Nomo Could Lead the Way

VERO BEACH, Fla. —  Hideo Nomo deserves to start opening day against the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitching coach Jim Colborn said Thursday.

“I’d like him to, based on who he is, what makes him tick and on how well he pitched last year,” Colborn said after Nomo had worked two scoreless innings in an exhibition-opening 6-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Holman Stadium.

“It would be very appropriate for him to start opening day. Whether that’s in the best interests of the team or not is yet to be determined.”

Despite their admiration for Nomo, whose steady performance after the All-Star break last season helped the club remain in playoff contention, Colborn and Manager Jim Tracy won’t commit to Nomo yet because of the bigger picture.

They believe the Dodger rotation will be among the best, and deepest, in the major leagues if injury-plagued right-handers Kevin Brown and Darren Dreifort continue to progress, rejoining Nomo, Andy Ashby and left-handers Odalis Perez and Kazuhisa Ishii. Colborn and Tracy envision exploiting rotation weaknesses of other clubs with favorable matchups, and Nomo may not fit best at the front of their puzzle, though they acknowledge his credentials are impeccable.

Nomo was the Dodgers’ rock last season, anchoring a staff devastated by injuries, pitching 220 1/3 innings and going 16-6 with a 3.39 earned-run average. Still, the perception is that Brown, who has 13 victories over the last two seasons, will start if he’s on the opening-day roster.

Nomo isn’t caught up in the hoopla of opening-day starts, having been selected twice while in Japan and with the Detroit Tigers in 2000 but has practical reasons for wanting the job.

“I would like to start as early as possible, because during the season I would like to pitch as many times as possible,” he said through an interpreter. “If I were to be chosen the starting pitcher for opening day, then that would be good.”

Said Colborn, “We know he likes to pitch, so we plan to reward him by pitching him as much as he can.”

Left-handed batter Dave Roberts had 10 hits in only 25 at-bats against left-handers last season, including two triples and a double, while platooning with productive right-handed hitter Marquis Grissom.

With Grissom having signed with the San Francisco Giants in the off-season, Tracy plans to give Roberts more opportunities against lefties. The speedy leadoff batter drew a walk in the first against Detroit left-hander Andy Van Hekken.

“Marquis was swinging the bat real well, so it just kind of worked out to have the best of both worlds, keeping me fresher and getting Marquis some at-bats,” said Roberts, hitless in two at-bats. “Trace is the manager and I’m the player, but I’m definitely looking forward to more at-bats [against left-handers] this year.”

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Brown plans to pitch Sunday against the Houston Astros at Dodgertown if he does not experience back or elbow pain after his fifth bullpen session today.

“That’s the next step,” he said. “I keep saying that there’s not a set schedule, you just take the next step when everyone feels comfortable with it. It looks like that’s where we’re at.”

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The club and agent Scott Boras remain far apart on a one-year contract for closer Eric Gagne. Boras wants Gagne to be the highest-paid player ever with two-plus years of major league service after a 52-save season. The Dodgers are not interested in that. Players not signed by Sunday will be unilaterally renewed.

Mike Kinkade, expected to make the opening-day roster as a utility player and right-handed pinch-hitter, started in left field and hit solo home runs in two at-bats. Larry Barnes, a nonroster first baseman, hit a two-out, two-run double in the ninth to cap the Dodgers’ comeback after the Tigers had gone ahead, 5-4, with two runs in the top of the inning.

Former Dodger Hiram Bocachica, expected to be the Tigers’ everyday center fielder, was two for four with a double, drove in a run, scored and made a sliding catch.... The Dodgers signed Chin-Lung Hu, a 19-year-old Taiwanese infielder, for $225,000.