Dodgers not raising like Arizona

This is supposed to be an anniversary, not a replay.

In 1958, their debut season in Los Angeles, the Dodgers played 24 games and found themselves 6 1/2 games out of first place. In 2008, they played 24 games and found themselves six games out of first place.

This is not a calamity. In 1958, you won your league or you went home. Today, four teams from each league advance to the playoffs.

And the wild card can be your friend, keeping the Dodgers’ hopes alive even if the Arizona Diamondbacks lap the rest of the National League West by the Fourth of July.

The Diamondbacks can look forward to a pleasant summer, in large part because of seeds they planted over the last two summers. The Dodgers can look forward to an uneven summer, in some measure because they stunted the growth of their seeds.

Arizona has the best record in baseball. For the benefit of analysts that branded the Diamondbacks an illusion last season because they won the division despite getting outscored by 20 runs, they lead the league in runs scored -- and fewest runs given up.

And, against the NL West, they’re 16-5.

“If they can continue that for six months, we’ve got no chance,” Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday said.

They can’t, of course. But they can count on Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Randy Johnson -- the best front three in baseball, if Johnson stays healthy -- atop a pitching staff that leads the majors in earned-run average.

The arms are supported by a gifted young lineup that leads the league in runs and slugging percentage.

The Diamondbacks planted their kids in the lineup and let them grow, and the Rockies did likewise.

That is called rebuilding, and the Dodgers do not play that game. They don’t think you’d like it.

“We don’t sit back and tell our fans to wait for a year or two,” owner Frank McCourt said. “We want to win now.”

Ned Colletti, the Dodgers’ general manager, considers Los Angeles an unforgiving market. Better to have a kid spend a little extra time in the minor leagues, Colletti believes, than to let him sink or swim in the majors.

The Dodgers got to the playoffs two years ago and had a winning record last year. But three losses and out in October satisfies no one, and who knows if the Dodgers are any closer to the World Series?

Luis Gonzalez was here last year, so neither Andre Ethier nor Matt Kemp has had 450 at-bats in a season. Nomar Garciaparra was here, so James Loney has not had 350 at-bats in a season. Mark Hendrickson and Brett Tomko were here, so Chad Billingsley has not pitched 150 innings in a season.

What can the Dodgers expect from Ethier, Kemp, Loney and Billingsley over a full season? Joe Torre, the manager, has no idea.

The track records that should have been established by now have not been, and the spring training that should have enabled him to evaluate the players was abbreviated for commercial reasons.

The Dodgers hired Torre last fall, then shipped him to China for two promotional appearances, the second time depriving him of a week of spring training.

“It was a kangaroo spring training -- a hop here, a hop there,” Torre said. “We never really got as much of a chance to see as much as we wanted.”

Colletti offers an appropriately diplomatic answer. On the one hand, he said, the China expedition should benefit the Dodgers and all of baseball in the long run.

On the other hand, Colletti said, “If spring training was meant to be one week shorter, it would be. We did miss that connection time.”

So here we are, in April, back where we were last September, with the Dodgers’ manager juggling four outfielders. In 24 games, Torre has written 23 lineups.

“This is the toughest lineup I’ve ever had to make up,” Torre said.

Andruw Jones bats fourth one game, eighth the next, second the next. Andre Ethier bats fifth one game, third the next, seventh the next. Matt Kemp bats eighth one day, third the next.

Kemp starts two games, sits three, starts two, sits three, starts five.

“It’s just weird,” Kemp said. “I think it would make it a lot easier if we had a set lineup.”

Said Torre: “I don’t think a set lineup is important. If that’s a concern for players, my concern is they’re not really concentrating on the right thing.”

That might not be an issue much longer. Torre said he has all but settled on Ethier, Jones and Kemp as his outfield, with Juan Pierre getting a few starts to stay sharp.

The Diamondbacks let their kids play, the Dodgers played some stopgaps, and now Arizona has the edge in experience.

“Maybe at the outset of the season,” Colletti said.

In three weeks, maybe a month, Torre said, he’ll finally have a feel for his team. That’s two months into the season, and better late than never.

You can’t help wondering, though, why you know more about what the Dodgers will build beyond the outfield four years from now than who will play the outfield for the Dodgers today.

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bill.shaikin@latimes.com