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<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) The Dodgers' Rafael Furcal (15) is congratulated at home by Blake DeWitt (33) after scoring against the Cubs in their first-round playoff series.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, October 5, 2008 Dodgers' most compelling number: Zero By Bill Plaschke Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES -- Of all the numbers floating atop the sudsy Dodger Stadium joy Saturday night -- 20 years, three-game sweep, eight more wins -- the most important one was never mentioned. In a sport that celebrates perseverance, it's a number that doesn't make sense. In an organization that built its tradition on continuity, it's a number that is actively shunned. Yet here it was, the most compelling number of one of the Dodgers' most compelling playoff series in history. Zero. That is the number of times the Dodgers had used their division-series winning lineup before the division series. The eight position players who took the field for the opening game against the Chicago Cubs had never before started a game together. Never. Imagine a Broadway hit show that wasn't cast until opening afternoon, an "Extreme Home Makeover" occurring entirely during a commercial break. Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier were here, minding their own business, headed toward second place in a lousy division, when suddenly all heaven broke loose. Casey Blake didn't arrive until late July. Manny Ramirez showed up at the beginning of August. Blake DeWitt returned from Las Vegas to play second base at the end of August. Rafael Furcal returned from a back injury in the final weekend of the regular season. Talk about an odd way to celebrate your franchise's 50th anniversary. The Dodgers once boasted of an infield that played together 8 1/2 years, yet entered this postseason with a lineup that had not been together even one minute. The Dodgers once had two managers in 43 years, yet they advance to the National League Championship Series with a lineup that has now played together all of three games. If this is not a major league record, it has certainly tied one. "It's pretty strange," said pitcher Derek Lowe. "When people come up to me and ask why we're not the same team as earlier in the season ... well, it's because we're literally not the same team." Even guys who have been here are not the same guys. Jonathan Broxton has only been closing for about half the season. Cory Wade has only been his main setup guy for only about a month. Martin was in the starting lineup as catcher five fewer times than last year, and even that small amount of rest has helped. "The last couple of months have felt like a new season," said Andre Ethier. "We get to the playoffs, and it feels like we're just getting started." How does this happen? Baseball is not a fast-food sport, teams cannot be quickly ordered, hopes cannot be instantly super-sized. Lots of late-season movement rarely pays off. Egos are too big, clubhouses are too small, the need for familiarity is too fragile. How does this happen? "It's a combination of a lot of things," said manager Joe Torre. "Mostly, I think, it's about a bunch of guys who understand." He's right, only the Dodgers have different players understanding different things: n They have stars who understand the desperation of contract years. Of course, Rafael Furcal would have worked just as hard to return from a back injury if he wasn't a free agent at the end of this season. But, as with Manny Ramirez and Derek Lowe, it's only human to pay more attention to your work when your future beyond next month depends on it. n They have kids who understand team. Remember when Jeff Kent ripped the Dodger youngsters last fall? Turns out, it may have been the most important pep talk of their career. They get it now. They're all about winning now. They have put aside their fears of being returned to the minor leagues, replacing them with their hopes of a world championship. "When you are new here, you are just worried about staying here," said Ethier. "We don't feel that way anymore. We'll sacrifice ourselves for the team because we know it's bigger than us." n They have veterans who understand winning. This run would have been impossible without the willingness of former headliners Kent, Nomar Garciaparra and Juan Pierre to sit quietly on the background. All of them believe they should be playing. But they also believe in winning, and will do nothing to upset the championship clubhouse buzz. "They made my life a lot easier to write a lineup without their names in it," said thankful Torre. n They have a manager who understands everything. This will sound like sacrilege to New York Yankee fans, but this season may be Torre's finest hour. He has won not by being a Yankee symbol or a George Steinbrenner soldier or the boss of the highest paid team in baseball. He has won simply by being Joe Torre. This is all him, from his patience with a disjointed spring training to his flexibility with late-season additions. He didn't survive this year on his pinstriped legacy, he survived on his Torre legacy, eventually winning the kids with his grandfatherly understanding, winning the veterans with his solid strategy, bringing them together with a clubhouse transparency that made everyone feel included in everything. "None of this happens without Joe Torre," said Ethier. It's amazing that any of this is happening, period. Fifty years old in this city, and the Dodgers are screeching through October like a newborn. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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