The veteran right-hander signed a three-year $47 million contract before the 2007 season and, before the other night, had given the Dodgers just six starts in return. That comes to $7.8 million per start — a lot of Dodger Dogs. A 200-inning-a-year workhorse for his whole career before donning the blue, it has not been unfair to call Schmidt a bust — or, as T.J. Simers called Schmidt while writing just before he took the mound, “an all-time blunder.”

But, as I wrote in Spring Training when it looked like Schmidt might make the rotation to start the season in the five-hole, few pitchers are as tough as he is underneath the cap. The three-time All Star is a gamer — not the kind of guy who denies being handed the ball every fifth day because he feels a little sore.

Yet neither Schmidt nor the Dodgers expected his shoulder to be so damaged that he’d not pitch in a major league game between June 16, 2007 and July 20, 2009. And last night, Schmidt started earning that huge salary again, picking up just his second victory as a Dodger and his first since April 4, 2007. Though it sure looked at the start that this comeback story wouldn’t have a very happy ending against the Reds last night.

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The first three batters Schmidt faced hammered long drives off the wall — including slap-hitting Reds leadoff man Willy Taveras who hit one off the top of the wall. It looked be a homer, but was ruled a triple upon replay. No matter, Jerry Hariston promptly doubled in score Taveras anyway. The Reds plated three in the first inning — and could have had more if not for Brandon Phillips failing to run out what he thought was a routine fly ball that Andre Ethier lost in the sun. Phillips was easily gunned out at second to end a rough 35-pitch first inning for Schmidt, whose fastball didn’t top 87 all night.

Happily for him, the Dodgers scored four runs of their own in the bottom of the first, and got two more in the bottom of the second on Manny Ramirez‘ two-run shot that pushed him past Mickey Mantle into 15th place on the all-time homer list. The Dodgers won 7-5, pushing their major-league-leading record to 59-34.

Final line for Schmidt: 5 IP, 5H, 3ER, 3BB, 2K on 91 pitches.

Not too shabby, but Schmidt will have to show a little more next time out. Though the Dodgers are 8 games clear of Colorado and 8.5 ahead of San Francisco in the NL West, the time in the season where Joe Torre can be patient with a struggling pitcher is long gone. If Schmidt does not improve — and that doesn’t just mean on his final line, but keep batters from smashing it all over the park — Torre will likely go right back to Jeff Weaver to take over the back of the rotation.

What Schmidt has going for him is that he’s always been a starter in his career, while Weaver has learned how to warm up and come out of the bullpen. It’s hard to see Schmidt working as a long reliever for this club. I’m guessing that if Schmidt does not start throwing better, it’ll probably be due to the fact that his arm is not yet back to strength, and the Dodgers would put him on the DL again rather than put him in the bullpen.

Michael Becker of the Riverside Press-Enterprise has an interesting take on Schmidt’s comeback. The template is Frank Tanana:

Many have tried, but few pitchers have reinvented themselves quite like former Angel Frank Tanana.

Faced with a labrum and shoulder injury six seasons into his major league career, Tanana went from having a 100 mph fastball to relying on finesse and a big, looping curveball – and still enjoyed a successful 21-year career in the big leagues.

If Jason Schmidt can stick with the Dodgers as their No. 5 starter, Tanana will be the prototype.

The days of Schmidt being one of the league’s premier power pitchers is over. But you can make a good living in this league — and help your team win — with guile, mental toughness and pinpoint location with a moving fastball that tops out in the upper 80s. Schmidt, who will be a free agent next year, has two months to prove he can do it.

Follow Jim Lakely, the Dodgers Examiner, on Twitter.

Manny Ramirez returns to the Dodgers’ lineup tomorrow not as a pariah, but as a prodigal son. All has been foriven after his 50-game exile for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs when he takes the field for the Dodgers in San Diego.

Mannywood, otherwise known as the left-field bleachers, will be back and open for business as a Dodger marketing tool — as National Sports Examiner Paula Duffy notes.

Dodger owner Frank McCourt has been shamelessly passing out All-Star ballots with Manny’s name encircled. (Full disclosure: I voted for Manny several times to be an All-Star this year — but not out of a love for Manny, but to shame MLB and highlight the absurdity of its lax steroids policy).

Even Joe Torre, usually a man who can be counted on to stick up for integrity in the game, publicly voiced his eagerness to get Manny back in the lineup. In fairness, it’s Torre’s job to help the Dodgers win games, not be an embassador for the games. But would it have been too much to ask for Torre to be perfunctionary and staid in his response to the inevitable questions?

As Yahoo notes, when Manny visited Dodger Stadium in early June, he said he was ready to move on and didn’t want to be a distraction.

“I didn’t kill nobody, I didn’t rape nobody, so that’s it, I’m just going to come and play the game,” Ramirez said.

And that’s about the extent of Manny’s remorse (meaning none), and he will probably will say nothing else of substance beyond that as the circus that will surround him starting on Friday. After San Diego, the Dodgers head to New York. Expect the rabid press there to try to give him the business. And expect Manny to give nothing back.

Getting to Manny’s affect on the lineup, it can only be good. He’ll be right back in there hitting in the 3-hole, and his very presence — even if he takes a while to get his stroke back — will make the Dodgers lineup better. And while the offense has been in a bit of a slump lately, the Dodgers have been just fine without him. They’re on pace for 100 wins, and — as TrueBlueLA points out — the Dodgers have the best record in the NL since Manny exited the lineup. In fact, despite shuffling lately, the Dodgers still have the best record in baseball.

One has to feel bad for Juan Pierre, who will be sent to the bench for the second time by Manny — and has done nothing but produce for the Dodgers when called upon. Pierre is hitting .322 on the season, and has not just scored runs and caused havoc on the bases, but has driven in runs. He’s been the player the Dodgers thought they signed to play full-time in the outfield before landing Manny was a dream of the McCourts last summer.

Follow Jim Lakely, the Los Angeles Dodgers Examiner, on Twitter.

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According to Chris at Dodgerfan.net, the Dodgers are the favorite in Las Vegas to win the World Series, with odds at Mandalay Bay at 7-2.

But now, with one-third of the season under the belt, it’s a good time to examine just where the Dodgers stand. As of the morning of June 5, LA leads the NL West by 8 games over the San Francisco Giants. Even though Manny Ramirez hasn’t stepped to the plate in weeks, the Dodgers still lead the NL in batting at .282. Juan Pierre has actually hit better (.367) than Manny (.348) since taking over left field. Orlando Hudson has arguably been the best free-agent signing of the year, sporting a sick .406 OBP and hitting .324. O-Dog is on pace to score 117 runs right now — and will have Manny back to knock him in starting in July. That would shatter his career high of 87 with the D-Backs in 2006. Scoring 120 runs is within reach, and if Hudson could do that, he’d be just the fourth Dodger to reach that milestone in the Los Angeles era, following Shawn Green (121 runs scored in 2001), Maury Wills (130 in 1962) and Tommy Davis (120 in 1962).

The only real disappointments offensively have been Rafael Furcal (.302 OBP, .239 BA) and Russell Martin (.263 BA). Furcal is bound to come around, and Martin’s low batting average is largely due to his painfully slow start (he hit just .205 in April). The durable catcher and team leader hit .330 in May. It’s a little troubling that Martin has yet to go deep this season. Martin has averaged 14 bombs a year, so he should start hitting for more power now that it seems he has his stroke and confidence back.

The Dodgers pitching staff, considered a big question mark entering the season, has been stellar. They are second in the NL with a 3.66 ERA behind great efforts from Chad Billingsley and Randy Wolf. Those guys have just been horses early on after the team took a big hit when Opening Day starter Hiroki Kuroda went down after just one trip to the mound. But Kuroda’s back now, and shows no signs that he’s lost his effectiveness due to injury. Frankly, it’s quite amazing that the starting rotation hasn’t simply fallen apart. Yet time and again, spot starters like Eric Stultz, Jeff Weaver and now Eric Milton have greatly exceeded expectations (the brief James McDonald experiment has been the exception). Clayton Kershaw looks to be getting a little bit exposed in his sophomore season with an ERA at 4.26. But the young lefty is still striking out a batter an inning. He’s just got to do a better job of making outs when players make contact and, most importantly, bring the walks down. You can’t give a free pass every other inning and succeed as a power pitcher at this level for very long. Crafty guys who allow a lot of baserunners tend to bear down when the going gets tough. Kershaw, eventually, should find that maturity

Great credit, of course, has to go to the Dodgers bullpen. Jonathan Broxton continues to exceed the lofty expectations put upon his broad and meaty shoulders entering the season. For a guy taking over full-time closing duties for the first time, and at the tender age of 25, Broxton has been lights out. With a microscopic .067 WHiP and a .188 OBP against, it’s no wonder Brox is 5-0 with 13 saves in 15 opportunities. In only one of his 24 appearances has he given up more than one hit, and he’s not allowed a baserunner in 13 of his trips to the mound. Broxton’s a lock for his first All-Star game. And, naturally, he’s doing it with pure power. His 4.10 BB/K ratio (42 Ks and just 10 BBs in 27 IP) would be a career high.

But Broxton hasn’t done it alone. The entire Dodgers bullpen was virtually untouchable the first few weeks of the season. Since then, mainstays Guillermo Mota, Will Ohman and Cory Wade have taken their lumps, but Ramon Troncoso (1.83 ERA) and surprise Opening Day invitee Ronald Belisario (2.18 ERA, 31 Ks in 33 IP) have been as good a pair of set-up men as any tandem in all of baseball.

It’s no wonder this team is the odds-on favorite in Vegas to win it all. Next month, they get Manny back. And, Manny being Manny, he’s more likely to stay aloof and let his bat do the talking — all the better to bring back the joys of Mannywood. He must know by now that with the black steroid cloud hanging above him, no other team will touch him. He’s a Dodger now, and a Dodger he will remain. Excepting Las Vegas, Los Angeles is America’s “Sin City.” And Los Angeles forgives the sins of its celebrities/sports stars quicker than any other city in America (see Bryant, Kobe).

For keeping this team focused, and winning, despite all the drama, Joe Torre has to be a leading candidate for Manager of the Year. At this same point last season, the Dodgers were 27-27 and in second place, 2.5 games behind the hated Diamondbacks. After beating the D-Backs again on June 3, notes Press-Enterprise Dodgers beat writer Michael Becker, it was the first time since the conclusion of the 1977 season that the Dodgers have been 10 games clear of their rivals (that was the end of the ’77 season when they finished 10 games ahead in the NL West over the Cincinnati Reds).

Last year, the Dodgers needed the injection of Manny Ramirez in the line up to surge to a division crown. It’s not a stretch to say they could win it without him this year.

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Sad news out of Orange County, California today. Rookie Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Nick Adenhart, 22, was killed in an auto accident in Fullerton a little after midnight Thursday morning, just hours after his first start of the year. Two others also died in the accident.

A man driving a maroon minivan ran a red light and slammed into the Mitsubishi that Adenhart and three others were riding in. Adenhart died at around 6 a.m. today when emergency surgery at a local hospital could not save him.

The driver of the minifan, Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside, ran the red light fled the scene on foot, but was captured an hour later by police. Gallo, according to police at a press conference held a little before 11 a.m. today, was intoxicated, had a history of driving drunk (a 2006 DUI conviction), and was driving with a suspended license. Gallo will be arraigned Monday, and will likely be charged with murder. Gallo’s judge in the 2006 DUI conviction reportedly told him that if he’s ever involved in a drunk driving incident again, and someone dies, he could be charged with murder.

Adenhart was one of the top prospects in the Angels organization — and, indeed, was one of the top high school pitching prospects in the country before he hurt his arm in his senior season. The Angels got him in a bargain in the 14^th round in the 2004 draft with an eye on getting him healthy and then seeing if his great potential would finally appear.

It looked like that plan was coming together last night when Adenhart pitched the best game of his career in just his fourth appearance in the big leagues. With his father in attendance, the Silver Spring, Maryland native tossed six shutout innings with five strikeouts in a game the Angels lost 6-4 to the Oakland A’s.

Tonight’s game against the A’s has been postponed.

Some quotes from Adenhart’s coaches, teammates:

Tony Regins, Angels General Manager:

“We’re all in shock. Such a bright future, such a bright kid. We’re going to deeply miss him. It’s just so difficult to put into words how much Nick will be missed.”

Torii Hunter, Angels Outfielder:

“This is real life. This isn’t about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He’s only 22. He’s still a kid. He was a great kid. He was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him.”

Agent Scott Boras (broke down and cried when he started his remarks):

“He’s a great kid. As a young ball player, you come here and .. told his dad the day before, you’d better come here because something special is going to happen.”

Boras said he spoke with Adenhart after the game, and “he was so elated because of what Scoicia had to say to him about his performance. He felt like a major leaguer.”

“Some of the most exciting things about what we share in this game is to see the glow of a young man after he takes a huge step in his life, matures. It’s something that all of us in the game can share. To focus on this loss is not what we need to do here today, but focus on Nick’s life and his achievement.”

“His life’s goal was to be a major league baseball player, and he certainly achieved that standard.”

Angels Manager Mike Scioscia

“I can’t tell you how proud we are of the growth we have seen of a youngster who was a tremendous pitcher and had major arm surgery before he threw one pitch in professional baseball. His family should be very proud of where Nick was at age 18 and the person he grew into. That’s the memory we’re going to move forward with.”

“It was a privilege to be around Nick. He was an outstanding young man. It’s a tragedy that won’t be forgotten.”

What a tragedy. Tens of thousands of people are killed in auto accidents each year, many of them involving drunks behind the wheel. And Adenhart and two others in that Mitsubishi have now become a part of those statistics. Three young lives and promising big league career snuffed out in an instant.

Angels fans, and all baseball fans in the Los Angeles area, have heavy hearts today.

Jim Lakely (jlakely@sbcglobal.net) is the Los Angeles Dodgers Examiner at Examiner.com

Last year:

Projected 2009 record: 91-71

Projected finish: First Place, National League West

Key additions: Manny Ramirez, Orlando Hudson, Randy Wolf

Key subtractions: Jeff Kent, Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, Takashi, Saito, Greg Maddux, Andruw Jones

Quick-hit synopsis: Joe Torre will have an almost embarrassing level of riches in his 25-man roster — a hard-hitting starting lineup with a great mix of youth and experience, reliable veterans on the bench, and a solid bullpen. The main concern is the strength and health of the starting rotation. The Dodgers have a very small margin of error for injury. If one or (gasp!) two of the starters go down, this team can start looking very ordinary in a hurry.

Projected starting lineup/batting order:

SS- Rafael Furcal

2B- Orlando Hudson

LF- Manny Ramirez

RF- Andre Ethier

CF- Matt Kemp

C- Russell Martin

1B- James Loney

3B- Casey Blake

GRADE: A

This lineup is, without question, the most dangerous in the NL West. One would like to see more power at the corner positions — especially since the long ball has been a weakness of the Dodgers over the last several years. Manny makes up for a lot of that, of course. But he’s 37 years old, an age when non-juiced sluggers cannot be relied upon for 40 bombs anymore. Kemp, however, is a power hitter who should come into his own this year, and 30+ homers are not out of the question.

Manny makes every hitter in the lineup better. Before Manny arrived last year, the Dodgers averaged 4.17 runs per game. With Manny, that number shot to 4.63. And now Manny will have a full season with two of the best table-setters in the game hitting in front of him. Andre Ethier played like an All-Star with Manny hitting in front of him, so expect a break-out year. And if you can find a better bottom-of-the-order than Martin, Loney and Blake, I’d like to see it.

Projected pitching rotation:

No. 1 – Hiroki Kuroda (R)

No. 2 – Randy Wolf (L)

No. 3 – Chad Billingsley (R)

No. 4 – Clayton Kershaw (L)

No. 5 – James McDonald (R)

GRADE: C

I’m not grading on a curve, so I’ve gotta be honest: That rotation isn’t going to scare anyone. Kuroda is a solid starter, but would be a No. 3 (at best) on just about any other top-line contender. And one has to be worried about the shoulder trouble that plagued him last year. Randy Wolf had a terrific last few weeks of the season in 2008 with the Astros. But last year was the first time since 2003 Wolf logged more than 23 starts, and a betting man would put the over/under on his starts right about there.

The good news: Chad Billingsley is a legit ace, as he proved last year by pitching 200 innings, striking out a batter per inning and winning 16 games. Hurling in the third slot gives the Dodgers a big advantage over most other teams’ starters, and the mental relief of not going against every other teams’ aces will be a plus for the 24-year-old.

Kershaw, while his stuff is dynamite, is a cause of concern. He’s had a so-so spring with a 5.11 ERA in 25 innings. And for all the buzz around him, Kershaw still finished just 5-5 with a 4.26 ERA in 21 starts and walked 4.35 batters/9IP last year. At only 21 years old, one must also be concerned about his endurance as he’s asked to contribute for a full season. We’ll go out on a limb and say James McDonald has locked down the No. 5 slot, giving Dodger fans a reason to be hopeful for the future. The 24-year-old may never be an ace, but McDonald can be a solid contributor to the rotation for many seasons to come.

Projected bullpen:

Jonathan Broxton (closer)

Hong-Chih Kuo

Guillermo Mota

Cory Wade

Jeff Weaver

Eric Milton

Ramon Troncoso

GRADE: B

Broxton has the potential to be a premier closer in the league. The burly, hard-throwing right-hander, though, has to get a little smarter beneath his cap. Broxton’s fastball often arrives at the plate in a straight line — especially when he gets behind in the count. That can spell trouble and is an indication that (unlike the closer he’s replacing, Takashi Saito) he doesn’t have enough trust in his stuff.

Mota, Kuo and Wade are serviceable (if a bit inconsistent) set-up men for Broxton. Torre values veterans and Weaver has had a decent spring and has experience with Torre in New York, so he’s a lock for the long man. The Dodgers signed Will Ohman late in Spring Training, but the lefty needs a little work in the minors to gain his strength, so he won’t be up until the middle of April. That probably means Troncosco breaks camp with the big squad, and maybe Eric Milton, too.

Projected bench:

C – Brad Ausmus

IF – Mark Loretta

IF – Doug Mientkiewicz

OF – Juan Pierre

OF – Jason Repko

GRADE: A

Torre will enjoy the best bench in the division, and probably in the whole National League. Ausmus will get a start a week, and while an offensive liability, is a great handler of pitchers. Loretta and Mientkiewicz are your veteran bats for pinch-hitting duties, with Pierre (though unhappy about not starting) and Repko serving as excellent pinch runners and spot-starters. There’s a chance that Blake DeWitt and/or Chin-lung Hu could elbow their way in there, as Torre keeps waffling on his final bench.

Conclusion:

The success of the 2009 Dodgers season will depend almost entirely on the health of the starting rotation — even more so than other teams. If the Dodgers get through the season with fewer than 10 different pitchers taking a turn in the rotation, they’ll be lucky. You cannot expect Wolf, Kuroda and Kershaw to take the ball for every scheduled start. But if Billingsley goes down on top of that, this team is in big trouble. Expect the Dodgers to be looking to grab another starting pitcher at the trade deadline. Thankfully, they have enough offensive depth to make such a move.

Jim Lakely (jlakely@sbcglobal.net) is the Los Angeles Dodgers Examiner at Examiner.com. Follow him on Twitter.

The frustrating courtship between Manny Ramirez and the LA Dodgers is finally over. Manny’s a Dodger again, signing a contract on Wednesday. The slugger with Predator hair is expected to be in uniform and on the field by Friday (editor’s note: this was written on Thursday).

Frank McCourt flew back to LA from Arizona Tuesday night to hear from Manny’s own mouth if he can be a team player, in body and spirit, for the Dodgers. It’s an important question after four months of contentious negotiations between McCourt and Super Agent Scott Boras. Only after being convinced that Manny meant it when he said “Si,” did McCourt feel comfortable welcoming Manny back to the club.

And McCourt’s version of hardball with Boras (not a man used to losing negotiations) paid off:

Ramirez apparently is willing to accept the same deal the Dodgers offered last week — two years, $45 million ($25 million in 2009, $20 million in 2010), payment deferred over five years without interest, with an opt-out clause after one season.

Wow. Just a few days ago, this offer was called a joke by prominent Dodger watchers. McCourt was blowing it, acting like a silly child.

You can’t offer a player as good as Manny a contract with deferred payments and no interest! That absurdly unfair to Manny. Boras might have Manny sign with the Giants just to spite McCourt. And if the Dodgers don’t get serious, the scheming Yankees will finally do what they always do — swoop in and steal from Big Blue the best player on the market.

How’s that analysis looking now? I’ve said all along over at the LA Examiner, the Dodgers were playing this right. With no other serious bidders, the Dodgers had no reason to play Boras’ games and negotiate against themselves. The market value for Manny Ramirez was exactly what the Dodgers said it was, not what Boras wanted it to be.

Dodger fans might be quick to blame McCourt and the Dodgers if the happy-go-lucky Manny who brought energy and a winning attitude to Chavez Ravine turns into the surly Manny who got run out of Boston. That would be wrong.

In fact, the one-year-with-an-option-for-a-second deal is perfect. Manny’s got to behave if he wants to be paid well next year—or try to get a bigger contract next year. And if Manny decides to try his luck on the free-agent market, there will be no negotiating with the Dodgers to return. He either signs elsewhere, or simply returns to LA.

At any rate, we can finally stop talking about Manny’s contract status, and start talking about his production on the field. It’s about time.

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