EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

	LOS ANGELES DODGERS
	2000 Spring Training Schedule
	2000 Regular Season Schedule

1999 Record: 77-85 (3rd place, NL West, 23 GB)

1999 Payroll: $76.6 million (4th)

1999 Team Statistics (NL rank) Batting Avg. .266 (10th)         Opp. Average .258 (5th) Runs Scored 793 (11th) ERA 4.45 (7th) Home Runs 187 (8th) Fielding Pct. .978 (12th)

1999 Recap: The Dodgers should have known it was going to be a long season when their major league-record streak of 856 games without a rainout ended on April 11. Expectations were high after the Kevin Brown signing, but not much went right in 1999 for the Dodgers who endured their first losing season in seven years. Team chemistry was volatile, the offense was stagnant and the pitching staff posted a 4.45 ERA -- the highest in 33 years.

1999 Highlight: After a 5-1 start and Mondesi swinging the bat well, there was reason to believe the Dodgers were on track. By July 1st they were in last place.

1999 Lowlight: On Aug. 11 a disgruntled Raul Mondesi demanded to be traded, blasting manager Davey Johnson and GM Kevin Malone in a profanity-laced tirade.

Manager: Davey Johnson(77-85 with Los Angeles; 1,062-812 overall)

Coaches: Rick Dempsey, Rick Down, Glenn Hoffman, Claude Osteen, John Shelby, Jim Tracy

Camp Site: Holman Stadium, Vero Beach, Fla.

Reporting Dates: Pitchers & catchers Feb. 17; full squad Feb. 23

Additions OF Shawn Green, RHP Orel Hershiser, RHP Gregg Olson, RHP Terry Adams, OF/IF F.P. Santangelo, RHP Mike Fetters, C Chad Kreuter, OF Geronimo Berroa, RHP Dan Naulty, 3B Kevin Orie, SS Kevin Elster

Subtractions: OF Raul Mondesi, RHP Ismael Valdes, 2B Eric Young, LHP Pedro Borbon

Spring Cleaning: First things first -- who is going to lead-off now that Eric Young is a gone? Devon White? Mark Grudzielanek? Maybe Adrian Beltre is the answer at the top of the lineup. Kevin Brown (18-9, 3.00 ERA) earned his $15 million paycheck last year, but the rest of the rotation was lit up like a Christmas Tree. No. 2 starter Chan Ho Park needs to forget about 1999 and pitch like he did the previous two seasons when he went 29-17.

Dodgers in decline? Decade  Record  Pct.  PS*  1990's  797-757  .513  1  1980's  825-741  .527  4  1970's  910-701  .565  3  1960's  878-729  .547  3  1950's  913-630  .592  5  1940's  894-646  .581  3  *PS = postseason appearances

RHP Darren Dreifort and rookie RHP Eric Gagne get the ball every fifth day while old school Dodger Orel Hershiser and LHP Carlos Perez will battle for the fifth starter's job. Perez is coming off a brutal (2-10, 7.43 ERA) season. Catcher Todd Hundley, two years removed from shoulder surgery, has worked hard in the offseason and he feels better than he has in several years. He is a candidate for a big comeback and is a key for the Dodgers this year. With Mark Grudzielanek moving to second base, there will be stiff competition at shortstop with Jose Vizcaino, Juan Castro and rookie Alex Cora competing for time. Third baseman Adrian Beltre's status could be a distraction this spring if he continues to demand free-agency. The Dodgers have already been fined and sanctioned for signing Beltre when he was 15. Shawn Green replaces Raul Mondesi in right field and his quiet leadership will be a breath of fresh air in the clubhouse.

Key Acquisition: With an $84 million contract and a move to a major media market, Shawn Green will be under the microscope in 2000. How well will Green adjust to his new park and his new league? Duplicating last year's numbers (.309-42-123) might be a lot to ask.

Pivotal Player: After a vigorous off-season workout program, Gary Sheffield reported to camp a married man and in the best shape of his career. Sheffield became the second player in franchise history to hit .300 with 30 home runs, 100 runs batted in, 100 runs and 100 walks in the same season. Duke Snider was the first to accomplish the feat.

The Future is Now: The organization's 1999 minor league pitcher of the year, RHP Eric Gagne is expected to land a job in the back of the Dodgers' rotation. Gagne went 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts for the Dodgers in September after dominating the Class-AA Texas League.

Opportunity Knocks: With Mark Grudzielanek moving over to second base, rookie SS Alex Cora might get a chance to start ahead of Jose Vizcaino and Juan Castro. Cora is a classic no-hit, all-glove shortstop, but the Dodgers appear willing to sacrifice offense for a solid glove up the middle.

Prospects to Watch: 2B Hiram Bocachica, OF Chin-Feng Chen, SS Alex Cora, LHP Randey Dorame, RHP Eric Gagne, RHP Chad Ricketts

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