RUMBLE AT RAVINE: JUST A SPAT OR START OF REVIVAL?

Byline: BOB KEISSER

There are two ways to view the The Rumble in the Ravine on Sunday between the Dodgers and Seattle.

You could check the videotape of a fight that had more punches than most Don King or Bob Arum promotions and surmise that the Dodgers might have found a personality during its 15-minute, sixth-inning, wall-to-wall roll in the dirt with the Mariners.

Then again, it could wind up being nothing more than a spat at recess between two frustrated flyweights.

The tale of the tape supports the latter view. Seattle, armed with two candidates for the first $20 million-a-year contract in baseball, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, is three games under .500 at the All-Star break.

The Dodgers have won four straight for the first time since a five-game winning streak at the end of April, but they will pause eight games under at 39-47, last in the NL West, and 10 games behind the Giants. So it all could wind up being nothing more than great SportsCenter video.

But in a season short on good vibes, most of the Dodgers were willing to consider the brawl a potential bonding agent, especially since they also won the game 14-3.

``Absolutely,'' said Trenidad Hubbard, whose three-run double in the sixth preceded the brawl and in turn led to his major-league debut as a catcher. ``Something like this can definitely bring a team together.''

``You always stick up for your teammates,'' said Dodgers reliever Pedro Borbon, one of three Dodgers ejected for his role in the fight, ``especially when you see three guys ganging up on one and so many sucker punches.''

As brawls go, this one had stamina.

After Hubbard's bases-loaded double made it 12-3, Seattle reliever Francisco Rodriquez ran a fastball up and in to Mark Grudzielanek. The Dodgers shortstop took a few steps to the mound and extended his arms in a what's-up gesture. Rodriquez barked a few epithets back, took two steps toward the plate, and everyone ran for the dance floor.

The players milled around for about 30 seconds, and it appeared it might end there. But two Mariners relievers, Jose Paniagua and Damaso Marte, late arrivals from the bullpen, jump-started the fracas by jumping Dodgers catcher Angel Pena.

That set off several brush fires. Todd Hundley took off after Marte after seeing Gary Sheffield get sucker-punched. When two Mariners grabbed Hundley, Marte then reached over and sucker-punched Hundley.

Coach Rick Dempsey finally wrestled Marte to the ground, where Dodgers reliever Jamie Arnold righteously avenged the sucker punches. ``I wasn't trying to escalate things,'' said Dempsey. ``But someone had to take Marte down.''

Meanwhile, Todd Hollandsworth was on the wrong end of a pile in front of the Mariners dugout. Borbon pushed Paniagua out of the fracas, only for Jay Buhner to jump in and throw a headlock on Borbon. ``That wasn't me,'' Buhner told Seattle writers. ``It was Steve Austin.''

``I should have walked away,'' said Borbon. ``But when you get hit, you hit back. And we're a family. Hit my teammate, it's like hitting my brother or my children.''

On the grass behind second base, Devon White and David Segui did their best to keep the fight going. White eventually gave up the chase, but after the field had been cleared, Sequi started running his mouth again and players again ran onto the field.

``Things like this can pull a team together,'' said Dempsey. ``We finally had a good series and I think this will have a beneficial effect for us after the break.''

Manager Davey Johnson acknowledged some residual value, but he was more concerned about the down side. Pena hurt his left forearm in the fracas, Dave Hansen needed a stitch to close a cut in the little finger of his right hand, and Hundley twisted a knee.