DODGERS : Hershiser Draws Special Attention

Observers crowded the batting cage at Holman Stadium as Orel Hershiser threw for 10 minutes in his first round of spring batting practice Sunday.

The observers included all seven Dodger coaches, the manager, the general manager, the administrator of baseball operations and even Roland Seidler, the team treasurer.

“I guess when you make $2 million a year, they send out somebody from the board of directors to watch you,” Hershiser said with a laugh.

But also on hand was caution, in the form of some of the strongest words yet from Dr. Frank Jobe, Dodger medical director.

“I would still be surprised if Orel started the season with the team,” said Jobe, who performed shoulder surgery on Hershiser April 27.

“What we don’t want to do is to have him rushing. So far Pat Screnar (Dodger therapist) has done really well with that, and I hope he can continue to keep Orel going slow.

“If Orel does too much, he could come up with a sore arm one day and it could take him six weeks to get back to where he was. We don’t want that.”

Not that Jobe isn’t as surprised as everyone else that Hershiser is even on a mound so soon after what was considered possibly career-ending surgery.

“Last year, I would have been happy if he was doing what he is doing now at midseason ,” Jobe said. “He has done just great. But remember, he’s still going to have his ups and downs.”

Hershiser also said he is cautious about his hasty progress, which included 50 fastballs and one curveball Sunday.

After Mike Scioscia homered to right field against him, the catcher shouted, “The wind got it.” Hershiser shook his head and said sarcastically, “Yeah, the wind.”

Said Hershiser later: “For 10 minutes of batting practice you can be a thrower, not a pitcher. When I can pitch, then sit down, then get back up and pitch again, like in a game situation . . . that is when I’ll feel I’m taking a big step.”

That might not happen for Hershiser until the middle of spring, as he plans to throw several more rounds of batting practice and probably a couple of simulated games before trying the real thing.

That’s fine with Manager Tom Lasorda, who reacted to Hershiser’s outing with both pleasure and caution.

“Looked like he threw good . . . but with Orel, you’ve got to wait,” Lasorda said. “You can throw all the batting practice you want, you can pitch on the side all you want, but until you pitch in a game, it’s not going to be the same.”

Lasorda said he has long since given up speculating on the date of Hershiser’s return.

“I’m not planning on him being here, and I’m not planning on him not being here,” Lasorda said. “I’m not saying anything, I don’t know anything.

“I’ll just wait for Orel to tell us when he’s ready.”

Hershiser said he won’t attempt to pitch again for a couple of days.

Amid the quiet, easy pace of Dodgertown, you would never know there was a war going on . . . until you look in Tim Belcher’s locker.

The pitcher from the town of Sparta, Ohio, has draped a huge American flag over the back of his locker, and strung three smaller flags over the front of his locker, next to a pro-troops button.

“In case anybody does a television interview with me in front of the locker, I want the world to know how I feel,” said Belcher, who also wears a pro-troops T-shirt and cap during interviews.

Dodger Notes

Ramon Martinez and Jay Howell continued their holdouts, which have amounted to three days of missed workouts. . . . Gary Carter looked exceptional in batting practice, homering and shouting, “Oh, thank you!” in his last swing against Hershiser.