LITTLE'S NEXT MOVE GOES A LONG WAY.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

Grady Little comes to what might be the last Dodgers home game of 2006 this afternoon with the success or failure of his first L.A. season as hard to read as his corner-of-the-lip smile.

It always has been silly to assume Little would lead the Dodgers to the playoffs simply because of the much-admired calm he derived from having Seen It All in a managing and coaching career that covers exactly half of his 56 years (yes, we've remembered to account for the cotton-farming years).

By the same token, it always was ridiculous to imagine Little would mess up the Dodgers simply because he once made a too-human decision as manager of the Boston Red Sox -- and, lo and behold, never this season did he leave Pedro Martinez in a game against the Yankees for too long.

Somewhere in the middle of that false choice lies the truth. Little has taken the Dodgers this far, to playoff contention going into the final week, by setting the perfect tone for a team of turmoil. But he will take them farther, to the division title by catching the Padres or the wild card by outdueling the Phillies, only if he decides correctly in the dozens of Pedro moments that define a pennant race.

When I asked Little how his job changes in the season's homestretch, he answered: ``The emphasis mostly is on keeping the players as relaxed as possible.''

If only that were all it's going to take. Because that's the part of the game in which Grady Little has nothing to prove.

The Dodgers have shown Little a combination of things that even he never saw in 18 seasons as a manager in 11 different jobs at fourprofessional levels. That he has brought them this far is an accomplishment by itself.

Thirty-seven players and pitchers have started a game this season.

More rookies have become regulars than can be counted on one clammy hand. The entire bullpen has been made over since the spring. Eric Gagne is one of the would-be leaders who have missed most of the season with injuries. There was a 1-13 slump after the All-Star break that knocked them into last place. Followed by the 17-1 streak that put them in first.

And, now, the hard part. Decisions, decisions. How to nurse the banged- up Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent through a week when the Dodgers need them.

How to get the loose ends of the spotty rotation and the beleaguered bullpen to meet on a nightly basis. How to juggle the starting pitchers to get the most out of Derek Lowe, Greg Maddux and Brad Penny. How much to lean on closer Takashi Saito before exhausting him. How he can revive rookies Andre Ethier, Russell Martin, Matt Kemp and James Loney, batting a combined .163 in the first eight games of this homestand.

Also, how to be sure you want Penny (who gave up a 3-0 lead Saturday night) pitching for the division next weekend in San Francisco.

Even the manager he replaced extols Little's transcendent tranquility.

Which is the quality that saw the Dodgers through the dustup with Odalis Perez and spats with Penny and Cesar Izturis.

``He brings a sense of calm to any situation,'' said Jim Tracy, now the Pittsburgh Pirates manager, who first observed Little when they were managing in the Triple-A International League more than a decade ago. ``When you have a lot of turnover like they've had, to have that guy be like this (Tracy's left hand drew a flat line in the air) every day ... he deserves a lot of credit.''

It's not entirely a naturally genial nature. Yes, even in the pursuit of the proper tone, there's a series of choices, when to turn on the intensity and when a one-liner is the answer.

``I just think that's how you need to be when you have so many young players,'' said Little, whose next victory will be the 82nd of 2006, guaranteeing that he gets out of this season averaging at least 90 wins in the major leagues. ``If you fly off the handle, there's a lot of guys who might go the same way. It's just something inside me that I think is the right approach for this team.''

It's fair to ask: If Little's consistent demeanor is the tonic for the streaky Dodgers, why are they so streaky to begin with? Ned Colletti, the GM who hired Little, gives the manager no blame for bringing on the ups and downs and much of the credit for surviving them.

``I think it's the ebb and flow of a season,'' Colletti said. ``It's just that we've had two of the bigger ebbs. Any time there's a lot of change on a roster, it's a test for the manager.''

Colletti's first Dodgers season is going to be remembered well whatever happens next; his roster moves turned last year's fourth-place team into this year's contenders.

Frank McCourt's front office has taken a step forward no matter how the playoff chase turns out; a ballclub sells hope, and all those rookies make the future look bright.

Little's Dodgers debut is a success, but only so far. From here on, it's not about living down his final Boston act, only about getting LosAngeles to the finish line.

A city that measures its managerial careers by the decade -- Walter Alston ran the Dodgers for 23 years, including the club's first 19 in LosAngeles, and Tommy Lasorda for nearly 20 -- won't rush into judging Little for better or worse. Better, anyway.

In the dugout before Saturday's game, he was asked if he can find satisfaction in a season that ends short of the playoffs.

``That can happen,'' Little said. ``That can happen.''

Can it happen this season?

``It's not over yet,'' Little said. ``We'll wait till it's over.''

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 7 boxes

Photo:

(1) Grady Little has gone through a lot in his first season as Dodgers manager. The last week will go a long way in determining if he can be called a success.

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

(2) no caption (Darrell Rasner)

Box:

(1) THEY SAID IT

(2) WHO'S HOT

(3) WHO'S COLD

(4) ROOKIE WATCH

(5) NOTES

(6) DAILY NEWS/CBS 2/KCAL 9 SPORTS CENTRAL POWER

- Matt McHale

(7) MORE THAN A LITTLE IMPROVEMENT