Chen suffers growing pains, gets night off

Steve Addy

Tuesday, June 4, 2002 | 9:42 a.m.

Chin-Feng Chen is under enough pressure as one of the Dodgers' best prospects and a neophyte first baseman. The last thing he needs is to be distracted by creeping frustration.

That is mainly why 51s manager Brad Mills gave Chen a rare night off -- except for pinch hitting -- in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Tucson Sidewinders in 12 innings at Cashman Field.

The Dodgers are being careful with their Taiwanese talent as he makes a tough transition from outfielder to first baseman, hoping he can eventually succeed Eric Karros in Los Angeles. Though Mills has generally let Chen play through his mistakes, he felt the 24-year-old needed a night off to settle himself.

Chen clubbed a solo homer in Sunday's 10-3 loss to Tucson, but it's his only hit in his last 27 at-bats, dropping his average to a season-low .275. He hit into a double play in Sunday's final at-bat, then popped to second as a ninth-inning pinch hitter Monday.

"I wanted to soothe his mind," Mills said. "I don't want him to worry so much about playing first base that it takes something away from his hitting. Now he's struggling a little -- and I knew (Tucson starter Blake Mayo) was going to be tough tonight -- so I sat him."

In the field, Chen has three errors in 42 games at first base, and no bobbles since April 28 at New Orleans. On the whole, he's picking up the position well for somebody who didn't play it until the last 10 days of spring training. Because of better footwork, his defense is more graceful and assured than in the season's first month.

But there have been lapses, too. In Sunday's fourth inning, Chen was not able to dig out a long relay from third baseman Rick Bell, resulting in an infield single by Alex Cintron. An inning later, he was too slow to scramble into foul territory and Doug DeVore's popup went uncaught.

"(Sunday's) game was tough on him," Mills said. "But he's much-improved from the first time he (played first base) in spring training. He's made progress in all aspects. Sometimes he doesn't feel like he has, and he gets really frustrated."

But Mills isn't blaming Chen's fielding adventures for his recent woes at the plate. Chen leads the 51s' current cast with 10 homers and his 38 RBIs are tied for first with Bell, but he had gone hitless in 24 straight at-bats until Sunday's sixth-inning homer.

"I just think pitchers are making adjustments against him, and now he has to make a few against them," Mills said.