TEACHER'S PET : JETHAWKS' BURLESON TAKES MOLINA UNDER WING.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

The two shortstops met outside their dugout for a private teaching session.

One was a former 13-year major-leaguer and a four-time All-Star who struggled for years to come back from shoulder surgery.

The other was a 23-year-old prospect with skills to make the big leagues but a serious knee injury to overcome.

``I hope to be able to help him from what I've learned in my career,'' JetHawks' manager Rick Burleson said of Luis Molina. ``The glove, the arm and the range are there.''

At the plate, Molina appears to have made a full recovery from a 1996 season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, batting .300 with two homers and 11 RBI.

Burleson, however, says there is some hesitancy defensively and running the bases.

``He still has a (slight limp) when he runs the bases and I have to spell him periodically,'' Burleson said. ``But he can play five or six days a week.''

Molina suffered his injury when a Modesto baserunner slid into him at second trying to break up a double play last May 26. In 37 games, he batted .254 with 10 RBI.

``I talked with him about being more aggressive around the bag and to stay close to the action,'' Burleson said. ``He has to realize when he has the ball he has control over the runners.''Burleson is also trying to improve Molina's reaction to where the ball is hit.

``I'm trying to teach him position, seeing where a batter hits the ball and to be aware of that the next time he comes up to the plate,'' Burleson said. ``There are a lot of shortstops that don't have his range but know how to play hitters.''

Those kind of intangibles contributed to Burleson's success as a player. Just a year after joining the Angels in 1981, Burleson tore his rotator cuff so badly that he played just 51 games during the next three seasons. In 1986, he batted .284 and was named UPI Player of the Year.

``He pushes me to make it to the major leagues,'' Molina said of Burleson. ``He played for a long time and I try to listen to everything he says.''

Molina made a quick recovery, thanks to then-JetHawks trainer Rob Nodine and Molina's surgeon, Los Angeles-based Domenick J. Sisto.

Molina, a Nicaraguan native, rehabilitated the rest of the season, splitting time between Lancaster and his home in Panama City, Panama.

``When I came back to Panama I lifted a lot of weights and put on about 15 pounds,'' Molina said. ``I feel great now. My knee is not bothering me.''Just a few games into this season, Molina had another problem to deal with: his eyes. Molina's contact lenses began irritating his eyes and trainer Troy McIntosh suggested prescription glasses.

``Lancaster is too windy (for contacts). They were bothering my eyes,'' said Molina, who wears goggles during games. ``I can see even clearer now. I wear Superman glasses when I'm not playing.''

And while his defense is top-notch (just two errors through the first 19 games), Molina is overcoming the stereotype of a light-hitting shortstop. He has produced from the No. 9 hole and his two homers are just one fewer than he had in four previous seasons.

``Both of the home runs were line drives,'' said JetHawks batting coach Dana Williams. ``Guys like Luis are learning that ground balls turn into line drives and line drives turn into home runs. Luis is having fun out there, and I'm having fun watching him.''