left field this year. I should just let the confidence in me take over and just go out and play. Let me go. Just let me play. If I fail, I fail. I don't want them to dictate if I fail.

"I'd love to play for the Dodgers, no question about that. They've been good to me for the last eight years. I belong in this uniform. But if I'm not going to get a shot to play, a legitimate shot, the next move is in their hands."

Ashley is 25 years old. He's sure he can play here. Publicly, the organization is sure he can play here. And, then, this. An .048 batting average. And, a few weeks ago he was examined by an optometrist, who prescribed a contact lens for his right eye. Ashley said he is left-eye dominant. It has been an adjustment.

"It's beyond frustrating," Ashley said. "I don't even know how to explain it. Right before I got hurt I was starting to get mad because I wasn't coming around.

"It bothers me. The strikeouts. I blamed it on confidence. The deal with the contact (lens). Having my eyes checked out. It seems like every time I turn around there's an excuse there, mine or somebody else's."

They might be running out of them. Spring training ends in a week. Todd Hollandsworth appears to be the left fielder. There is full agreement - even from Ashley - that Ashley is not a bench player.

Asked Sunday about the situation in left field and what it might look like Opening Day - Hollandsworth is hot and hitting .226, up 56 points from two days ago, manager Tom Lasorda said, "You guys are going to be surprised. You guys are really going to be surprised."

He didn't explain. But, be sure, Ashley won't be surprised. He has heard the trade talk and has felt every bit of criticism from outside of the organization. He knows they say he strikes out too much. He hears that he is a defensive liability. It affects him.

"It was easy to get here," Ashley said with a sigh. "When they said it's the hardest thing ever to stay, I believe it. I took the talent I had for granted."

Another Karros injury: Eric Karros, who spent most of the first month of spring training rehabilitating a pulled hamstring, will undergo an MRI today for what the Dodgers assume is tendinitis in his left shoulder. He missed Sunday's game because of the soreness.

Karros said he would miss a few more exhibition games because he is not able to swing the bat without pain.

"It's just the way the spring has gone," Karros said. "It's kind of frustrating."

Perranoski, Amalfitano, whatever: In Kissimmee, Fla., this week because the Dodgers were playing the Houston Astros, third base coach Joey Amalfitano was hitting pregame fungoes when he was approached by an Orlando reporter.

The reporter asked if Amalfitano had time to answer a few questions. Amalfitano said he did, and the reporter proceeded with questions about Hideo Nomo's forkball.

"I don't know much about it. You probably ought to talk to Dave Wallace, our pitching coach," Amalfitano said.

Confused, the reporter asked Amalfitano why he was no longer the pitching coach. Of course, Amalfitano never was the pitching coach. Ron Perranoski was, until he was replaced before last season by Wallace.

"Well," Amalfitano said, "after bringing Drysdale and Koufax around, I decided there wasn't anymore challenge in it. So I stopped doing it."

The reporter nodded and Amalfitano went back to stroking ground balls.

Notes: The Dodgers defeated the Florida Marlins 6-5 on Sunday. Pedro Astacio allowed 10 hits and two runs in six innings, and had seven strikeouts. Delino DeShields had four hits and Brett Butler, Mike Piazza and Todd Hollandsworth each had two. . . . The Dodgers are 14-9.