BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Grass Is Greener, Longer Over Here

The Dodgers quietly have cultivated their own distinctive home-field advantage this season, catching the attention of the opposition as well as their own players.

It’s that beautiful, lush green grass.

The Colorado Rockies became the latest team to say that Dodger Stadium has the longest and thickest grass of any infield or outfield in the National League. Balls that normally would scoot past infielders into the outfield or shoot past outfielders to the wall simply are stopping.

“It’s unbelievable, the difference in our place [from] others,” first baseman Eric Karros said. “I’ve never seen so many balls that are picked up barehanded by outfielders. It’s almost routine.

“Chicago used to have the thickest infield in the league, but now it’s not even close.”

Said center fielder Roberto Kelly: “I’ve played for a lot of teams in a lot of ballparks, but I’ve never been in an outfield this slow. You don’t even need your glove for ground balls. They just stop.”

The groundskeepers say the reason for the thick grass is that last year’s burned out, and there’s a new layer of Bermuda grass underneath the old turf.

That, at least, is the official reason.

“Who are they trying to kid?” San Diego right fielder Tony Gwynn said. “We all know why the grass is high. They’re a fly-ball hitting team and they’ve got a bad defense.”

The Dodgers, however, insist that they’ve also complained about the thick and tall grass. Two years ago, it was the quickest infield in the league. Now, they would at least like it to be on par with other ballparks.

“I’m not complaining, but the facts are there,” Karros said. “As a hitter, obviously I’d like to have it short. But if it’s helping the team and allowing us to get to more balls, well, maybe we should keep it this way.”

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Although pitcher Pedro Astacio has given up only one hit in five innings in his three relief appearances, he will eventually return to the rotation, according to Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president.

“He’s pitching well,” Claire said. “I don’t know if he’s ticked off or what, but he pitches his best with emotion. I think he’s much more aggressive in relief than a starter.

“In my view, he’s going to be a very, very good starting pitcher.”

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Claire, talking about the Dodger defense, which leads the league in errors: “We’re not a bad defensive team. I’m not saying we’re a good defensive team, but we’re not a bad defensive team. We’re really not. We’re a much better defensive club than when we started.” . . . Although the Dodgers love 20-year-old rookie Roger Cedeno’s defensive skills, they still believe he needs to play every day at triple-A Albuquerque. “At some point, we’ll get him down,” Claire said. “He needs to play. But at this point, we need him.”