He’s Still Holding a Grudge

Mark Grudzielanek said he wasn’t sure what hurt more -- suffering a broken right hand or missing his first shot at the Dodgers.

The Chicago Cub second baseman had eagerly anticipated facing his former club from the moment he and first baseman Eric Karros were traded for backup catcher Todd Hundley and minor league outfielder Chad Hermansen in December, but he’s on the disabled list after being hit with a pitch last Saturday by Arizona’s Miguel Batista.

“I was so upset, I almost broke the other one too,” said Grudzielanek, batting .305 and playing well defensively in his best season since 1999.

“No question, it was frustrating, especially in a situation like this. The team needs me, I’m a big part of it and I want to be out there to help us win, but there were definitely personal reasons too.”

Grudzielanek is still upset that Manager Jim Tracy accused him of being a selfish player in what became a late-season shouting match in Arizona in 2002. The argument was heard throughout the clubhouse because the door to Tracy’s office had remained open, and Grudzielanek said the situation would have become physical had Tracy continued to insult him.

“For him to do that, it was really shocking and disappointing,” said Grudzielanek, who spent four-plus seasons with the Dodgers. “I played hurt for those guys, played with broken fingers, switched positions and moved around [the batting order].

“I played my butt off for them, it was just one thing after another, but they’re calling me the troublemaker? They’re calling me the guy who can’t fit it in? It was ridiculous. They were trying to weed me out, they didn’t want me, and all they had to do was be professional about it.

“I’m a big boy; I can handle it. But don’t go about it that way, and then start saying things about me that aren’t true. For him to cause that type of friction between him and me, it was just uncalled for.”

Informed of Grudzielanek’s comments, Tracy maintained his policy of keeping his discussions with players private.

Tracy’s comments were especially hurtful to Grudzielanek because of their history together in the Montreal Expo organization.

“Of all the people in that organization, that guy knows who I am and what I’m about,” he said. “The years over here and in Montreal, he had never said anything like that to me. He knew there’s no question I go out there and play hard.

“Maybe it was the frustration we had the last few years not getting there [into the playoffs], not being able to get over that hump. But you’ve got to understand what you’re dealing with over there. You’ve got to understand how it works and what goes on over there.”

How close did the argument get to turning physical?

“I felt I was mistreated,” he said. “At the time, when you get heated up like that, you never know. But he zipped his lip.”

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First baseman Fred McGriff, out since July 4 because of groin and knee injuries, ran the bases and is expected to again today. “Everything went pretty well,” Tracy said. “I think it’s safe to say that he’s moving in the right direction.” ... Todd Hundley, who has played in only 12 games and is rehabilitating from back surgery, took batting practice in the indoor cages and caught in the bullpen. “He’s making progress,” Tracy said.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

DODGERS 3, CUBS 1

*--* Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg Totals 29 1 3 1 2 8 Lofton cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 278 REMartinez 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 289 SSosa rf 3 0 1 0 1 1 300 Alou lf 4 0 0 0 0 3 294 ARamirez 3b 4 1 1 1 0 0 271 Karros 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 315 ASGonzalez ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 226 Bako c 2 0 0 0 1 0 207 Estes p 1 0 0 0 0 1 152 a-Glanville 1 0 0 0 0 0 000 Remlinger p 0 0 0 0 0 0 000

*--*

*--* Dodgers AB R H BI BB SO Avg Totals 30 3 8 3 4 8 Henderson lf 3 0 1 0 1 1 222 DRoberts cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 244 Lo Duca c 3 0 1 0 1 0 294 ShGreen rf 3 0 1 0 1 1 267 Burnitz cf-lf 3 1 0 0 1 1 255 Beltre 3b 4 1 1 2 0 0 228 Ventura 1b 4 1 1 0 0 2 273 JoCabrera 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 258 Cora 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 232 Izturis ss 3 0 1 1 0 1 245 Ashby p 2 0 0 0 0 1 000 Mota p 1 0 0 0 0 1 250 TMartin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 000 Quantrill p 0 0 0 0 0 0 000 Gagne p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---

*--*

*--* Chicago 010 000 000 -- 1 3 1 Dodgers 010 020 00x -- 3 8 0

*--*

a-popped out for Estes in the 8th.

E--ASGonzalez (9).

LOB--Chicago 4, Dodgers 8. 2B--JoCabrera (18). HR--Beltre (11), off Estes; ARamirez (14), off Ashby. RBIs--ARamirez (72), Beltre 2 (49), Izturis (26). SB--ShGreen (4), Izturis (7). S--Estes. SF--Izturis. GIDP--Beltre, JoCabrera.

Runners left in scoring position--Chicago 2 (REMartinez, Alou); Dodgers 4 (Lo Duca, ShGreen 2, Ventura).

Runners moved up--Ashby.

DP--Chicago 2 (ARamirez, REMartinez and Karros), (ARamirez, REMartinez and Karros).

*--* Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Estes L, 7-9...7 8 3 2 4 6 105 5.53 Remlinger...1 0 0 0 0 2 11 3.88

*--*

*--* Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Ashby W, 3-9...5 3 1 1 2 5 78 5.20 Mota H, 9...2 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 26 1.72 TMartin H, 20... 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 3 3.29 Quantrill H, 18... 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 7 1.57 Gagne S, 39...1 0 0 0 0 2 14 1.58

*--*

U--Derryl Cousins, Andy Fletcher, Joe Brinkman, Mike DiMuro. T--2:27. Tickets sold--52,911 (56,000).