Team Angry Karros Was Snubbed

The Dodgers believe Eric Karros should have replaced Mark McGwire on the National League All-Star team, and are upset a shortstop has been added to the roster instead of a first baseman.

McGwire, voted the league’s starting first baseman, will sit out Tuesday’s game at Atlanta’s Turner Field because of tendinitis in his right knee.

St. Louis shortstop Edgar Renteria filled McGwire’s spot. Karros also was passed over after other players declined invitations because of injuries.

Karros had the best first half of his career, batting .265 with 25 home runs and 70 runs batted in. He is in the league’s top 10 in homers and RBIs.

Karros and Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies are tied for the most RBIs among NL first baseman. With McGwire sidelined, either Helton or Atlanta’s Andres Galarraga will start the All-Star game.

Karros is second at his position in homers behind McGwire, who leads the major leagues. And the nine-year veteran has had many timely hits.

His solo homer Friday gave the Dodgers a 3-2, 11-inning victory against the Seattle Mariners.

“You have a first baseman who is having a career year, so you replace an injured first baseman with a shortstop,” General Manager Kevin Malone said. “With the numbers that E.K. has, he deserved consideration before McGwire couldn’t play.

“But with McGwire out, how can you not pick E.K. with everything he’s done? The guy has had big hits, he has the numbers and he’s been one of our leaders. I’m disappointed that whomever made the decision took a shortstop over a first baseman having a career year.”

That would be Bobby Cox.

The Atlanta manager is leading the NL squad. Starters are chosen in fan balloting, and managers, with input from the league, select reserves and replacements.

Before Cox added Renteria, Cincinnati’s Barry Larkin was the team’s only shortstop. Renteria is hitting .273 with 10 homers and 38 RBIs.

Some Dodgers believe Cox has a grudge against the club, and simply doesn’t consider Karros an all-star player despite his credentials.

“I don’t wear a Braves’ uniform,” Karros said sarcastically.

Malone said he doesn’t know why Karros wasn’t selected--but knows he should have been.

“His numbers demand that he at least should have received serious consideration, and as far as we know, he didn’t receive any,” Malone said. “His numbers are [comparable] with anyone in baseball, not just at his position but any position.”

Karros is frustrated too.

“I’m just not a flashy guy,” said Karros, one of only five players in franchise history to hit at least 30 homers in four seasons.

“I don’t hit 500-foot homers, I just don’t do those sort of things. There have been two separate occasions in my career, ’95 and this season, when I felt I deserved to go. But I’m not the first player to have that happen.

“It’s not so much a slap in the face not to make the team. But it is a slap in the face when [TV reporters] are doing stories on guys who got snubbed, and I’m not even mentioned.”

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Manager Davey Johnson shuffled the post-break rotation.

Carlos Perez will start Thursday against the Angels in the first game of an interleague series at Dodger Stadium. In order, Kevin Brown, Chan Ho Park, Eric Gagne and Darren Dreifort follow Perez.

Brown, the No. 1 starter, will work after Perez because he’s expected to pitch an inning in the All-Star game. Perez’s five-game suspension also was a factor.

Perez will sit out starting July 16, and Johnson wanted the left-hander to pitch before he served the penalty. Although Perez, Dreifort and Gagne have earned-run averages of more than five, Perez has been the club’s third-best starter behind Brown and Park.

“That,” Johnson said, “has something to do with how it’s set up too.”

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After Sunday’s game, Brown, Gary Sheffield and their sons traveled to Atlanta aboard the jet Brown received in his seven-year, $105-million contract.

“I asked Kevin’s son [Ridge] and he said we [Sheffield and his son, Gary Jr.] could go,” Sheffield said, jokingly. “We might even ride in the cockpit.”

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Pitcher Jamie Arnold was optioned to triple-A Albuquerque after Sunday’s game to make room on the 25-man roster for pitcher Jeff Shaw, who is expected to be activated off the disabled after the break. Shaw has been sidelined because of tendinitis in his pitching elbow. . . . Infielder-outfielder Mike Metcalfe, who got his first big-league hit Sunday, is expected to be optioned to Albuquerque today. The Dodgers might recall catcher Paul LoDuca because Todd Hundley has a severely bruised right thumb. . . . Hundley was asked to replace Met catcher Mike Piazza on the All-Star team, but had to turn down the request.