Hoping to Be as Tough on Hitters as Catchers : Dodgers: For knuckleballer Candiotti, fooling batters can be only half the battle.

Typical of Tom Candiotti’s career, one of his most memorable moments occurred in 1987 when he was holding the Detroit Tigers hitless with two out in the ninth inning.

The memorable part was that his team, the Cleveland Indians, was trailing, 1-0.

“Not only were the Tigers having trouble hitting his knuckleball . . . I was having trouble catching it,� said Chris Bando, Candiotti’s personal catcher for three seasons in Cleveland.

Candiotti eventually settled for a one-hitter. And a 2-1 loss.

“You will love Candiotti,� Bando said. “But for a catcher, he takes a lot of prayers and sleepless nights.�

It is a trade-off the Dodgers will gladly make when they officially welcome Candiotti, 34, as their newest right-handed starter at a noon news conference today.

One season later, he is worth plenty more. The Dodgers wanted so much to have the first knuckleball pitcher in the National League since 1983, they paid Candiotti $15.5 million for four seasons. They acquired a six-year veteran who finished second in the American League with a 2.65 earned-run average last season for Cleveland and the Toronto Blue Jays.

“The knuckleball has gotten better each year, and last year it finally came together,� said Candiotti, who said he throws the knuckleball between 40% and 90% of the time. “I know they haven’t seen it in the National League in a while; you’ve got to think it’s going to be tough for the hitters. At least, I hope so.�

But as Candiotti’s performance for Toronto in this year’s American League playoffs proved, the Dodgers must learn to catch it. Because Blue Jay catcher Pat Borders was not used to catching the knuckleball, Candiotti became afraid to throw it and gave up seven runs in 7 2/3 innings of two starts against the Minnesota Twins.

“You really need someone who has time to learn how to catch it,� Candiotti said. “But Mike Scioscia is the best catcher in the National League. If anybody can catch it over there, he can.�

Although the futures of their top three free agents have been determined, the Dodgers face a difficult task in dealing with their four remaining free agents.

Reserve outfielder Mitch Webster will probably sign a one-year contract by the end of this week--�Just a couple of details to work out,� Webster said--but relief pitcher Jay Howell remains undecided, and the other two cases are also up in the air.

The loss of Howell, who led the team with 16 saves despite missing nearly two months because of elbow problems, would be a blow considering that the Dodgers figured he would return for one more season to share the relief load with Jim Gott and Roger McDowell.

But because they offered him an incentive-laden contract with a pay cut in base salary--$1 million compared to his $1.050-million salary last year--Howell said he hopes his agent seriously shops him around this week at the winter meetings.

“Clearly, the Dodgers need for me to be signed, but I’m really not close,� said Howell, who is looking for a two-year deal.

The Dodgers face a different sort of dilemma with second baseman Juan Samuel, whom they have told to seek employment elsewhere. To protect their chance at compensation if Samuel signs with another team--the Dodgers would receive two draft picks--they will offer him arbitration by Saturday’s deadline.

But if Samuel accepts that arbitration, as he did last year in a surprise move, he will return to a team that clearly does not want him. The Dodgers can only hope that Samuel signs with someone else by Dec. 19 or accepts arbitration while agreeing to be traded before the beginning of the season.

Alfredo Griffin, because he is not a top-ranked free agent, will probably be allowed to leave without an arbitration offer.

Eric Davis, sporting a bright tie and a brighter earring, found a new way to answer an old question Wednesday in his first public appearance as a Dodger.

“I feel as good as I look,� the outfielder said when asked about his physical condition at a Dodger Stadium luncheon.

Davis said that playing on grass, combined with the attention he will receive from the large Dodger medical staff, could help alter the bothersome fact that he has never played in more than 135 games a season.

“Fall right down on this carpet here, then run into that brick wall over there--that is what it is like playing on turf,� said Davis, acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds last week. “I know there will be a big difference here. And already today, I have talked to more doctors and trainers than I talked to in my whole career in Cincinnati.�