Prospect Claims He Had Tryout at 14

The young Venezuelan pitcher the Dodgers allegedly violated major league baseball rules in signing before his 16th birthday was recruited by the organization when he was only 14, and the officials who signed him are still on the team’s payroll, sources said Saturday.

In documents being reviewed by the commissioner’s office, minor leaguer Felix Arellan states he had a tryout with the Dodgers shortly before he turned 15 in January 1996, after his Little League season ended. Arellan’s birthday on several documents is listed as Feb. 23, 1981.

The scouting officials credited with signing the hard-throwing left-hander, Camilo Pascual and Juan Davalillo, hold high-ranking positions in the Dodgers’ Latin American operation. Pascual is the team’s director of Latin American scouting, and Davalillo runs the Dodgers’ developmental camp in Venezuela.

In addition, the commissioner’s office is investigating the possible involvement of Ralph Avila and Pablo Peguero in the Arellan matter.

According to statements, Arellan worked out for Avila, the former vice president of Campo Las Palmas, and Peguero, his top lieutenant, at the Dodgers’ Dominican Republic academy when he was 15. Avila and Peguero are serving one-year suspensions from baseball for their roles in violating a number of rules in signing Cuban players Juan Carlos Diaz and Josue Perez, and third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Beltre was signed before his 16th birthday. Avila has retired and Peguero has left the organization.

Baseball’s investigation into the Arellan signing focuses on whether the club acted improperly at several stages during the process. At what point the Dodgers initially made contact with Arellan and subsequently obtained his and his father’s signatures are among the issues to be resolved.

Meanwhile, a Dodger official is speaking out in the wake of baseball’s third investigation in a year into the team’s signing practices.

Derrick Hall, senior vice president, said at an impromptu news conference during the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals that the club will “aggressively contest� the allegations.

Hall stressed that the Dodgers believe it is unfair to group baseball’s current investigation and previous two under one umbrella. Baseball punished the Dodgers severely for their conduct with the Cuban players and Beltre, who is from the Dominican Republic.

“We need to make it perfectly clear that this is in no way close to Beltre and the Cuban players’ signing,� Hall said. “It’s not even remotely close.

“In this case, there is no falsification of birth certificates, or other documents, even in question. And at no time did we claim to have a binding contract with the player before the age of 16. It’s very important to make that clear.�

Hall said the Dodgers are eager for the facts to be revealed.

“Our findings are inconsistent with the allegations,� Hall said, “and that will all come out in time.�

*

Utilityman Adam Melhuse was traded to the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named.

Melhuse, 28, was hitless in one at-bat during two stints with the club. He also played at two levels in the farm system this season, batting .361 for triple-A Albuquerque and .397 for double-A San Antonio.

*

Not surprisingly, third baseman Beltre was pleased about being activated from the disabled list before Saturday’s game.

He doubled in his first at-bat and singled, going two for four. Beltre, who suffered a strained right hamstring May 29, ran well and moved well in the field.

“Most of the swelling is out, there’s just a little bit in there now,� Beltre said. “It’s probably going to be there for a while so I’ll just have to play with it.

“It just feels good to get back. I had never had an injury like that, and I didn’t know how long it would take [to heal].�

Beltre is batting .274 with five home runs and 31 runs batted in.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

CHAN HO PARK

(8-4, 3.99 ERA)

vs.

CARDINALS’

DARRYL KILE

(10-3, 4.39 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 5

TV--ESPN. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Update--Park has victories in his last four decisions. The right-hander had a career-high 12 strikeouts in a 3-1 victory May 13 over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Kile has victories in his last three starts. He is 7-5 with a 3.76 earned-run average in his career against the Dodgers.

* Tickets--(323) 224-1448.