DODGERS NOTEBOOK : BUTLER PLEASED WITH REACTIONS.Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer Brett Butler Brett Butler can refer to different people:
The Philadelphia Phillies are a professional baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. shortstop Kevin Stocker Butler never even slowed. Before the Phillies fielders knew what was happening, Butler was sliding safely into second. He scored two batters later on a Raul Mondesi ground ball. ``To be able to still have the reaction to do that, that makes you stop and think, `OK, some more checkpoints,' '' said Butler, attempting to play one more season after cancer robbed him of last season. Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Phillies was Butler's second straight game. He missed the previous five with a hip-flexor injury. He will play again tonight against the New York Mets
``My legs are a little tired, but that's OK,'' he said. Finally: Should Butler play this season, the Dodgers' regular lineup will look a lot like it did Thursday. Butler led off and was followed by rookie second baseman second baseman n. Baseball The infielder who is positioned near and to the first-base side of second base. Noun 1. second baseman - (baseball) the person who plays second base second sacker Wilton Guerrero Wilton Guerrero (born October 24, 1974 in the Don Gregorio, Dominican Republic) is a major league utility player who currently is a free agent. He previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1996-1998), Montreal Expos (1998-2000, 2002), Cincinnati Reds (2001-2002), Kansas City , right fielder right fielder n. Baseball The player who defends right field. Noun 1. right fielder - the person who plays right field outfielder - (baseball) a person who plays in the outfield Raul Mondesi, catcher 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 , first baseman Eric Karros n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker Todd Zeile, left fielder Todd Hollandsworth and shortstop Greg Gagne. Coincidentally, the Dodgers starter Thursday was Ramon Martinez, who will also start Opening Day against the Phillies. ``You saw today the direction we're going,'' manager Bill Russell said. ``We haven't had an opportunity, with all the nagging injuries, to get a set lineup in there playing with each other. Everyone is healthy now. We'll get guys in there who we expect will be in there Opening Day.'' So what: Karros had a hard time deciding between his two home runs and the Dodgers' victory. Which mattered less? ``They don't mean a thing,'' Karros said of his first homers of the spring. And as for winning, something the Dodgers have not done too much of this spring? ``The only thing winning means is you're not losing,'' Karros said. ``You don't want to get into a situation where you're comfortable with losing.'' Same old: Karros places less importance on spring games for this Dodgers club because the players know each other's games. ``We're pretty much the same team as we were last year,' he said. ``With the exception of Todd (Zeile). But that's a veteran player, not a young guy. Wilton (Guerrero) is a young guy, but he's come up through this organization.'' Spring training '97 Dodgers FACT: Only three National League catchers have caught 100 games and hit 30 home runs in the same season three times. Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds hit 36 homers in 1970, 33 in '72 and 30 in '77. Roy Campanella of the Brooklyn Dodgers hit 31 in 1950, 33 in '51 and 40 in '53. Mike Piazza hit 35 in 1993, 32 in '95 and 36 in '96. NOTES: Manager Bill Russell will miss today's and Saturday's games as he travels to Oklahoma to attend his daughter Cindy's wedding. . . . Umpire Bruce Froemming met with Dodgers pitchers for about an hour to refresh them on balk balk the action of a horse when it refuses to obey a command to which it usually responds. See also jibbing. rules. ``It's good because you have a lot of questions you can't ask them about in the season,'' said Tom Candiotti. . . . Outfielder Billy Ashley did not play for the first time this spring. Ashley, who has hit a team-leading three home runs and also is tops with seven 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 , has one hit in his last 19 at-bats. He has struck out a team-high 11 times. QUOTE: ``I think this is the best spring training in my whole career.'' - Ramon Martinez, who pitched five innings of one-hit ball Thursday. He has not allowed a run in his past two games (eight innings). Martinez will be the Dodgers' Opening Day pitcher for the third straight season. NOTE: The proposed trade that would send Rickey Henderson from the Padres to the Angels for middle reliever Chuck McElroy has stalled because Anaheim officials apparently are concerned about closer Troy Percival's back. He is said to be having discomfort in his back, and the Angels want to see how that situation develops before giving up McElroy. CAPTION(S): Box Box: Spring training '97 (See text) |
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