Spring Training / Dodgers : Hershiser, Anderson Sign, but Only One Is Satisfied

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Orel Hershiser and Dave Anderson, the last of the unsigned Dodgers, signed one-year contracts Wednesday.

Hershiser, who signed for $212,000, was happy with his contract. Anderson, who signed for $140,000, was less so.

Their agent, Robert Fraley, described the close of what became protracted negotiations as “content-discontent.”

But at least by signing, the players did not subject themselves to having their contracts automatically renewed by the Dodgers, which would have been the case had they not come to terms by Sunday.

“They reached a number with me that I’m happy with,” Hershiser said. “I thought before negotiations that $200,000 and above, in that range, was fair. I’m happy, and the Dodgers should be happy, too. They compensated me for what I did.”

Anderson, who made $50,000 last season, was seeking $150,000. What made that harder for him to accept was that he fell 22 days short of the two years required to be eligible for arbitration and what probably would have been a bigger payday.

“When you get down to being $5,000 or $10,000 apart, it’s not worth the hassle,” Anderson said. “But next year, hopefully, I can go to arbitration and present my case to a third party. Arbitration takes care of a lot of things.”

Second baseman Steve Sax underwent--and passed--a drug test last season, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner reported Wednesday. According to the story, the Dodgers suspected drug involvement as a possible reason for a poor season by Sax.

“He volunteered to be tested and he was clean and that was that,” Vice President Al Campanis was quoted as saying.

Sax said the experience had been unnerving. “I felt terribly,” he said.

Dodger Notes The Dodgers will have their second intrasquad game today. Orel Hershiser, Larry White and Tom Niedenfuer will pitch two innings apiece for one team, and Erik Sonberg, Chris Thomas and Rafael Montalvo for the other. . . . Steve Howe, who is on a program of pitching three days in a row, then taking one off, worked for 10 minutes Wednesday. Howe plans to have an informal press conference today . . . Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Players Assn., is scheduled to talk to the team here Sunday.