Dodgers and Angels Back in Business

Eric Gagne still stabs at the bridge of his goggles after every pitch. Nomar Garciaparra still compulsively loosens and tightens his batting gloves.

The signature mannerisms remain, triggering memories of their fleeting diamond supremacy.

Wasn’t it only yesterday that Gagne and Garciaparra had all the answers? They figured out the combination and cracked the safe, solving the mysteries of this humbling game.

Then seemingly overnight, their bodies betrayed them. Immortality, it turned out, was transitory at best, or maybe an illusion all along.

Before an elbow injury last year, Gagne was a dominant closer with his own sound track and slogan, notching a record 84 saves in a row.

Before groin and Achilles’ tendon injuries the last two years, Garciaparra hit with a rare combination of power and average for a shortstop, becoming the first right-handed batter to win consecutive American League batting crowns since Joe DiMaggio.

Now, though, both face a challenge that could determine Dodger fortunes this season.

They must climb back up a mountain they have already scaled.

And if they are unable to again reach the summit -- the peak performance that set them apart from all but a handful of their contemporaries -- they must come to terms with lesser versions of themselves.

Gagne, who has lost 4 to 6 mph on his fastball, might be functional instead of unhittable.

“The challenge is up here -- mentally,� he said, tapping his forehead. “It’s easy when you throw 98 down the middle, that doesn’t take much thinking. I learned how to pitch when I was a starter. Now I’ve got to do it again.

“Mentally it’s an adjustment because I can’t go out and throw 15 fastballs in a row anymore.�

Garciaparra, who has moved from shortstop to first base in his first Dodger season in an effort to stay healthy, might be steady instead of incredible.

“All players are their own worst critics,� he said. “We are harder on ourselves than anyone else is. Guys who make it push themselves and strive to get better.

“Winning the World Series is my only goal. I’m trying to win games and everything I do is toward that end. If you make numbers your goal and don’t get a ring, nobody remembers the numbers.�

Maintaining their health is the first priority. Gagne is still breaking down scar tissue in his elbow, a painful process that makes it difficult for him to pitch on consecutive days.

Garciaparra said he feels as healthy as he has in years, but cautions that the Achilles’ and groin injuries that befell him with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs were bolts from the blue.

“I feel good, and the way I determine it is through my workout,� he said. “I work so hard in the off-season that if I’m able to do everything I have to do, I figure I must be healthy. That’s my barometer.�

Gagne was solid during the spring, giving up three runs in nine innings and striking out 12. But the confidence that oozed from him when he saved 152 games from 2002 to 2004 now is expressed in measured doses.

“I wish I could go four, five, six days in a row,� he said. “Right now I’m not capable of doing it. I’m healthy enough to push it. I’ve been pushing it. I just have to get through it. I wish I could be bouncing back every day. I see how it feels and go one day at a time.�

Based on the spring, the most glaring difference in Garciaparra’s game is an absence of power. He has 191 home runs and six times has hit more than 20. But he had none in the spring, hitting one double and driving in one run in 52 at-bats. His batting average inched higher over the last two weeks, settling at .232.

He will bat fifth in the lineup and provide protection for cleanup hitter Jeff Kent. Can he accomplish that hitting singles and doubles?

“I have no doubt that Nomar will be a productive hitter in the middle of the lineup,� Manager Grady Little said. “He may hit fewer home runs at Dodger Stadium than he did at Fenway Park, but that could be said about anyone.�

Hitting for a high average is something Garciaparra has always done. His lifetime mark of .320 is the fifth-highest among active players with at least 3,000 plate appearances, trailing only Todd Helton, Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki and Vladimir Guerrero.

Despite the glowing resumes of Garciaparra and Gagne, the Dodgers realize the risks and have built-in insurance policies for both. Prospects Joel Guzman and James Loney could play first base in case of injury to Garciaparra, or Kent could move to first and Cesar Izturis could play second when he comes back from his elbow injury in late May or June.

Danys Baez, who had 41 saves last season in Tampa Bay, was acquired in a trade to provide a failsafe backup to Gagne. Baez has been the dutiful understudy so far.

“I’ll do whatever they say,� he said. “If they say close, I’ll close. If they say setup man, I’ll do that. I’m gonna be there. But we need Gagne. We need that guy to win.�

Not only is Gagne fine with Baez’s presence, he’s appreciative.

“Bringing in Danys was huge,� he said. “Everything isn’t on me. He can save if there’s a day I can’t.�

It might strike Dodger fans as odd to see someone other than Gagne in the ninth inning protecting a slim lead -- especially when Gagne is sitting in the bullpen.

The expectations of fans also could burden Garciaparra, who grew up in Los Angeles. Many remember his .372 average for Boston in 2000, his 56 doubles and 120 RBIs in 2002, his 28 homers in 2003.

“Dodger fans appreciate the people wearing the uniform,� Garciaparra said. “If you represent the uniform, they respect you. I know. I was one of them.�

Fans in Boston and Chicago adored Garciaparra the way Dodger fans have adored Gagne. Their support provides fuel that is lacking in the spring.

“There is no way to prepare for opening day, no way to simulate it,� Gagne said. “The adrenaline is going to kick in and it’s going to be fun. I’m not holding back.�

*

Position breakdown

* INFIELD: Three new faces join second baseman Jeff Kent, and like Kent all are veterans. Nomar Garciaparra and his .320 lifetime batting average will be at first base, a position he learned this spring. Rafael Furcal, a dynamic switch-hitting leadoff hitter with a three-year, $39-million contract, is the shortstop. Bill Mueller, a steady switch-hitter with a batting title to his credit, is at third. Kent was the best Dodger hitter last season, belting 29 home runs and driving in 105 runs from the cleanup spot. Pinch-hitting specialist Olmedo Saenz can play first or third and veteran Ramon Martinez can play any position in the infield. Gold Glove shortstop Cesar Izturis will have recovered from elbow surgery in late May or early June, giving the Dodgers an abundance of experienced infielders.

* OUTFIELD: Depth is a concern, but the starters could provide a range of weapons if utilized judiciously. Right fielder and No. 3 batter J.D. Drew’s lack of durability is well-chronicled, but he is productive when healthy, batting .286 with 15 home runs in 72 games last season. Center fielder Kenny Lofton, 38, batted .335 in 110 games for the Philadelphia Phillies last season and Manager Grady Little plans to rest him in 40 to 50 games to coax similar production. Jose Cruz Jr., who is signed to a one-year contract, is the starter in left. He must produce because General Manager Ned Colletti will not hesitate to promote top prospects Joel Guzman and Andre Ethier. Jason Repko is an ideal fourth outfielder because he fields, throws and runs well. Ricky Ledee provides a veteran left-handed bat off the bench.

* CATCHING: Dioner Navarro, 22, has recovered from a strained hamstring in time to stay off the disabled list and will catch nearly every day. He displays an impressive ability to handle pitchers and is a switch-hitter with a patient approach at the plate. Rookie Russell Martin, a highly regarded prospect, will begin the season at triple-A Las Vegas. Veteran backup Sandy Alomar Jr., 39, serves as a mentor for two young catchers. He’s scheduled to catch two of the first three games.

* STARTING PITCHING: Opening-day starter Derek Lowe had a terrific spring and Little believes he is poised for a career year. Hard-throwing Brad Penny’s injury problems appear behind him and he is expected to log more than 200 innings after pitching 175 last year. Left-hander Odalis Perez, who was restricted to 19 starts because of injuries, came to camp in good shape and pitched well in the World Baseball Classic. Little has said he is the key to the rotation. Right-hander Brett Tomko, signed to a two-year deal, was effective during the spring. Jae Seo, the fifth starter, finished strong with the New York Mets last season. An injury to anyone in the rotation could prompt Colletti to promote top prospect Chad Billingsley.

* BULLPEN: A healthy Eric Gagne gives the Dodgers one of the top bullpens in baseball. If Gagne can recapture the form that enabled him to save 152 games from 2002 to 2004, the other relievers fit nicely into their roles. Danys Baez, who had 41 saves last season at Tampa Bay, would be the eighth-inning setup reliever. Yhency Brazoban, who had 21 saves filling in for Gagne last season, is another late-inning option. Steady Lance Carter and top prospects Hong-Chih Kuo and Franquelis Osoria are middle relievers. Rookie Tim Hamulack is the situational left-hander, at least until the soreness in veteran Kelly Wunsch’s shoulder disappears.

* BENCH: The bench lacks a player who can play both the infield and outfield well, but otherwise it fills all the needs. The right-handed Saenz, who had a career year with 15 home runs and 63 RBIs last season, and the left-handed Ledee, who batted .278 with 39 RBIs, are ideal late-inning pinch-hitters. Alomar is a solid backup catcher as long as he isn’t overused. Repko provides versatility in the outfield, is an excellent baserunner and could be the emergency catcher. Martinez can play the outfield in a pinch. When Izturis is activated, the bench will take on an added dimension.

* MANAGEMENT: Colletti put together the roster in a hurry after being hired Nov. 17, but he will be patient with it through the early stages of the season. As the large group of prospects ripens in the minors, changes could be made by midseason if veterans are not producing. Little must coax production from a collection of veterans while eventually integrating the prospects.

-- STEVE HENSON