Season Lost; Coletti and Little to Return for 08

By AL BALDERAS

Dodgers manager Grady Little plans to drive to his North Carolina home from Los Angeles this offseason, not because he enjoys spending time in the car but because it will give him time to reflect on what turned out to be a frustrating season.

Geography aside, it’s going to be a long drive home.

The Dodgers left their spring training facility Florida last March full of optimism and dreams of playing in the postseason for the second consecutive year. It didn’t take 162 games for them to realize they were grasping at something out of reach.

General Manager Ned Colletti restarted his usual tune that comes with the anticipation of the free-agent signing period. He will continue to look for a big bat to place in the middle of the lineup and for ways to bolster the pitching staff.

While a home run hitter would be a welcome addition, the Dodgers might benefit the most by focusing on the players they already have.

Injuries, inconsistency, on-field collapses, off-field griping and underachieving players contributed to what turned out to be an embarrassing fourth-place finish in the West.

“Anytime you have situations like that you try to learn from them and not let things happen again,” Little said. “The minute things turn a little sour, the real person comes out. That’s what disappointed me the most.”

The reactions of some players in the Dodgers’ clubhouse came as a surprise to Little. Jeff Kent received the most attention when he voiced his opinion about how the younger players on the team didn’t care about reaching the playoffs the way he and some of his older teammates did.

Luis Gonzalez had the never-ending smile on his face and did what he could to help some of the younger players but when his playing time diminished, his frustration grew.

“It happened (last year) but people didn’t change,” Little said, referring to the 1-13 stretch the Dodgers had after the 2006 All-Star break. “They kept battling. They remained the same people and that’s the way you get through that.”

The Dodgers didn’t have to wait until this season’s All-Star break for things to go south.

Jason Schmidt, the prized pitcher that the Dodgers signed to a free-agent contract last season, turned into damaged goods and appeared in six games before having season-ending shoulder surgery.

Randy Wolf and Brett Tomko, two other pitchers who began the season in the starting rotation, also failed to play out the season for the Dodgers.

“All the new players we bring in, we’re going to make sure they’re going to be consistent,” Little said. “With the players that will still be here, the younger, older, whoever they are, we’re going to try to educate them a little bit more on the idea of being consistent. There is a difference between winning and losing but the best way you get through the tough times is to remain consistent.”

Sadly enough, the only consistent thing about the Dodgers this season was their inconsistency. They never won more than five consecutive games and frustrated themselves by losing to teams that were not as good.

“Early in the year we pitched very well but struggled to produce runs,” Colletti said. “Middle of the year, our pitching staggered a little bit and we held up better offensively but still struggled from time to time.”

Much of the solution will rest on the shoulders of the younger players who until now have been learning to play at the major-league level. With another season of experience, they will soon grow into the comfort zone that the veterans have been in for years.

Little has years of coaching experience at the minor-league level and seems best equipped to handle the growing pains that the young players will experience.

“I think in ‘06 we had more of a veteran club and we were trying to infuse a young player here and there,” Colletti said. “This year we did it even more because young players were starting to become more of the club, more of an integral part of the game.”

Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Chad Billingsley just completed their second seasons in the majors with good results. All four are good enough to see regular playing time in next season’s lineup.

“Young players in general, when they get to the big leagues, it’s about survival. It’s about personal survival,” Colletti said. “They know they’re talented enough to play in the big leagues. They know that they have that ability. Now their focus has started to turn on how to win a game.”

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