Bottled Rocket

Some have already given up on him, believing Dodger pitcher Ismael Valdes lacks the drive to become all he can be.

His supporters remind his detractors that Valdes is only 25, saying his best seasons are probably still ahead.

The new Dodger decision-makers remain optimistic, as so many before them were, that Valdes is on the verge of putting it all together.

And Valdes?

Even the lanky right-hander acknowledges he doesn’t know what to make of himself sometimes.

Valdes faces many questions as he begins his fifth full season in the major leagues, and the time for him to shine is now. He thinks he can.

“I have this feeling that this is going to be a good year for me,” he said. “I feel healthy, strong and as good as I’ve ever felt.

“I have confidence in myself, I believe in myself and what I can do. I just have a feeling that this is just not going to be a good year for me, it’s also going to be a great year for the team.”

Most in the organization agree with Valdes’ assessment of the ballclub--but they’re not as certain about the enigmatic pitcher, whose name was mentioned frequently in trade talks last season.

“Well, he’s still so young, that’s the one thing,” General Manager Kevin Malone said. “I want to make sure I don’t expect too much from him. But he’s at the stage of his career when it’s time to take a step to the next level. He’s got the ability to take it to one more level.”

Valdes has not emerged as the dominant starter many believe he should have already become. Then again, he won’t turn 26 until Aug. 21, has been a double-digit winner in each of his full seasons in the majors and is among baseball’s leaders in earned-run average the last five seasons.

Clearly, Valdes has not been a bust.

But some teammates have questioned his heart, seeing him as reluctant to challenge batters. Others wonder about his work ethic, saying he failed to properly prepare for starts earlier in his career. Moreover, Valdes has been infuriatingly inconsistent, swinging between stretches of success and failure that keeps the Dodgers guessing about this guy nicknamed “Rocket.”

Once again, they’re wondering if Valdes will finally blast off.

“The thing with Rocket is that he won 15 games in ‘96, and he was arguably our best pitcher in ‘95,” said first baseman Eric Karros, who has alternately been among Valdes’ biggest supporters and detractors. “I’m sure everyone in the organization believed there were bigger and better years ahead, and hoped for a lot of progress from him.

“That hasn’t happened as people would have liked, or as I’m sure Rocket would have liked. But by the same token, he is only 25. The problem is, when you see the stuff he has, you start to expect 20 wins, not 10 or 11. You can’t say Rocket is at a crossroads in his career because he’s too young for that, but this season is important for him.”

Valdes agrees.

“It’s always important to do your best, but I think this is a very important season for me,” he said. “I think it’s time for me to . . . Look, nobody is perfect. Everyone wants to eliminate mistakes and do good, but I’m going to make mistakes as long as I’m in the big leagues. That’s just going to happen.

“But I do have a lot of experience now. This is going to be my [fifth-plus] season in the big leagues, and I need to use my experience to help me pitch better.”

So far, so good. In four spring training starts, Valdes has a 2-0 record with a 0.71 ERA.

Valdes went 11-10 with a 3.98 ERA last season and was sidelined for five weeks because of a strained stomach muscle. He was 4-7 with a 5.18 ERA in his first 13 starts, stirring anger in the clubhouse with each loss.

Then, typically, he rebounded, finishing 7-3 with a 2.92 ERA and two shutouts in his final 14 starts.

Valdes was, again, at his best at Dodger Stadium, going 8-2 with a 2.05 ERA. He has a 2.14 ERA at home in his career, second only to the Atlanta Braves’ Greg Maddux since 1994.

“This guy is a pretty darn good pitcher,” said Dodger pitching coach Charlie Hough, who is beginning his first full season in the job. “We have placed some pretty high expectations on him, probably not unfairly because he is pretty good.

“But it takes awhile to mature at this level. He is only 25 and he’s improving, and I hope he only gets better.”

Hough’s predecessors thought similarly until Valdes’ inconsistency confounded them. But Hough remains confident that Valdes is headed for bigger things, and Valdes appreciates Hough’s positive reinforcement.

“Charlie tells me that I’m still young,” Valdes said. “He tells me that I’m only 25 years old and that, at my age, maybe I would be in double- or triple-A. But I have four years’ experience in the big leagues, so people forget I’m still young.”

The old regime had been reluctant to trade Valdes because of his age and ability, but former general manager Fred Claire was prepared to include him in a package to acquire all-star left-hander Randy Johnson from the Seattle Mariners last season. The deal fell through, leaving Valdes in Los Angeles and bearing some scars.

“It was very tough,” he said. “It was tough to concentrate and pitch a good game. How would you feel if you kept hearing rumors about your job? At the same time, I have no control over that, and that kind of helped me.

“It became a good experience for me because I wasn’t ready to be traded, and I had to learn how to deal with [possibly] being traded. After that, my mind was strong. Life goes on, so you have to be ready.”

Valdes signed a one-year, $4.275-million contract in January and Malone wants to observe him a little longer before deciding on his long-term future with the team. Which makes this a pivotal season for Valdes.

Valdes understands Malone’s thinking.

“The team wants to see me keep learning and pitch better, and that’s what I want,” Valdes said. “I know what I have to do.”

Will he finally get it done?