DODGERS NOTEBOOK: GROUP VISITS TROOPS.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

WASHINGTON -- Dodgers broadcaster Rick Monday led a group that included manager Grady Little, pitcher Aaron Sele, first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, outfielder Andre Ethier and several members of the coaching staff and broadcast crew on a visit to Walter Reed Army Hospital on Friday to visit soldiers recovering from serious injuries suffered in the Iraq war.

``At first, it was sobering,'' Ethier said. ``But in talking with the doctors and nurses, they said not to come in with long faces, but to come in with bright smiles, show an interest and ask questions. (The soldiers) like to tell stori es and explain how they got there. We talked about stuff like where they were from.

``I guess going 0 for 5 in the big leagues isn't the worst day you can ever have.''

The visit was arranged by Monday's wife, Barbaralee, in conjunction with Dr. John Pitman, a plastic surgeon who has shut down his private practice here three times to volunteer his time and expertise at Walter Reed. Pitman is expected t o visit the Dodgers clubhouse at RFK Stadium before this afternoon's game.

``It's a special group of doctors and medical staff there, not only in terms of their professional talent, but their humanity,'' Rick Monday said. ``We told the (soldiers) they make us damn proud to be American citizens, just the attitu des of those young people and their sense of responsibility.''

--Borders retires: After batting .181 in 20 games at Single-A Vero Beach, where he had asked to play so he could be close to his home in Lake Wales, Fla., and then going 1 for 19 in six games at Triple-A Las Vegas, veteran catcher Pat Borders told Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti on Thursday night that he was retiring.

Borders, 43, will take the rest of the season off, but the Dodgers are considering asking him to return in some kind of coaching capacity in 2007.

``I thanked him for his help and for being a professional,'' Colletti said. ``I congratulated him on a good career.''

Borders batted .253 over 17 major-league seasons and was the Most Valuable Player in the 1992 World Series for victorious Toronto. He was brought in to help big-league backup catcher Sandy Alomar mentor young catchers Dioner Navarro and Russell Martin in spring training, and they clearly had a positive influence. Although Navarro is on the disabled list with a bruised right wrist that is healing slowly, the Dodgers are 15-2 in games started by Martin.