DODGERS SPRING TRAINING NOTEBOOK : CANDIOTTI CALM DESPITE SITUATION VETERAN BATTLING PARK FOR 5TH SPOT.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

Tom Candiotti, whose affability is magnified by the fact he is the Dodgers' only starting pitcher whose native tongue is English, was slightly perturbed at hearing another variation of the same question.

``I'm not worrying about anything but getting ready for the season,'' he said after starting and allowing four earned runs in five innings to the Florida Marlins, who ended the Dodgers' seven-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory on Saturday.

Candiotti, a 39-year-old knuckleballer, is battling 23-year-old Chan Ho Park for the fifth spot in the Dodgers' rotation. He is trying to forget about the possibility he might be traded. He is trying to stomach the possibility he could be a relief pitcher for the Dodgers.

``Like I've said from the beginning,'' Candiotti said in a tired voice, ``I'm worried about mechanics. I'm worried about working on all my pitches. . . . If I was going to reflect on all that . . . I'd be a mess right now.''

Candiotti proceeded to talk with reporters for almost a half-hour, answering questions and joking about his situation. He admitted surprise that he is still with the Dodgers, what with speculation of his imminent trade having hovered over him the entire winter.

On the subject of his effectiveness as a reliever, Candiotti was humble. He pointed out that it takes an inning or two for a pitcher to get the knuckleball working.

Dodgers manager Bill Russell says, ``We know what (Tom) Candiotti can do.'' This supports the theory that the fifth starter's job is Park's to win with his spring performance.

Asked if he felt the sometimes erratic but potentially overpowering Park was ready to be a starter, which is the question the Dodgers management is pondering, Candiotti said, ``Sometimes the only way to move to the next step is to go through the situations.''

It is something of a mutual admiration society between Candiotti and Park, who will start today against the Houston Astros. The other day, Park said he did not want to be the fifth starter at Candiotti's expense.

``He's got everything it takes to be a great starter,'' Candiotti, a 13-year veteran, said Saturday. ``Chan Ho is going to be a heck of a pitcher. He's got a chance to be a dominant pitcher at the major-league level. When that happens nobody knows. It could be right now.

``I've pitched with a lot of other pitchers in my career. Honestly, he's got some of the most awesome talent I've seen.''

Mental health: Pitching coach Dave Wallace cannot believe that all the speculation isn't getting to Candiotti.

``I don't care how old you are, how experienced you are,'' Wallace said. ``I think that weighs on your psyche a little bit.''

New home: When John Wehner was released by the Dodgers last week, he said the first thing he would do was to try to hook on with the Florida Marlins. Wehner played parts of the past six seasons in Pittsburgh for Marlins manager Jim Leyland.

On Friday, the Marlins signed Wehner to a Triple-A contract and assigned him to minor-league camp. Wehner, who played mostly third base this spring with the Dodgers, has played virtually every position for Leyland.

``He's a great 25th player,'' Leyland said. ``And the great thing about it is he knows it. He's a Triple-A player, but he can be an outstanding 25th player.''

THE DUEL

Knuckleballer Tom Candiotti and hard-throwing Chan Ho Park are the candidates to be the Dodgers' fifth starter. Their statistics for the spring:

IP R ER H K BB ERA

Candiotti 19-2/3 19 18 27 13 17 8.24

Park 9-1/3 6 6 10 8 4 5.79

Spring Training '97

DODGERS in VERO BEACH, Fla.

FACT: Since losing 99 games in 1992, the Dodgers' record has improved each season. They were 81-81 in 1993, 58-56 in '94, 78-66 in '95 and 90-72 last season.

NOTES: Bobby Bonilla's home run off Tom Candiotti in the fifth inning broke a 3-3 tie as the Florida Marlins ended the Dodgers' seven-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory. Candiotti allowed six hits and all four Marlins runs. . . . Rookie second baseman Wilton Guerrero was 2 for 3 with two RBI and his third triple of the spring. . . . Greg Gagne and Todd Hollandsworth both had two hits each. . . . The Dodgers' final four spring-training games are at home. They return to Los Angeles after Wednesday's game and host the Angels on Friday in the first game of the Freeway Series. The next two games are at Anaheim Stadium.

QUOTE: ``We've got a good team on paper. But the last time I saw paper on the field was at Candlestick Park.'

- Dodgers third base coach Joe Amalfitano.

ANGELS in TEMPE, Ariz.

FACT: Closer Troy Percival, bothered most of spring training with back spasms and numbness in his right arm, threw off a mound for 12 minutes before the game and pronounced himself fit. Manager Terry Collins said Percival will probably pitch an inning on Monday.

Notes: The Angels scored seven runs in the eighth inning Saturday night for an 8-4 win over the Rockies. . . . A record crowd of 9,082 at Tempe-Diablo Stadium saw the Angels send 10 batters to the plate in the eighth. . . . Pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa gave up four earned runs, including a two-run homer to Dante Bichette in the first inning.

Quote: ``I can spit farther than I can throw right now.''

- Second baseman Randy Velarde, recovering from slightly torn muscles in his right forearm.

CAPTION(S):

Chart, Box

Chart: THE DUEL (see text)

Box: Spring Training '97 (see text)