SWAGGER MISSING FOR L.A.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

Finally, a Dodger roared Monday night, right in the heat of a huge game against the San Diego Padres. Too bad it was only first-base coach Mariano Duncan taking loud exception to something Jake Peavy roared after a strikeout of J.D. Drew with the Dodgers in trouble in the first inning.

An even 150 games in the books, the Dodgers aren't a first-place team anymore, and they've always lacked the aura of a first-place team. If they win anything this season, the Dodgers will do it with a conspicuous absence of swagger, the championship ingredient that reassures fans, tells pennant-race rivals they're outclassed and tells inferior opponents not to bother.

"I think it's a big plus when you have it," said Grady Little, the Dodgers' manager, in the dugout before the game. "There's been times when we've had it, and there's been times when we haven't. Right now would be a good time to get it back. We haven't had a whole lot of swagger when we're playing San Diego this year, to be honest with you."

Its up for debate whether the Dodgers, staring at a 1 1/2-game deficit as they lost to division-leading San Diego 9-8 Monday at Dodger Stadium, ever flashed swagger in 2006. To be credited with swagger, you have to do at least one of the following:

Stare down your closest competitor. Instead the Dodgers have been dominated by San Diego, going 4-13 against the neighbors before Monday.

Toss aside the also-rans with a haughty "go away, kid, you bother me." Instead, September has seen the Dodgers go 4-5 against Colorado, Milwaukee and Chicago, felled by the mighty sticks of Troy Tulowitzki and Tony Graffanino, and a six-error performance by the Cubs.

Stride John Waynelike into other ballparks and announce to foes and fans, "Bring it on." Instead, the Dodgers have one of baseball's worst records on the road, and not since April have they won a series on the road against a team with a .500-plus record this morning.

Line up behind an invincible pitcher or two, guys with postseason grit, guys like Derek Lowe and Brad Penny. Instead, since the All-Star break, the Dodgers have managed only a 13-12 record when Lowe and Penny start.

Radiate character. Instead, with Eric Gagne out of the picture, the task of leading by more than example falls to less-demonstrative Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra and Greg Maddux. As for J.D. Drew, the man in the middle of the lineup still projects all the presence of Boo Radley.

I did some online research, and it appears that right now most everybody in sports either has the swagger (in recent newspaper articles the word is attached to the New York Yankees, Matt Kenseth, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Scottish national team and Rockhurst High School of Missouri), just lost the swagger (Oklahoma), "seemed to have regained the swagger" but really hadn't (Philadelphia Eagles) or was looking to regain the swagger over the weekend (University of Florida - mission accomplished). No mention of this year's Dodgers, who don't have it, haven't had it and are past the major-league deadline for acquiring it.

To old Dodgers - and old Dodgers fans - it's an outrage that any Dodgers team lacks swagger. If Yankee swagger has been passed down through decades of American League dominance, then shouldn't Dodgers swagger have been passed down through decades of National League success?

Don Newcombe, the MVP and Cy Young Award winner in Brooklyn, defines swagger as "an air of importance" and "a proudness." He took his lessons on the subject from no less than Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese and Carl Furillo.

"It's being proud of what you're doing and where you're doing it,"Newcombe said on the field before Monday's game. "You let the other team know you're important and you're going to kick their ass."

The '06 Dodgers haven't had much chance to practice their strut. Their proudest moments (winning 17 of 18 in July and August, for instance) have been answers to crises (losing 13 out of 14 immediately before), which speaks of laudable resiliency amid turmoil - but hardly causes chests to puff.

Monday night unfolded just that way. Penny gave up first-inning, wall- thumping extra-base hits to Mike Piazza and Mike Cameron and fell behind 4-0. The Dodgers used the first three innings and home runs by Marlon Anderson and Rafael Furcal to catch up.

It was right at the end of the first inning, after Jeff Kent had doubled in Furcal with a run and Drew took a called third strike for the third out, that Duncan and Peavy clashed. Peavy seemed to be shouting in celebration of the strikeout as he walked toward the dugout. Duncan seemed to say something, and Peavy turned toward the coach. Duncan pointed and yelled, and San Diego third baseman Russell Branyan got between them. No punches were thrown, but maybe the incident put a little starch in the Dodgers' jeans.

If swagger can be acquired that easily, it would be news to Jackie Robinson.

heymodesti(AT_SIGN)aol.com

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Photo:

Pitcher Jake Peavy, right, is held back by teammate Geoff Blum as he yells at home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images