DODGERS NOTEBOOK: FIRING STILL RANKLES CLARK.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

Jack Clark was fired three weeks ago as Dodgers hitting instructor, but the pain of the dismissal is very fresh.

In the past 48 hours, Clark presented his version of his final days with the club to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Jim Rome's L.A.-based sports-talk show.

On Rome's radio show, Clark called general manager Dan Evans ``a liar'' in his handling of the move.

Evans had met twice with Clark concerning critical comments made about the club's season-long offensive problems. Clark also said part of the Dodgers' trouble was clubhouse strife.

At the time, Evans said the matter was closed. Three weeks later, the hitting slump continued and Clark was gone.

``That period is over, and I wish him the best,'' Evans said before Friday's game against the New York Mets. ``There is really nothing to say in that regard.''

Manager Jim Tracy, who has spoken to Clark twice since the firing, said he is uncomfortable discussing Clark's take on the story.

Tracy also would not address the Dodgers' increased run production since Clark's dismissal. With Clark on the job, the Dodgers averaged 3.4 runs in 109 games, last in the National League. In the past 16, they have scored 4.5 runs a game.

``I am not versed in what has been said, so I don't feel in a position to comment,'' Tracy said.

Since his dismissal, Clark has spoken several times with former Cardinals manager and close friend Whitey Herzog, who said the pain will pass.

Clark has second-guessed his decision to return to the coaching spot after suffering a life-threatening auto accident on the eve of opening day.

He said his broken ribs still have not completely healed. But mostly he struggles with the firing.

``I didn't quite get it,'' Clark said in Friday's edition of the Post-Dispatch. ``They said they would never know if they needed to shake it up unless they did it. But I didn't think it was quite fair.

``I was the same guy who was there for Shawn Green when he hit 42 and 49 homers and when he was in his slumps before that and I got him out (of them).''

--McGriff activated: First baseman Fred McGriff, who has missed more than two months with a groin injury, returned from the disabled list Friday.

McGriff, whose pursuit of 500 home runs was derailed June 14 by the first of two abdominal problems, was not in the starting lineup in the series opener against the Mets and seemed surprised he was activated.

Just two days ago, he was experiencing discomfort moving laterally.

``I'm not sure what the plan is, more or less we'll go day to day,'' said McGriff, who has 488 career homers. ``I hope I'm ready to play every day, but I'll have to find out. I haven't played in two months.''

Tracy said he isn't sure how McGriff will be used. McGriff's replacement, Robin Ventura, was batting .247 with two homers and seven RBI in his first 17 games after coming over from the New York Yankees on July 31. But Ventura's clubhouse presence has been credited for helping with the team's recent success.

``We're just calling Fred's situation day-to-day, nothing more,'' Tracy said. ``When you have a guy with that kind of potential to hit the ball out of the park, you want him around, either in the lineup or as a pinch hitter. But we'll see how it plays out.''

McGriff played three games in a Florida rehabilitation assignment but said the experience did not test his groin. After several days of batting practice at Dodger Stadium, McGriff was cleared to return.

``I'd like to get back to a comfort level and get used to swinging the bat every day,'' McGriff said. ``Nobody knows until I try to go out and play. You hope you can go out there and not get hurt. I hope I can help the team win some ballgames.''

--Unresolved: Lawyers only exchanged information Friday in the DUI case of Dodgers reliever Guillermo Mota and scheduled another pretrial hearing for Sept. 22, at which point a plea agreement could be reached or a trial date set.

Matt McHale, [phone]

matt.mchale(at)dailynews.com