DODGERS NOTEBOOK : THOMPSON'S VALUE MORE THAN HITS.

The value of Milt Thompson, as it turned out, was in the Dodgers' clubhouse, where he was a friend and a possessor of 13 seasons of perspective. It was issued without prejudice, and in large doses.

Thompson was designated for assignment on Wednesday. His batting average was .118, including two hits in 26 pinch at-bats.

``He was somebody I could talk to, when I felt frustrated,'' said second baseman Delino DeShields, who shares an agent with Thompson. ``Or, when I needed to get things off my chest. But I'm a big boy. It's the way it is, just business.'' Asked if, in terms of baseball, he could understand the Dodgers' position, DeShields shook his head.

``I'm not a good person to ask that,'' he said. ``I'm going to be biased. I'm not looking at it like that.''

He did predict that Thompson, 37, will attempt to continue his career, though not in the minor leagues. If not, DeShields said, ``He's satisfied. He's had a good career, at a high level. He wasn't just an average player. Nobody's going to take anything from him.''

Gags returns: In the vacancy left by Thompson, shortstop Greg Gagne was reinstated from the disabled list, where he spent the past month rehabilitating a sprained left ankle.

To the bench went rookie Juan Castro, who started 22 games and one long-overdo triple play in Gagne's absence.

``This was one of the best months I've ever had in my life,'' Castro said. ``It's very excited to be here, to be with all the big guys. I never imagined that. It was always my dream when I was a little kid. Now it's true.''

Castro does not know where the past month places him, in terms of the club's future plans. Gagne's contract runs only through this season.

``I'm not the kind of person who looks ahead like that,'' he said. ``There's nothing I can do about it as far as next year. All I can do is play hard.''

Three girls and a pitcher: Ramon Martinez and his wife, Doris, were born their third child at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday. Keesha Martinez, 8 pounds, 2 ounces, is the couple's third daughter.

And you don't want that: Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda, on whether Oreste Marrero will spell Eric Karros at first base: ``You try to give Karros a day off. He'll bite you in the neck.''