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 Growing pains Mondesi, Sheffield quiet about recent outbursts
Posted: Friday August 13, 1999 11:29 PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Raul Mondesi and Gary Sheffield, two Los Angeles Dodgers who had difficulty keeping their opinions to themselves in Montreal, predictably clammed up once they returned to Dodger Stadium. Both declined interview requests before Friday night's game against Atlanta. Most of the damage control was handled by general manager Kevin Malone and manager Davey Johnson. "We're going through growing pains," Malone said. "We're trying to build something here and we're going to continue to work hard to make this a championship organization." That will require a happy Mondesi, who demanded a trade Wednesday. He punctuated those remarks with profanity-laced darts directed at Johnson and Malone. Mondesi spent one recent game in the bullpen instead of the dugout and was benched by Johnson on Tuesday after arriving at the ballpark just 10 minutes before the team's scheduled pregame stretching. That was what provoked Mondesi's latest tantrum. But Malone defended his decision not to suspend the two-time Gold Glove right fielder. And he sidestepped suggestions that Mondesi's incendiary remarks would have been tantamount to insubordination in any other workplace -- and dealt with more severely. "I'm not saying it's different. I'm just saying the way we're handling it is different," said Malone, who is paying Mondesi $8.5 million this season and a guaranteed $20.5 million over the final two years of his contract. "I mean, I don't read about insubordination being handled by other businesses in the papers," he said. "I think Davey has handled it appropriately and he did the right thing. We're not going to deal with the issue publicly. We're going to continue to deal with it internally." Sheffield also vented his frustration in Montreal, saying that was tired of all the negativity engulfing the Dodgers and also articulated a wish to be traded if significant changes aren't made during the off-season. "I think he meant well," Malone said in Sheffield's defense. "Maybe it didn't come out quite as he expected, but Gary Sheffield has been a model citizen and he's done a great job for the Dodgers. "Gary's just frustrated. He wants to win and he doesn't feel like everybody's on the same page, as far as the players are concerned. He's just trying to help the process along as far as being the leader of the team. He's a guy who knows how to win and he just expects everybody to have the same attitude, desire and preparation that he has." Mondesi's flammable personality isn't anything new for Johnson, who has dealt with Darryl Strawberry in New York, Bobby Bonilla in Baltimore and Marge Schott in Cincinnati. "There have been certain comments about players and whatever. But, by and large, it's probably one of my better clubhouses," Johnson said. "You have to have emotion, but it's unfortunate when emotion overrules reason. And that's what happened with Mondesi. "This isn't a team in turmoil," Johnson said in reference to a banner headline in one of the local papers. "We're basically together every day for eight months, and emotions can run high and low." Mondesi has yet to offer any apology directly to Malone, who has yet to say a negative word about the temperamental outfielder despite his expletive-laced diatribe. "I was somewhat surprised and confused by it," said Malone, who was not in Montreal with the team. "But he's an emotional player, he cares and he's sensitive. And I think he'll apologize in due time."
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