VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Swing after swing, the ball seemed to
jump off J.D. Drew's bat and soar to all parts of the field during
batting practice with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
So effortless, so smooth.
"He swings so easy," admiring teammate Rafael Furcal said with
a smile, shaking his head. "When he's healthy, he's one of the
greatest players there is. He can do everything on the field. If
he's healthy, we've got a chance to go to the World Series."
Furcal should know, having played with Drew in Atlanta two years
ago, when the outfielder hit .305 and set career highs with 145
games, 31 homers, 118 runs, 158 hits, 28 doubles, eight triples, 93
RBIss and 118 walks.
Drew joined the Dodgers following that season, signing a $55
million, five-year contract. Furcal came aboard three months ago,
agreeing to a $39 million, three-year deal.
The 30-year-old Drew began his career with St. Louis in 1999 and
played in 135 games twice with the Cardinals before joining the
Braves for that one outstanding year. In his other three seasons in
St. Louis, he was limited to 104, 109 and 100 games.
Among the physical problems he had in St. Louis were a broken
hand, a sprained ankle, a strained quadriceps muscle, a sprained
lower back, an oblique injury and, most serious, a diseased portion
of his right patella tendon that required surgery.
That being the case, Drew came to Los Angeles with a reputation
for being prone to injuries, even after his terrific season in
Atlanta. What happened last year added to that reputation.
After a slow start, he was doing just fine before he was hit by
a pitch from Arizona's Brad Halsey, breaking a bone in Drew's left
wrist.
Season over.
"I can understand the criticism," Drew said. "The only thing
that happened last year that kind of aggravated me was breaking a
wrist and people are saying, `He's always hurt.' What do you do?"
He wound up hitting .286 with 15 homers and 36 RBIss in a
career-low 72 games.
"Little did I know that would put a capper on my season. I got
my swing right where I wanted it, I was seeing the ball really
well. Tracy could have given me a day off, and I wouldn't have
taken it," Drew said, referring to then-Dodgers manager Jim Tracy.
"Little things that nag you that take two or three days to get
over are not a big deal. You never know if you're going to hit the
base wrong and blow your ankle up."
Or, in Drew's case, get hit by a pitch in a bad place.
"It's unfortunate," Drew said. "The fans want to see
production. You can erase a lot of memories when you produce on the
field. I had a great time in Atlanta in 2004 when I was able to
play on a consistent basis."
That's what Drew hopes for this year.
So do the Dodgers.
"There's nothing you can do to prevent some injuries," Dodgers
coach Manny Mota said. "He's the type of hitter who has no fear
against left-handed pitchers. Not too many guys have the type of
swing he has."
With the decision made that his season was over, Drew underwent
surgery last September on his right wrist and right shoulder to try
and get him in top shape for this year.
"I'm working on my shoulder, trying to get it fully rehabbed,"
he said. "All in all, I feel fairly good. In the offseason, any
guy prepares for a long season. There's definitely no lack of
effort.
"I think everything's right there. My swing feels good, it's
getting there for sure."
Drew thinks the Dodgers will be much improved over last year,
when they went 71-91 for their second-worst finish since moving
from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958.
To that end, several new players were brought in.
"I think everything's in place," Drew said. "We've got the
guys we need."
First-year manager Grady Little said Thursday he plans to put
Drew in the lineup Friday when the Dodgers face the Atlanta Braves
in Kissimmee.
"I don't know if he's going to throw anybody out at the plate,
but he's throwing well enough to get a couple of at-bats," Little
said. "We certainly hope he'll have another year like (2004). He's
coming along great."