Hollandsworth Shrugs Off Loss

VERO BEACH, Fla. —  Outfielder Todd Hollandsworth received disappointing news Friday, learning he lost his arbitration hearing.

But Hollandsworth wasn’t dejected, considering he still received a raise from $550,000 to $700,000 for the season. He didn’t get the $1.15 million he sought, but such is the business of baseball.

“I thought we had a good shot going in, better than 50-50, but it just didn’t work out,” said Hollandsworth, who arrived at Dodgertown after testifying at his hearing in Phoenix on Thursday.

“Obviously, you have to present your case, and in doing that you bring up negatives, but there aren’t any hard feelings on my part at all. The bottom line is that things didn’t go the way we had hoped, but everyone handled everything professionally.”

Said Executive Vice President Fred Claire: “We’re confident that this situation won’t have any effect on Todd.”

Including Hollandsworth’s arbitration case, the Dodgers have had only four in the last nine years. Orel Hershiser, in 1987, was the last marquee player to complete the process. The Dodgers and Hollandsworth were more than $200,000 apart on a settlement, forcing the hearing.

The 1996 National League rookie of the year, Hollandsworth struggled last season.

In 106 games, he batted .247 with four home runs and 31 runs batted in. He had only 296 at-bats and was demoted to triple-A Albuquerque for 16 days in June, and spent most of August and early September on the disabled list because of right elbow injuries. In ‘96, he hit .291 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs.

“There were a lot of things that went into the year I had, but it was tough,” said Hollandsworth, who worked on his batting approach during the winter in the Dominican Republic. “But my mind isn’t on that stuff now, I’m just glad to be back here and I’m ready to get to work.”

In March, Hollandsworth rejected a three-year deal worth about $4.2 million. Any regrets?

“No, not at all,” Hollandsworth said. “It wasn’t the right thing to do at the time. We took our shot and we didn’t make it, but there are going to be other opportunities [to earn money].”

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Manager Bill Russell and several coaches supervised rookie prospect Paul Konerko and Wilton Guerrero working in left and center fields, respectively.

The Dodgers downplayed the workout, saying that several players are auditioning at unfamiliar positions in an attempt to make the team. However, the Dodgers are eager to find a spot for Konerko because Eric Karros is at first base.

Also, Guerrero has more offensive potential than the other candidates for utility roles. Of course, neither player worked in right field because that position belongs to Raul Mondesi.

Hollandsworth and Roger Cedeno are expected to start in left and center, but, apparently, nothing is decided yet. . . . With the outcome of Hollandsworth’s hearing, the Dodgers have six unsigned players in camp.