BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : To Him, There Is One Place Like Home

Former Dodger Jim Lefebvre, who managed the Seattle Mariners, still gets a thrill when he comes to Dodger Stadium.

“After all, my playing career was spent right here,� the Cub manager said Saturday. “I still go up there each time I come here,� he said, pointing to the top of the stadium behind home plate. “It gives me a good feeling. I used to go up there when I wanted to think things out as a player.

“I feel at home here until we exchange lineup cards. Then, I’m out to beat the Dodgers.�

Lefebvre is enjoying his first season with the Cubs.

“We have new management and we weren’t sure what to expect,� he said. “Our pitching has been a wonderful surprise. (Mike) Morgan has been a big help. He’s a fine pitcher. And, of course, (Greg) Maddux has been great. We’re still in the race. We’re getting it done and we’re still growing.

“This park is great, but everything considered, Wrigley Field is the greatest. You have to be part of it to realize how much love there is for this team. It’s amazing, because over the years the Cubs haven’t done much. But it really makes you feel good to be a part of it.�

Although he says it is harder to manage pitching in the National League, Lefebvre says the leagues should stay the way they are.

“You have to make more decisions because of the No. 9 spot,� he said, “but I don’t think they should change. The designated hitter belongs in the American League. It fits. Keep it the way it is.�

In the final game here this season between the two teams, Morgan (11-6) will oppose his former teammates today, facing Pedro Astacio (2-1). . . . Although he went hitless Friday night, ending his 10-game hitting streak, Henry Rodriguez is batting .350 (14 for 40) in the last 11 games. . . . It was the 35th “Hollywood Stars Night� and such celebrities as Tom Selleck and Tony Danza entertained the crowd with their annual game. . . . Mike Scioscia returned to the lineup after getting a cortisone shot in his left shoulder. Todd Benzinger has a strained right wrist.