Ace in a Hole

Many of the familiar faces are gone, the ones Ramon Martinez looked to for strength.

His best friend left last season, and his mentor soon followed. Those who inspired him most work elsewhere now, and Martinez misses their presence.

The Dodger ace right-hander is at a crossroads, hoping to find the right path. But Martinez doesn’t scare easily, and he’s determined to prove his doubters wrong.

“A lot has changed. . . . It is different for me now,” Martinez said. “But you can’t worry about that because you have to do your job. You have to handle whatever happens in this game, but sometimes it takes time.”

Martinez is dealing with major changes, after the departures of Pedro Astacio and Dave Wallace.

The Dodgers traded Astacio to the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 18 to reacquire second baseman Eric Young. Wallace, the former Dodger pitching coach, accepted a front-office position with the New York Mets after the season.

Astacio and Martinez are like brothers. They were inseparable during their five-plus seasons as teammates, and their families spend time together at their off-season homes in the Dominican Republic.

Wallace and Martinez have a father-son relationship, formed during their years together in the minor leagues. Martinez credits Wallace with his success as a pitcher and much of his development as a man.

“It was hard when they left,” said Martinez, a two-time all-star. “The Pedro trade was very tough because we were always together. We would eat together, do everything together, and now he’s not here.

“I didn’t want Dave to go, but he had a good opportunity. It was hard for Dave, but he had to leave. Sometimes, your friends have to go.”

He speaks regularly with Astacio and Wallace, and their support has been key in his recovery from his first shoulder injury.

Martinez encountered every pitcher’s nightmare last season, learning he had suffered a small tear in the rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder. Although he didn’t have to undergo surgery, he missed 10 starts while being sidelined for two months as the tear mended.

For the first time, Martinez wondered about his future.

“You don’t even want to think about something like this happening because you know how bad it can be,” said Martinez, who has been on the disabled list only twice in his eight-year career. “You know that it can happen to anyone, but you don’t think it will happen to you.

“You work hard to stay in shape, to keep your arm strong, but it can still happen. When I took the first MRI, I was scared.”

Fortunately for Martinez, he has a good support system.

Astacio and Wallace were with him when the injury was diagnosed. Wallace explained that it could heal without surgery, and that Martinez might be able to return before the season ended.

“Ramon had thoughts that anyone in that situation would have,” said Wallace, now a special assistant to the general manager of the Mets.

“It was natural that he was concerned, because he was facing about the biggest challenge a pitcher can. But Ramon is too much of a professional to let his concern stop him from doing everything he could do to get healthy.”

After making four rehabilitation starts at single-A San Bernardino, Martinez returned to the Dodgers on Aug. 20. He went 4-2 with a 4.15 earned-run average in his final seven starts, going 10-5 with a 3.64 ERA overall.

A dedicated worker under normal circumstances, Martinez followed an intense regimen while continuing his rehabilitation at the gym in his off-season home. He strengthened his shoulder through daily exercises and lifted weights significantly for the first time.

Astacio and Martinez also trained at Campo Las Palmas, where they were often joined by Ramon’s younger brothers, Pedro and Jesus.

Traded by the Dodgers in 1993, Pedro won the National League Cy Young Award last season with the Montreal Expos and is baseball’s highest-paid player with the Boston Red Sox. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Jesus from the Dodgers in the expansion draft, and traded him to Florida for outfielder Devon White. He’s a candidate to make the Marlins’ bullpen.

“I’m very proud of both of them,” Martinez said. “When Pedro got the Cy Young last year, I felt like I won it too. Jesus has a good chance to make that team, and this is better for him. It put a little pressure on him because he has two brothers, people say he’s got to make it.”

Astacio and his brothers encouraged--and pushed--Martinez.

“We all did it together, and they helped me,” he said. “I wanted to forget about [the injury], and think only about getting my arm stronger.”

It seems to have worked. Martinez has been sharp in spring training. His fastball has been clocked at 97 mph, and he hasn’t experienced more than the normal discomfort from pitching.

Martinez is 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA and has struck out 17 in 21 1/3 innings this spring. Tuesday at St. Louis, he will be the Dodgers’ opening-day pitcher for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth overall.

“Ramon looks real confident,” Manager Bill Russell said. “He’s throwing as well as I’ve ever seen him throw, and he looks relaxed. Ramon is an important part of our team, so it’s good to see him this way.”

Martinez, 30, is among the most respected players on the team. He has been a model Dodger since signing with the organization as a free agent in 1984, and he’s revered by the Latin players on the team.

And with a record of 116-74 in his career, Martinez needs 18 victories to tie Orel Hershiser for sixth place on the Los Angeles Dodger list.

“Ramon Martinez has been a great, great Dodger,” club vice president Ralph Avila said. “The way he takes care of his family, the way he helps people [in the Dominican Republic], that shows his character. From the first time I watched him, you could see it. He has been everything we thought he could be.”

But that hasn’t made Martinez exempt from the realities of the game. His name has been reported in connection with the Dodgers’ acquiring ace left-hander Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners, and although Martinez is pitching well, there are lingering questions about his shoulder.

He will make $4.3 million this season, and the club holds an option for next season at $5.6 million or a $600,000 buyout. Martinez must prove himself all over again.

“People have questions, they wonder if I can [pitch], but there isn’t a question in my mind,” he said. “I know how I feel and I know what I can do, but I have to show them.”