BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Offerman to Get Confidence Boost

Dodger management has asked several pitchers to speak with shortstop Jose Offerman this spring to help him build confidence.

Among those who have spoken with Offerman is Tim Crews, who publicly criticized Offerman last winter.

“Overall, it’s important for our ballclub to be supportive of a young player,” said Fred Claire, Dodger vice president. “This is not just Jose, but all young players.”

Claire added: “One thing I don’t like is to see our players be critical of other players. That bothers me, when a player speaks up like that. It is not something that should happen. One of our pitchers made a statement about Jose that I just didn’t care for.”

Orel Hershiser also spoke with Offerman, although he said he was unaware of any order.

“Anytime you have a young kid who is going to play a big role, you want him to feel part of the team,” Hershiser said. “You want an atmosphere where he will feel comfortable and not bombarded with everything. Sort of like what happened to Greg Brock when he replaced Steve Garvey.”

Hershiser said he encouraged Offerman to keep learning.

“I said, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a good shortstop, but learn while you are young,’ ” Hershiser said. “I said, ‘Don’t be old and smart, be young and smart.’ ”

Brett Butler has been the first player in the Dodgertown clubhouse every morning, arriving at 7:30 to go through a strength workout devised this winter by trainer Mackie Shillstone of New Orleans.

Said Butler: “I was worn out at the end of last year. I was beat up. I was run down. I don’t want that happening this year.”

Despite a career average of .317 in September and October before last season. Butler, 34, batted .229 during that time last year.

The drop in average was also a result of a thumb injury suffered when he hit a trash can in a rare show of anger during a game in late August.

“Sure, that thumb was a contributing factor, probably more than I would admit,” Butler said. “But I’m not getting any younger, and I need to stay at the top of my game.”

Claire confirmed that he had spoken with Tony DeMarco, agent to Fernando Valenzuela, in hopes that Valenzuela would rejoin the organization this year as an instructor. “It sounds like a good idea when the time comes for Fernando to retire, but we just aren’t ready for that yet,” DeMarco said Friday. “We are still talking to teams, still trying to work out a deal where Fernando could play.” . . . During batting practice Friday, Butler grabbed Darryl Strawberry’s first baseman’s mitt behind the batting cage and started shouting: “You’re not playing first base! You’re not playing first base!”