DODGERS NOTEBOOK: TRACY SEES LABOR PEACE AS POSSIBLE.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

NEW YORK - As the baseball world shuddered Friday at the thought of another labor standoff when the players' association announced an Aug. 30 strike date, eternal optimist Jim Tracy said it might be just what was needed to get an agreement.

The Dodgers manager commented on the impending work stoppage for the first time before his team opened a three-game series with the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.

``Aug. 30, that could be a good thing because now there's a deadline to be met,'' Tracy said. ``There's two groups of people, two different sides, working on something and now you have a deadline to meet. If you don't meet the deadline, obviously, the next step will be taken.

``In a lot of cases, with any of us, when a deadline has to be met, you push yourself harder to get your job done, knowing that you've got that deadline to meet rather than just have a vague, non-descriptive time frame out there.''

Tracy sat in the cramped visiting manager's office, shuffling through paperwork and making up the lineup, with his ears acutely tuned to television.

And, as has been the crux of the labor talks for the last few weeks, the inability of the players' association and ownership to agree on a luxury tax is the major stumbling block in a deal.

``You don't hear anyone talking about, 'Oh, we're eons apart on any number of different issues.' '' Tracy said. ``I think that's where they were at eight years ago. There was nothing they could decide on. Any issue. You could bring up any of them and they were never close on any of them.

``It sounds to me like there's only one issue that needs to be ironed out, and it's a very big one, don't misunderstand what I'm saying, but all these other things are important, but they're sidebar.''

--Odds and ends: Left fielder Brian Jordan returned to the lineup after missing six games with a protruding disc in his back. He went 0 for 4 and started in left field but said he will likely sit today and rest. ... The Dodgers made it official, signing former Athletics left-handed reliever Mike Magnante to a minor-league deal. He will report to Triple-A Las Vegas, but the club plans to promote him when rosters expand Sept. 1. Magnante, who graduated from Burroughs High of Burbank and played at UCLA, will provide insurance in case lefty Omar Daal has to remain in the starting rotation or if Jesse Orosco's back becomes an issue again. ... Shortstop Cesar Izturis returned to the lineup against left-handed starter Mike Bacsik but batted eighth. Second baseman Mark Grudzielanek batted leadoff for the first time this season. ... Infielder Jeff Reboulet is batting .316 (6 for 19) with a homer and two RBI in his first five games of a rehabilitation stint in Las Vegas. He'll be recalled Sept. 1.

DODGERS vs. NEW YORK

Time: 4:35 p.m., Shea Stadium.

TV/Radio: Ch. 13; 1150-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish).

Matchup: The rest at the end of July apparently helped Dodgers LH Odalis Perez (10-8, 3.14 ERA) markedly because he's pitched well since. Perez is 0-3 since returning, but his ERA is 2.05. He allowed two earned runs in 7 1/3 innings but had a no-decision May 13 against the Mets. Former Dodgers RH Pedro Astacio (11-5, 3.14) starts for the Mets. He's coming off an abysmal 5 1/3-inning outing in a loss to St. Louis. He allowed six runs on eight hits. But Astacio struck out nine in a two-hit shutout against the Dodgers in L.A. this season.

- Brian Dohn

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

DODGERS vs. NEW YORK (see text)