In Todd They Trust

VERO BEACH, Fla. â€”  Todd Hundley recently escaped from New York, moving West to help himself and the Dodgers.

The switch-hitting catcher and his new employers are optimistic about the arrangement, believing Hundley is the right fit for this revamped ballclub. The question is, will his reconstructed right elbow get with the plan?

Many within the organization believe Hundley is the key to the Dodgers’ high hopes. But Hundley is in uncharted waters for catchers, attempting to make a comeback after undergoing major surgery on the elbow of his throwing arm.

The Dodgers are counting on him to provide left-handed power and handle their talented, experienced pitching staff. If his elbow doesn’t cooperate, rookies Paul LoDuca and Angel Pena might be on the spot, meaning the Dodgers might be in trouble.

They should all find out soon enough.

“I guess that’s the million-dollar question on everybody’s mind right now,� Hundley said. “There’s been a lot of speculation about it, and I know it’s not going to stop just because I want it to stop.

“I feel good to go right now, and everything has been feeling fine. But until you go out there and get it done, until you show people over and over again, they’re just not going to buy it. Actions speak louder than words, and that will answer all the questions.�

Hundley only recently stopped wondering about his elbow himself after undergoing reconstructive surgery in September 1997. The damage was repaired with a tendon transplant operation, pioneered by Dodger team physician Frank Jobe in 1974.

Before the surgery, Hundley, 29, had been considered a rising star with the New York Mets. He hit 41 home runs in 1996--a major league record for a catcher and a National League record for a switch-hitter--and drove in 112 runs. Hundley led the major leagues by catching in 150 games and played in his first All-Star game.

Playing through the pain of his damaged elbow the next season, Hundley still batted .273 with 30 homers and 86 RBIs while catching in 130 games. He was selected an All-Star for the second consecutive season. Hundley was considered above average defensively but among the best at handling pitchers.

Much Pain, No Gain

His future appeared bright. But there was a growing problem.

“The pain was kind of always there, but catchers always have pain, so you just tell yourself you can deal with it,� said Hundley, whose father, Randy, was a catcher with four teams from 1964-77.

“I knew it was something I was going to have to deal with because it wasn’t getting any better, but it got to a point where it [the pain] made it impossible to keep playing with it. It was time to have it taken care of.�

Hundley played only 53 games last season while rehabilitating, batting .161 with three home runs and 12 RBIs. He began the season on the disabled list and was reinstated July 11 after a minor league assignment.

At every step, Hundley wondered if he would make it back.

“You can’t help but wonder about it,� said Hundley, who caught two games at the end of last season. “You’re talking about your career and playing a game you love, and then there’s a chance it might end. All of a sudden, that might be it.�

Hundley, a catcher throughout his career, was forced to play in the outfield on his return to the Mets because they acquired former Dodger catcher Mike Piazza from the Florida Marlins in May, and team management wanted to bring Hundley back slowly. The experiment failed.

Hundley, uncomfortable in the new role, committed five errors in 49 chances, and every fly ball was seemingly an adventure. The presence of Piazza cast doubt on his chances of returning behind the plate, and Piazza then signed a seven-year, $91-million contract with the Mets in October.

Moreover, Hundley’s relationship with New York Manager Bobby Valentine, never strong, deteriorated more, making an already difficult situation unbearable for him.

“I don’t know why he says the stuff he does, and I’m really not worried about it to tell you the truth,� said Hundley of his ongoing verbal sparring with his former manager. “A lot of his statements didn’t hold much water, and most people are intelligent enough to figure him out for themselves.�

Although Hundley was revered in the clubhouse for his toughness, and among the most popular Mets with fans, he knew it was time for him to leave the Big Apple.

“Sometimes stuff happens, for whatever reason, and you have to find a new situation,� Hundley said. “I really liked playing in New York, and the fans were always great to me, but I had to go.�

Kevin Malone monitored the situation, first as the assistant general manager of the Baltimore Orioles and then as the Dodger player-personnel director after being hired in September.

Malone identified Hundley as the potential solution to several Dodger problems, foremost the lack of left-handed power in their right-handed dominated lineup. Malone wanted to trade weak-hitting catcher Charles Johnson, a four-time Gold Glove winner who was acquired in the Piazza deal.

But Malone knew acquiring Hundley would be risky.

He did as much homework as he could, consulting with team physicians, the doctor who performed the surgery and former Met triple-A Manager Rick Dempsey, now a Dodger coach, who had been impressed with Hundley in the brief time he had played for him last season. Then Malone pulled the trigger, sending Johnson and disappointing outfielder Roger Cedeno to New York for Hundley and pitching prospect Arnold Gooch in December.

Hundley, who is under contract through next season with a team option for 2001, agreed to waive his limited no-trade clause to come to the Dodgers. He has been in Vero Beach for more than a month, continuing his exercise program and preparing for his important role with the team.

“I thought there was no way this thing [his elbow] would come back like it has,� said Hundley. “I talked to a lot of guys about it [the surgery], and basically everyone said that the first year after the surgery is real difficult.

“Last year, I basically didn’t have any feeling in my hand. My elbow was numb all the time because it takes the nerves time to rejuvenate. I couldn’t feel the ball coming out of my hand last year, it felt like I was basically throwing a hand grenade, but it feels better than it ever has now.�

No Shoes to Fill

Hundley acknowledges he will inevitably be compared to Piazza, arguably the game’s top offensive catcher, as Johnson was last season. But Hundley said he is determined to forge his own identity with Dodger fans.

“I’m not Mike Piazza, I’m my own type of hitter, my own type of catcher,� he said. “I’m not coming here trying to be him or fill Mike Piazza’s shoes. I’ll do my own thing and be my own type of player, and see what happens.�

That’s what the Dodgers hoped to hear.

“He’s definitely one of the keys to our club,� second baseman Eric Young said. “You can’t put everything on one guy, but everyone knows he’s one of the guys we need to stay healthy and do the things he can do. He plays with a lot of intensity, and he can do a lot, and we’re going to need that.�

Especially considering the in-house alternatives.

Pena was selected the organization’s minor league player of the year last season, and many scouts consider him to be a future everyday catcher. He batted .335 with 22 homers, 32 doubles and 105 RBIs in 126 games for the double-A San Antonio Missions, and played in six games with the Dodgers in September.

He is expected to start the season at triple-A Albuquerque because Malone doesn’t want Pena, 24, sitting on the bench at this stage of his career, which is what he would be doing with the Dodgers unless Hundley suffers a setback. So the backup job, for now, seems to belong to LoDuca.

LoDuca, 26, has been with the organization since 1993. He batted .319 with eight homers, 30 doubles and 57 RBIs for Albuquerque last season, and was brought up to the Dodgers three times. Journeyman Tim Laker is the only other catcher in camp with major league experience.

“I’ve been behind Mike Piazza, then Charles Johnson and now Todd Hundley,� LoDuca said. “You’re talking about three of the top catchers in the game, so I can’t complain. I’m looking forward to this opportunity now.�

Manager Davey Johnson said Hundley will catch about 120 games if his elbow holds up. If it doesn’t, Pena would probably be given the first shot at the job on an interim basis while Malone tries to acquire a veteran.

Of course, it would be difficult for the Dodgers to acquire a catcher of Hundley’s pre-surgery form. And Hundley is facing many innings of wear and tear on that elbow.

“We wouldn’t have gone out and gotten him unless we thought he was healthy and ready to go,� Malone said. “This guy is a warrior, and he’s going to do everything he can to help us win a championship.

“Yeah, you don’t know what’s going to happen because you can’t predict the future. But everything tells us he’s going to be OK.�

Time will tell.

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How They Stack Up

The Dodgers are counting on Todd Hundley to fill much of the offensive void created by the departure of Mike Piazza last season. Before he was injured, Hundley was one of the best-hitting catchers. A look at Hundley’s averages from 1996-97, compared to Piazza the last three seasons:

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Hundley Category Piazza 143 Games 150 127 Hits 190 27 Doubles 24 36 Home runs 36 99 RBIs 113 82 Runs 92 .265 Batting average .342 .550 Slugging percentage .590 .375 On-base percentage .414

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