In Which Rose Has Cause For Optimism

News flash from Vero Beach: The Dodgers are getting along. I repeat: The Dodgers are getting along.

This was not entirely unexpected; after all, a good portion of the team played together for the Red Sox under new Dodger manager Grady Little. Dodger team owner Frank McCourt has never pretended that the Dodgers were his first choice of team: He first tried to buy the Red Sox, and, when that proved impossible, he bought the team closest to him in and brought Boston to Chavez Ravine. He came close to hiring a Boston GM, too, but he eventually went with someone from the Giants. For about half a second, I was worried that Ned Colletti's presence was proof that the team had been infiltrated by evil baseball fans from San Francisco, but I got better.

The thing I'm liking about Colletti is that he understands the concept of developing players. The Jacksonville AA team is especially packed with talent, and the Vegas AAA team is no collective slouch. Though it must be tempting to rush some of them through the ranks, Colletti has done exactly what he should do: Bring in some veterans to hold down the major league fort for a season or two, until the kids are really ready to take their turn.

The thing I'm not liking about Colletti is that he sometimes shows up with his Giants World Series ring. Yes, it's a World Series ring, and that's something to be proud of -- but, dude. You're with the Dodgers now. Show some sensitivity.

I've read many an article on Grady Little that explains how back when he was managing in single-A ball, the cohesiveness of one of his teams was cemented by a bus accident; and how, in absence of a unifying traumatic effect, he's decided that one big way to cement big-league team chemistry is to have veteran players share their wisdom with younger players. He's got two young catchers, Dioner Navarro and Russell Martin, teamed up with two, well, old catchers, Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Pat Borders. If either of the kids becomes the first Dodger catcher in ages to foil a respectable number of steal attempts, then every penny spent on the veterans will have been worth it.

As a plus, Sandy Alomar, Jr. can actually still play, which is looking more and more likely to be a Good Thing come April: With projected regular starter Dioner Navarro recovering from a hamstring strain, other whiz kid Russell Martin will likely be the primary catcher for the first couple of weeks. Problem: He's not used to playing in major league opening-day chaos. (Heck, he's not even used to playing in AAA opening-day chaos. Or AAA at all, for that matter.) So Little's thinking that it might be a good idea to have an opening-day catcher who won't be freaked out by all the loud sounds and bright lights.

Speaking of veterans, Vin Scully is back for his fifty-somethingth season as a Dodger announcer. He's seen it all, and he'll tell you about it without missing a pitch. Like the players, he's easing back into regular-season form, and if he's not at the absolute top of his game -- well, neither are half of the Dodgers. Vin's pushing 80. What's their excuse?

If any new Dodgers happen to be reading this -- and, really, stranger things have happened -- I have three words of advice: Listen to Vin. Vin can peg a player from a mile away. He can tell the kids a thing or two about what it is they're doing, and mention a few players from the past with similar habits, all while pointing out how the outfield shifts for each of the current players and correctly predicting most of the managerial moves. With one quiet comment at a recent press conference, he got Frank McCourt to promise to return names to the back of Dodger uniforms in 2007. Vin could probably also leap tall buildings in a single bound, out-skate Brian Boitano and cure this nasty headache that seems to have taken over my skull, but he doesn't want to show off.

Anyway, listen if you can. For you non-L.A. types, the local radio station that plays the Dodger games usually simulcasts the telecast for the first three innings. They've started streaming since last year, so I'll put up the link if it turns out to include Dodger games.

If the bullpen stays healthy this year, it should be one heck of a show.