Flattery Gets You Nowhere With Jackson

VERO BEACH, Fla. —  Edwin Jackson doesn’t have time for the hype.

The rookie pitcher is flattered by Manager Jim Tracy’s high praise, but Jackson knows it won’t help him against batters.

“You obviously hear some of the things being said, and that’s great, but you can’t sit back and relax,” Jackson said. “None of that stuff really matters, and it’s all in the past anyway. Right now is all I’m thinking about.”

The present appears to be bright for the 20-year-old right-hander, who Tracy anointed the fifth starter during workouts at Dodger Stadium in January. The announcement wasn’t surprising considering Tracy’s comments after Jackson’s first start last year against Arizona, comparing him to Dwight Gooden, the 1985 National League Cy Young Award winner.

Jackson was penciled into the rotation on the strength of three impressive starts in 2003, poise beyond his years -- and a fastball clocked at 98 mph. He has been on the fast track since being selected the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2002. The pace quickened when Jackson was called up from double-A Jacksonville to replace the injured Hideo Nomo in the rotation Sept. 9.

He got off to a storybook start, outdueling Randy Johnson, Arizona’s five-time Cy Young Award winner, in six strong innings on his 20th birthday, leading the Dodgers to a 4-1 victory in the heat of the National League wild-card race.

“I know the position I’m in,” said Jackson, who was 2-1 with a 2.45 earned-run average in four appearances last season. “It’s like, ‘Wow, everything has happened so fast.’

“But at the same time, I have to keep it going. You can’t sit back and be happy about it, because nobody cares.”

Jackson is 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA in Grapefruit League play, but Tracy and pitching coach Jim Colborn said they are sticking with Jackson as the No. 5 starter to open the season.

“If he pitches up to his capabilities,” Tracy said, “I don’t see him having too many problems.”

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Third baseman Adrian Beltre, sidelined three games because of biceps tendinitis, is not sure when he will return to the lineup.

“The ligament is a little inflamed, so they didn’t want me throwing or anything,” said Beltre, who received a cortisone shot Tuesday. “I haven’t used my arm the last couple of days. We have to do that first and then see.”

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Setup man Guillermo Mota, who has pitched only two innings because of a sore triceps muscle, said he was pain free after a bullpen session Wednesday and needs only “five more innings” to be ready to start the season.

Mota is scheduled for another bullpen session Friday and is expected to pitch Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers are relying on Mota to help compensate for the loss of reliever Paul Quantrill, now with the New York Yankees.

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Many within baseball believe that Derrick Hall, senior vice president of communications, will rescind his resignation and remain with the Dodgers in a higher position. But Hall reiterated his plans to leave the club April 13.

“I have not reconsidered, because I am a firm believer in making decisions for good reasons and sticking to them,” said Hall, who sources said owner Frank McCourt tried to persuade to stay.

“This is not about the McCourts. This is about opportunities that may be out there for me.”