DeWITT IN DeMAND

In Bowa's eyes, DeWitt, who had previously never played above double A, was "a little crude defensively" but had a nice left-handed swing.

"I thought he could be all right," Bowa said. "Little did we know . . . "

Little did they know DeWitt would be hitting .325 with four home runs and 23 runs batted in at this point, becoming a rookie of the year candidate in a season that he started as a short-term stopgap.

"I've been very fortunate over the last dozen years, having been in winning situations, and when you do have that experience, you realize what type of player really contributes to that," Torre said. "He certainly fits that mold. I put him in the class with Mike Lowell, not the best player in the world, certainly a player that will help you win."

DeWitt was sent down to the minors last month when Garciaparra returned from the disabled list, only to be recalled two days later when Garciaparra was hurt again. He has played well enough that Torre has strongly hinted that when Garciaparra comes back next time he wouldn't be demoted.

Already, DeWitt has become a roadblock for LaRoche, who was competing with Garciaparra to be the starter at third. LaRoche has recovered from thumb surgery and had played 21 games for triple-A Las Vegas as of Wednesday. (Assistant General Manager Logan White noted that because the Dodgers had a top third base prospect in LaRoche, DeWitt played the 2006 season in Class A at second base.)

"I'm sure he'll get in a slump or something, but I think he has the right attitude to handle it," Bowa said. "He doesn't get too high, he doesn't get too down. He makes fun of himself."

Bowa recalled a game at the beginning of this month when DeWitt made two errors in one inning. Upon returning to the dugout, DeWitt told Bowa, "That was a good inning, huh?"

Bowa has also liked how open DeWitt has been to working with him on his fielding.

The demeanor and the work ethic were two aspects that Mitch Webster, the Dodgers' area scout in Missouri, said he saw in DeWitt when he was in high school.

Watching DeWitt interact with his teammates and speaking to his teachers, Webster said it was easy to see that he was a natural leader. Webster also took note of how DeWitt stayed after every game to take batting practice.

"I saw him do that 40 times, probably," Webster said.

Hitting every day was a habit DeWitt learned early in life, as his father put a batting cage in the backyard of their home.