Lo Duca Continues to Impress

Often overlooked, Paul Lo Duca has finally made it to the big leagues, and in a big way.

So now, at age 29, one would think Lo Duca could feel secure, knowing he’s established himself with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Don’t count on it.

“All the stuff I’ve gone through, I don’t take anything for granted, believe me,” he said in an interview. “I’m happy. I’m just having fun. I love coming to the ballpark.

“The best part is, we’re winning.”

Lo Duca is one of the main reasons for the Dodgers’ success, especially on offense, where he’s surprised just about everybody but himself.

And his hitting is a bonus, since the main reason he was given first crack at the catching job following the offseason trade of Todd Hundley was his defense, not to mention a low salary on a team with one of baseball’s highest payrolls.

Despite missing more than three weeks because of a strained hamstring, Lo Duca is among his team’s leaders in home runs and RBIs, and by far its leading hitter with a .342 average entering a four-game series against Colorado that began Thursday.

It’s not a stretch to consider him an MVP candidate, especially if the streaking Dodgers make the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

“It’s a total surprise,” teammate Gary Sheffield said. “He had never played every day in the big leagues, and he’s made the most of it.”

Colorado star Todd Helton was properly impressed after Lo Duca went 6-for-6 in an 11-10, 11-inning victory over the Rockies on May 28 to tie the NL record for hits in an extra-inning game.

“I never thought I’d say this, but Paul Lo Duca beat us today,” Helton said.

Lo Duca, though, hasn’t always been in the spotlight.

Lo Duca was co-player of the year in Arizona for his efforts as a senior in high school, but didn’t receive any scholarship offers, so he attended Glendale Community College.

After becoming a two-time junior college All-American, four-year schools didn’t exactly bang down his doors, so he wound up at Arizona State with a partial scholarship.

“I went to ASU to find out if I could play at the next level,” said Lo Duca, a first-team All-American in 1993 who set school records with 129 hits and a .446 batting average -- better than the likes of Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Hubie Brooks, Ken Landreaux and Bob Horner -- in his only year at ASU.

His reward? The Dodgers picked him in the 25th round of the June 1993 free-agent draft.

“My size had a lot to do with it,” said Lo Duca, generously listed as 5-foot-10. “I’m a firm believer scouts thought I couldn’t get any better than I was in college.”

Lo Duca was buried in the Dodgers’ organization, with the likes of Mike Piazza, Charles Johnson, Hundley and the highly touted Angel Pena as catchers he had to contend with for playing time.

“I never thought I was going to get a chance to play here,” he admitted. “I’ll be honest, I wanted to get traded, especially last year. They didn’t like me around here, there was never a spot for me. They were always passing me over.

“Maybe it happened for a reason. Maybe I wouldn’t have been ready two or three years ago to handle what I’m doing now. All I wanted was a chance, I just felt if I got a chance, I was going to be fine.”

Here’s how bad things got early last season: When he was backing up Pena at Triple-A Albuquerque, Lo Duca’s father, brother and wife confronted him.

“They said, ‘You’re not out there hustling, you don’t want to be here,’ ” Lo Duca recalled. “My first thought was, if my wife could see it, everybody can see it. I changed my approach the next day.”

Lo Duca played several positions for the Dukes, hitting .351 in 78 games with four homers and 54 RBIs. He also played in 34 games for the Dodgers, hitting. 246 with two homers and eight RBIs.

Lo Duca entered this season having played 76 games with the Dodgers in parts of three seasons, with a .241 average, five homers and 20 RBIs.

He never hit more than eight homers in any of his previous eight professional seasons, but he’s already doubled that.

In 260 official at-bats, he had more homers (16) than strikeouts (15).

“I don’t think anybody could have said he would have the kind of success he’s had for us,” teammate Eric Karros said. “He didn’t quit. That would have been easy to do.”