Another playoff flop, but Little’s act long on class

Greg Maddux was no Jose Lima.

Nomar Garciaparra couldn’t pull off a Kirk Gibson.

And one of the most confounding and embarrassing statistics when it comes to a Los Angeles treasured franchise still stands, the Dodgers’ winning one playoff game since 1988 -- a few months after James Loney’s fourth birthday.

The Dodgers made the playoffs, but so what? Once again they were a disappointment when it mattered the most.

Maybe it’s a “beginning” as most of the Dodgers suggested in the gloom of the post-game clubhouse, but for right now I’ll take one thing from this season, and it has been the pleasure of working with Manager Grady Little.

It’s rare, as rare as a good quote from Garciaparra, for someone to maintain a solid perspective in high-stakes sports amid the chaos of winning and losing streaks and sometimes stupid, sometimes flippant, sometime cutting questions that come with the nonstop scrutiny.

Little passed every quiz, the line outside of his office stretching back into the locker room with players, club personnel and reporters who wanted the chance one by one to shake his hand before calling it a year -- one more testament to how he conducts himself.

HE PROBABLY didn’t realize he was doing it, but Little second-guessed himself, noting the sixth inning was the turning point in the game, and “as I look back now,” he said, “I wish I had put [Takashi] Saito in the sixth and let him go the whole way.”

THE OLD mule, donkey or whatever you want to call him, still has some kick in him. Jeff Kent went eight for 13 in the playoffs -- the eight hits a Dodgers division series record.

“A big whippty-do,” said Kent, who has invited me to join him on a hunting trip this off-season. At this time it’s a little unclear what the prey might be, and until there’s a clear understanding that everyone will return healthy, and that’s put in writing, it won’t be happening.

As for those Dodgers already lacking much life, J.D. Drew and Kenny Lofton proved to be professional rally killers -- going a combined three for 26.

Lofton said after the game, “You can’t be perfect all the time.” Had he not singled in the sixth, he would’ve been a perfect 0 for 13.

I KNEW the Dodgers were in for a disastrous trip Saturday as soon as they introduced Kristin Chenoweth, one of the stars of the movie “RV,” to sing the national anthem.

THE DODGERS called on the fans to observe a moment of silence on the passing of Buck O’Neil, flashing his picture on the scoreboard and telling everyone of his wonderful exploits while misspelling his name.

THE HOMETOWN crowd booed their third base coach, Rich Donnelly almost as loudly as ex-Dodgers Paul LoDuca and Shawn Green.

It was a close call, but I’d have to say LoDuca and Green also did more damage to the Dodgers’ cause than Donnelly.

PEDRO FELICIANO was the winning pitcher for the Mets. Another ex-Dodger, who played for the organization for several years in the minor leagues.

THE DODGERS agreed with the ampm convenience stores to a halfhearted attempt to fire up the fans for Game 3. The company wanted to sponsor a noisy bat giveaway, but instead of making more than 50,000 available for every fan entering Dodger Stadium, they only made 25,000.

THE TIMES doesn’t allow us to vote, but I just love Garciaparra’ selection as National League comeback player of the year. Didn’t think he had it in him, but on top of his standout performance earlier in the season, playing hurt down the stretch -- he did everything he could to give fans their money’s worth.

IT MIGHT be Dodgers “Career Over” for Eric Gagne, who doesn’t know yet where he will be pitching next season. But he knows this -- he will be the guest today on the father/daughter gabfest at 9 a.m. on 570. Brent Forsee, the daughter’s future husband, will meet the daughter for the first time on the show as well.

AS SOON as Oakland finished off Minnesota, former Dodger Milton Bradley told the San Francisco Chronicle, “A lot of people had a lot of negative things to say about me. Bill Plaschke said we didn’t have a chance to win with me. Now we’re sitting here waiting for the Tigers or the Yankees, and the Dodgers are down 0-2.”

I’m with Bradley on this one; I’ve never understood why some writers always have to be so negative.

HERE’S THE problem with the Yankees dropping Anaheim-Rod to eighth in the batting order Saturday. Angels GM Bill Stoneman sees that, and you know when the Yankees make Anaheim-Rod available, Stoneman is going to balk at giving up prospects for a guy hitting so low in the lineup.

PAGE 2 READER Mark Attanasio -- and like you, I’m always surprised to learn there are any, e-mailed offering to match Tom Lasorda’s $1,000 donation to buy toys for the kids at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA. Brad Penny is chipping in $1,000, and Jason Pommier e-mailed to say a check is in the mail to keep Santa Claus working.

The idea here is to keep Santa, a.k.a. Lasorda, passing toys out all night long to the kids at the hospital’s Christmas party on Dec. 12. Any one else who would like to keep Santa working can send it to Page 2 Sports, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

THE NEW YORK POST, which uses Page 6 to report gossip, noted that Mrs. Garciaparra, who is also known as former U.S. Olympic soccer star Mia Hamm, was spotted at Shea Stadium “beckoning a heckling fan in the level above to come down for a face-to-face meeting.” For the record, I was two levels up.