DODGERS NOTEBOOK: FROM ATHLETE TO ATHLETE; FROM HUSBAND TO WIFE.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

In 1984, Julianne McNamara helped the U.S. women's gymnastics team to a gold medal.

In 1997, she is helping the Dodgers try to win the National League West.

McNamara, due to have a baby in early November, is not leading calisthenics nor throwing batting practice. Her work is cerebral, and it centers around one player - her husband, Todd Zeile.

``She has the gift of concentration,'' said Zeile, the Dodgers third baseman. ``To be able to do what she did, she would have to. For her, she had to learn when she was 12 years old. She's a very good person to talk to.''

Zeile continued to tear through the pennant stretch with a first-inning grand slam Sunday. He was intentionally walked in the second inning before striking out in the fourth to end his streak of reaching base at 11 plate appearances, the second-highest stretch in the NL this season.

In the past 17 games, during which the Dodgers are 13-4, Zeile is batting .417. After going 1 for 3 Sunday (he was intentionally walked twice), he is batting a season-high .259. That's after hitting .137 through the season's first 21 games.

Zeile blamed the slow start on letting the distractions of playing in Los Angeles, his lifelong home, get to him. His wife, he said, helped by teaching him to decline requests of his time.

``She's a buffer,'' Zeile said. ``She helps me relax.''

Hustler: Raul Mondesi can sometimes be a little too zealous on the basepaths. He has been called reckless. But. . . .

``He's fun to watch,'' Dodgers manager Bill Russell said.

Mondesi's extra hustle Sunday did not add anything to the scoreboard, but it illustrated what he brings to the Dodgers.

With Eric Karros on second base in the eighth inning, Mondesi walked. Karros stole third on the final pitch to Mondesi, beating a throw from Charles Johnson to Bobby Bonilla. As Bonilla lazily tossed the ball to pitcher Rob Nen, Mondesi rounded first and charged to second, where he slid in without a throw following him.

``He plays one way: 100 percent aggressive,'' Russell said. ``You can't complain about that.''

Almost OK for now: On his sixth day as a major-leaguer, much-heralded Paul Konerko was set to make his debut.

The 22-year-old, called up Monday from Triple-A Albuquerque, was on deck to pinch-hit for Mark Guthrie in the seventh inning. But when Juan Castro walked to put men at second and third, Brett Butler was sent in to bunt.

``It might be better I did it like this,'' said Konerko, who hit 37 home runs with 127 RBI in 130 games for Albuquerque and was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Year. ``Getting on deck is the nerve-racking part. I've done that. And my mom was here, so at least she got to see me on the field.''