Baker, Bonds Worry About Us, Not Them

ST. LOUIS — In the San Francisco Giants’ clubhouse at Busch Stadium on Saturday, Manager Dusty Baker was asked if the recent trade between the Dodgers and Florida Marlins confirmed widespread fears that Rupert Murdoch would take over the Dodgers and spend lavishly to produce a winner.

“I don’t know about that,” Baker said, “but one thing is for sure. If Rupert Murdoch wants to spend it, he’s got it. The line of separation between the haves and have-nots keeps getting wider, but there’s nothing I can do about it, nothing we can do about it. We still have to play, still have to get the best out of our players. We can’t be concerned about what the Dodgers are doing or spending.”

Baker always seems to get the most out of the Giants.

That’s how they won the West last year and are five games over .500 and within four games of the San Diego Padres this year.

“Any team that improves the payroll by $10 million has to be better,” Baker said, referring to the Dodgers. “They have the best-in-the-world catcher now [Charles Johnson], and [Gary] Sheffield and [Bobby] Bonilla offset [the offensive loss of Mike Piazza]. It was a good move. The question is, how long will it take them to mesh?”

Barry Bonds agreed, saying the Dodgers will have to go through a transition period, but he added that he was more focused on the Giants. Can they repeat in the West?

“If we play together, we have as good a chance as anybody,” Bonds said. “The thing I like about our team is that we’ve now all been to the playoffs and know what it takes. Are we good enough to win it all? On paper, no. Realistically, no. I’m just being honest.”

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Baker shook his head at the thought of Piazza being with three teams in a week.

“I’ve known him since he was our bat boy during the ’77 and ’78 playoffs in Philadelphia,” said Baker, then an outfielder with the Dodgers. “He’s a good kid, and I hope he finds the right situation. He has too much talent to be a ‘have bat will travel.’

“I mean, if he can be traded, anybody can be traded. In the modern era, it’s like Hank Aaron or Willie Mays being traded, the way he’s a city and crowd favorite.”

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The Philadelphia Phillies have until midnight Monday to sign J.D. Drew or lose negotiating rights. Drew is the former Florida State outfielder who has been seeking an $11-million bonus and lost an arbitration attempt to become a free agent. He must sign with the Phillies or go back through the amateur draft June 2.

Bonds reflected on Drew’s bonus demand and shook his head.

“I think I’ll go back to college and go through the draft again myself,” he said. “I could sign for more money than I’m making now.”

In Chicago the other day, former Phillie Mickey Morandini said Drew’s holdout and bonus demand made him a lot of enemies in a Philadelphia clubhouse he has yet to enter.

“Here’s a guy who had great college numbers . . . but he had done nothing to prove he belongs in this league, and yet he wants $10-$12 million,” Morandini said. “He’s dug a huge hole. It has gotten to the point where every major league player resents it. The last thing I’d think he wants is for every player to be ticked off at him--both his teammates and the guys playing against him. He’s getting some bad advice.”