CHANGE FOR THE BETTER ROYAL HIGH PRODUCT BOOSTS CAREER BY SWITCHING TO PITCH.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

An offer intended simply to help his team might have done more individually for Brett Wayne and his career as a professional baseball player.

Wayne had been a full-time infielder since graduating from Royal High of Simi Valley, but during his second season as a Dodgers minor leaguer he informed his manager he was willing to pitch in emergency situations. The team eventually took Wayne up on the offer and he did well enough that the Dodgers decided to have him pitch exclusively this year and the results have been more encouraging than those he produced as a position player.

As his first full season as a professional pitcher nears an end, Wayne has proven an effective reliever for Single-A Columbus (Ga.). Through 26 appearances, the right-hander had a 2.80 ERA, two wins, four saves, 68 strikeouts and 27 walks in 64 1/3 innings. Opponents were hitting .189 against him.

``It's going good,'' Wayne said. ``But I've still got a lot to learn. I've got a lot of catching up to do. ... I pitched maybe a few innings in college, but I hadn't really pitched since high school. It's been a long time.''

Wayne, 24, made his pitching debut July 30 of last year in the 16th inning of a game against Lexington. He retired the side in order to earn the win for South Georgia. He ended up pitching in five games that season, going 1-0 with a 10.80 ERA in 3 1/3 innings.

``At first I was a little nervous, I guess you could say,'' Wayne said. ``But I just realized I've got pretty good stuff, I need to trust myself. And I know what it's like being a hitter. I remembered how hard hitting is. You've just got to keep it out of the hitters' zone and change speeds.

``I'm a little behind most pitchers at this level, but I've got an edge over most of them because I was a hitter in the pros and I know how hitters in the pros think.''

Although he may know how to think like a hitter, he had difficulty consistently performing like one at the professional level. A 22nd-round draft pick out of Saint Mary's College, Wayne hit .209 in 43 games with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Dodgers in 2002 and followed it with a 2003 season in which he hit .268 with two home runs and 29 RBI for Single-A South Georgia.

With plenty of infielders ahead of him on the organization's depth chart, Wayne, who made 24 errors in two seasons, was asked at the end of last season what he thought of becoming a pitcher.

``I said 'I'll give it a try,' '' said Wayne, who spent the offseason pitching in an instructional league.

Among his highlights this season is a five-inning stint June 8 against Charleston (S.C.). Wayne did not get a decision, but had six strikeouts and did not allow a hit or a run. He matched his season high of six strikeouts July 12 in a 2 1/3-inning outing to earn the win over the Rome (Ga.) Braves.

At this point he is more concerned with getting experience than he is with developing a certain pitch or any other specific aspect of pitching.

Wayne admits he still thinks about hitting, but does not second-guess the position change.

``Every once in a while you miss it,'' he said of hitting. ``But not too much, I'm too busy thinking about pitching. That's all I think about now.

``I'm happy with the switch.''

Heather Gripp, [phone]

heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com

WAYNE FILE

Name: Brett Wayne

Team: Columbus (Ga.) Catfish, Dodgers' Single-A affiliate

Position: Pitcher

Local tie: Royal High

Age: 24

Career highlights: Selected by the Dodgers in the 22nd round of the 2002 amateur draft after being a four-year starter at shortstop for Saint Mary's College. ... In his professional pitching debut, he retired the side in order to get the win in relief July 30, 2003 against Lexington. ... Played 88 games for Single-A South Georgia in 2003, batting .268 with two home runs and 29 RBI.

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WAYNE FILE (see text)