DODGERS NOTEBOOK: FANS TURN OUT IN DROVES.Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer The 12-year-old boys in the hotel gift shop proclaimed themselves ``the biggest'' Dodgers fans. They had come from Eugene, Ore., to see their favorite team. Seattle, where the sixth-largest crowd in Mariners history showed up Saturday, is a natural for the interleague format. Unlike the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and Bay Area markets, fans in the Pacific Northwest never get to see teams from the other league because they are so far away from any other market. ``It's exciting to have the Dodgers here,'' said Seattle resident Tracy Codd. ``The town is abuzz. People want to see the stars they never get to see.'' One star Codd was disappointed to not see was Todd Hollandsworth Todd Mathew Hollandsworth (born April 20, 1973 in Dayton, Ohio) is an outfielder in Major League Baseball. Previously, Hollandsworth played with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1995-2000), Colorado Rockies (2000-2002), Texas Rangers (2002), Florida Marlins (2003), Chicago Cubs , whom the Dodgers demoted to Albuquerque on Thursday. Codd is Hollandsworth's agent. Big-timers: It was pretty obvious what Saturday's showcase matchup was: the Dodgers' Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza (born September 4, 1968 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is an American Major League Baseball player who currently plays for the Oakland Athletics. He began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and played for the Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres vs. the Mariners' Ken Griffey Ken Griffey may refer to:
Piazza went 4 for 4 with a homer, two doubles, two RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in and two runs. Griffey's only hit was a solo homer Noun 1. solo homer - a home run with no runners on base solo blast home run, homer - a base hit on which the batter scores a run , his major-league leading 27th. Both sides were impressed. ``We'll look at films tomorrow morning and see if we can figure out a way to pitch to him,'' Mariners manager Lou Piniella The Dodgers catcher, in turn, had a bold prediction for Griffey. ``If he stays healthy I think he can hit 60 (homers) this year,'' Piazza said. Surprise: Brett Butler followed his wife to the table in the hotel restaurant to find three of his best friends and their wives. The group promptly started singing happy birthday. Eveline Butler had arranged for the couples to fly in and help celebrate Butler's 40th birthday, which is today. Rather than rest completely on his last day in the 30s, Butler was the Dodgers' designated hitter. Today, Butler will become the first 40-year-old since Willie Mays to start in center field in the majors. What to do? Dodgers executive vice president Fred Claire doesn't understand the fret over the Dodgers' pitching. He even gets a little testy tes·ty adj. tes·ti·er, tes·ti·est Irritated, impatient, or exasperated; peevish: a testy cab driver; a testy refusal to help. when asked about the team's plans once Darren Dreifort is healthy. ``I recognize we've got 12 extremely impressive major-league pitchers,'' Claire said. ``. . . I don't think that's a problem.'' Dreifort, on the disabled list since May 12 (retroactive) with tendinitis in his left (throwing) elbow, will make his second rehabilitation start today for Triple-A Albuquerque. |
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