Daniels Taken Off Dodgers’ Roster

HOUSTON —  Frustrated in their attempts to trade him, even more frustrated in their attempts to play him, the Dodgers finally removed Kal Daniels from the roster Friday and took the first step toward releasing him.

The Dodgers designated Daniels for reassignment, which means they have 10 days to try to get something for him before officially releasing him.

The chances of a deal are slim, and the Dodgers will probably have to eat the rest of his $2.5-million contract.

They made the move so that Eric Davis, one of Daniels’ best friends, could return from the disabled list three days ahead of schedule.

Thus, apparently, ends a stormy three-year relationship during which Daniels was one of the team’s most exciting hitters and controversial personalities.

Fittingly, Daniels’ final big hit with the team was a home run on June 9 against the Atlanta Braves that gave the Dodgers’ their last victory before their eight-game losing streak.

Equally fittingly, Daniels’ last memorable act was leading the Riverfront Stadium crowd in jeers after striking out for a fourth time Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds.

“Yes, it was a tough decision,” said Fred Claire, Dodger vice president. “But times come for these things, and this was one of those times.”

Daniels had only two home runs and eight runs batted in during 35 games this season. He had sat out for nearly a month because of a sore knee that he twisted when he was taking batting practice right-handed because he was frustrated with being platooned.

He never approached the batting stroke that helped him average 22 home runs and 83 RBIs during his two full Dodger seasons.

The Dodgers might have made a move with the unhappy Stan Javier instead of Daniels, but Javier is valuable defensively. Daniels’ knee may eventually prevent him from playing anywhere besides first base or as a designated hitter.

And Daniels had finally decided he wanted the change that was publicly suggested by Darryl Strawberry last winter.

“I talked to Fred Tuesday in Atlanta and told him I thought maybe it was time to make a change,” Daniels said. “First I was playing first base, then the outfield, then I was platooning in the outfield . . . I can’t play like that.”

Daniels, who caused no apparent problems in the clubhouse this season despite his unhappiness, said he could hold his tongue for only so long.

“I went along with the program for a while but . . . (something) just told me that I couldn’t keep going like that,” he said.

Daniels was given the news when he arrived at the visiting clubhouse in the Astrodome before the Dodgers began a three-game series against the Astros.

He met briefly with teammates and then left hurriedly. One of the last people he saw was first baseman Eric Karros, who thanked Daniels for helping him during their competition at first base this spring.

“The bad rap on him, I never saw it,” Karros said. “The guy was always awesome to me, and I wanted to thank him for it. He could have been mean to me, but even when I was going bad, he always stopped by and tried to pick me up.”

Strawberry called Daniels a bad clubhouse influence last winter and Claire began trying to trade him after getting Davis in a trade with the Reds.

When Daniels could not be traded because of his salary and his physical condition, the Dodgers decided he would play first base, where he performed well during spring training before being platooned there with Karros early in the season.

Daniels called the winter incident with Strawberry “overplayed,” saying, “We never even got into an argument.”

Daniels’ teammates, although surprised, calmly accepted the move.

“Sometimes somebody has got to go, and unfortunately this time, it was Kal,” Davis said. “I’ll be glad when he is playing somewhere again.”

Said pitcher Bob Ojeda: “It’s time to turn the page. That’s the nature of the game. Kal turns it, we turn it. Nobody knows if it was right or wrong, it was just a move.”