By CARL KOTALA
Florida Today

VERO BEACH, Fla. - In the few days that Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Dan Evans has been around Fred McGriff, he's gotten a chance to see what all the team's scouts and staff members have been raving about.

"The consummate professional," Evans said. "When we were going to the final stages of trying to add this kind of player, I consulted some of our veterans. They were really excited about the possibility of him joining the ballclub. They have a lot of respect for him."

Who wouldn't?

McGriff has been one of the steadiest players in baseball during the past 17 years, and, if he can do for the Dodgers what he has done for the five other major league teams he's played for, he'll be well worth the reported $3.75 million they're paying the 39-year-old.

"We're not placing any expectations on Fred that aren't realistic," Evans said. "I think we've been really stringent about that. The guy's been a very consistent offensive player throughout his career and into his late 30s. So we're not asking him to go out and do more than he's capable of.

"If he just gives us a consistent, Fred McGriff-type season, we're a better ballclub this year."

McGriff hit .273 with 30 home runs and 103 RBI last season for the Chicago Cubs. He is the only player in history to hit 30 homers for five different teams and he's put up at least that many 10 times. He's also driven in at least 80 runs in 15 consecutive seasons. Only Hank Aaron has a longer streak (17).

He is also 22 home runs shy of becoming the 18th player in history to hit 500 home runs.

"It's more of a personal goal," McGriff said. "I've played a lot of years in this game. It would be nice to try to get 500."

Consider that Los Angeles got only 14 home runs from its first base position last season and you can see why the Dodgers are excited to have a guy like McGriff on board. Not only can he hit, but he's also played in 50 playoff games, including the World Series in 1995 and '96.

His defense will represent a major upgrade at the position, as well.

"Oh man, he's a tremendous help. He knows how to win," left fielder Brian Jordan said. "He's been a part of winning. That experience alone makes a big difference. He's a veteran of the game. He's still a great defensive first baseman. That's going to help this team out a lot.

"He's a producer. And that's what we need. Last year, we lacked offense. I mean, even in his off year last year, he hit 30 and drove in 100. People say he's getting up there in age, but to me, it means nothing. As long as you keep your body in great condition and work hard, it's all in your mind. And he's in great condition. He's ready to play."

McGriff, who has said he'll keep playing as long as he is having fun, chose to sign with the Dodgers for several reasons - including a chance to be part of a historic franchise.

"They've had great teams over the years," the Tampa native said. "A lot of history going way back to the World Series teams they had, Jackie Robinson -all those guys. I watched them play last year. They played well. I felt this would be a good fit for me."

The Dodgers like the fact that McGriff will give them some extra pop from the left side to go with right fielder Shawn Green, who hit 42 home runs last season.

But as much as they're expecting from McGriff, the Dodgers aren't counting on him coming in and being a clubhouse leader. That's never been his style, whether he was playing for Toronto, San Diego, Atlanta, Tampa Bay or Chicago.

They're just hoping he can keep delivering the hits and show them the way back to the postseason.

"The Crime Dog's a quiet guy. Everybody knows it," Jordan said. "He's a quiet leader who goes out there and leads on the field. That's all we're looking forward to. We're not looking for Fred to speak his mind or step up and talk about it, because that's not his make up.

"But we know once he's in between those lines, he's a quiet leader. And he's great for these young guys because he's willing to teach. That's what I love about him. He's willing to teach."