Coming of age: Dodgers' Adrian Beltre showing signs of greatness: once a struggling young prospect, Los Angeles third baseman is beginning to establish his talent as a major leaguer.

TIMES SQUARE. THE STRIP IN Las Vegas. Aurora Borealis. General Electric at dusk. The sun at dawn. Yes, for Adrian Beltre, it's as if all the lights went on at once.

You think Beltre, the Dodgers' third baseman and potential MVP candidate out of the gate, is going to let a few little bone spurs keep him off the field? Now? After all he's been through--and all he's put people through?

Only seemingly, the baseball cognoscenti of Chavez Ravine have been waiting on Beltre longer than Scarlett O'Hara has been waiting on Rhett Butler, longer than Shaquille O'Neal has been waiting for a jockey job at Hollywood Park, longer than Donald Sterling has been waiting for his first clue.

The Dodgers have gone 16 years since winning a postseason game, eight since they've made the playoffs period. In that time, ownerships have come and gone and the clubhouse has been a flophouse or drive-through bank for highly paid imports with no sense or care about the traditions.

The Dodger Way? Dodger No Way.

The everyday symbol of futility and underachievement, since the last half of 1998 anyway, was the young dominican third baseman.

"People think Beltre's 30 years old, at least," said teammate Dave Roberts, "but he's still only 24."