If It’s August, It’s Beltre Time

CHICAGO â€”  It seemed a simple question, but it stumped Manager Jim Tracy.

Asked how Adrian Beltre could go from one of baseball’s biggest underachievers in the first four months of the season to one of baseball’s hottest hitters in August, Tracy threw both hands in the air, palms facing forward, and said: “The floor’s open.�

That’s Beltre. Whether he’s tearing up the National League for weeks or being shredded by opposing pitchers for months, the Dodgers are always perplexed by their third baseman.

Beltre was batting .217 with eight home runs and 40 runs batted in on July 30, and the consensus among Dodger followers was that the team should trade Beltre this winter or not offer him a contract after spending $3.7 million on him this season.

But in his last 18 games, Beltre, a career .303 hitter in August, is batting .297 with six home runs and 20 RBIs, bringing his season totals to .230, 14 home runs and -- get this -- a team-leading 60 RBIs, including a fourth-inning RBI single in Sunday’s 3-0 win over the Cubs.

“He’s swinging the bat like we’ve seen him swing in the month of August,� Tracy said. “If we could get another six solid weeks from this guy, he could drive in 80-85 runs. When he [hits like this], mixed with his defense, he’s a very special player.�

Like his manager, Beltre can’t explain his recent surge. “I’m swinging the bat the way I did before, I’m just getting better pitches to hit and better results,� Beltre said. “I don’t know why. I just want to keep it rolling.�

Tracy sees one slight difference in Beltre, but it has nothing to do with swing mechanics.

“I see his confidence level rising with every at-bat,� Tracy said. “He doesn’t give the impression he’ll just be satisfied with contact. He goes up there looking to do damage to the baseball.�

If Beltre finishes 2003 in the 20-homer, 80-RBI range, it will make the Dodgers’ decision whether to retain him this winter even more difficult, not only because he’s so unpredictable, but because third base may be the weakest position in baseball, the list of quality players tailing off considerably after Mike Lowell, Scott Rolen, Eric Chavez, Troy Glaus, Hank Blalock and Corey Koskie.

If they don’t bring Beltre back, who could the Dodgers get? On the flip side, do they commit $5 million or more in arbitration to a player who is so streaky, so unreliable and so frustrating to watch for weeks at a time?

An easy decision, it isn’t.

*

Cub second baseman Mark Grudzielanek is on the disabled list because of a broken bone in his right hand, but the former Dodger took notice of the nifty curveball Dodger closer Eric Gagne has added to his repertoire, which last year consisted of a 98-mph fastball and devastating changeup.

“He’s filthy,� Grudzielanek said after watching Gagne strike out Eric Karros with a 74-mph curve to end Sunday’s game. “With a 98-mph fastball, an 88-mph changeup, and now the curve ... that’s not fair.

“You can easily argue that he’s the best closer in the game. He didn’t have control of the curve last year, but he really has command of all three pitches now, and can throw all three in any count. As a hitter, you can’t really dig in against him.�

*

First baseman Fred McGriff, sidelined since July 4 because of groin and knee injuries, will be evaluated by Dodger team physicians Tuesday, and there’s a chance he could be activated for that night’s game against Montreal.... Tracy would like to see Kazuhisa Ishii, sidelined since Aug. 2 because of a sprained ligament in his left knee, throw to batters before being activated. Ishii believes that he can prepare himself with another bullpen session or two because he throws so many “situational� pitches on the side.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Hot August

Adrian Beltre continues to do his best hitting in August. A look at his statistics in 16 games this month and those in his previous 16 games:

*--* August (16 Games) Previous 16 Games At-Bats 57 54 Runs 7 3 Hits 15 13 2B 3 2 HR 5 3 RBI 19 8 Batting Avg 263 241 Slugging Pct 562 444 On-Base Pct 322 267

*--*