Being Belliard

LOS ANGELES -- There's a reason why Dodgers second baseman Ronnie Belliard is smiling more  than usual: he's on a winning team and he's starting Wednesday in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cardinals.

"Coming from a losing team in Washington to a team that won a pennant is a big difference," Belliard said. "I'm happy now but I'm always happy. I'm always having a good time on the field."

Belliard has plenty to smile about. He hit .351 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 77 at-bats for the Dodgers. Belliard missed some time at the end of the season with a groin injury but impressed Dodgers manager Joe Torre enough to start him over Orlando Hudson, the Dodgers second baseman all season.

"When we got him from Washington, we didn't know exactly how much we were going to use him," Torre said. "We didn't know where we were going to use him. In fact, the first conversation I had with him I was getting on the bus  I forget where we were at the time  but I talked to him and asked him what positions he was playing.  I think we were in San Francisco.  He was telling me he played first, second, short, third, it was fine with me. And then just watching him come off the bench for us, play second base.  He doesn't have as wide a range as Hudson does but I think offensively he's maybe a little fresher right now."

Torre said the starter at second base will be a daily decision.<p>

"We'll go with Belliard and we'll see what we have," the manager said. "But I'm happy that he felt well enough to do this."

Torre isn't the only one feeling giddy.

"Right now, I am healthy and feeling good," Belliard said. "We have a good team. Everybody gets along. I believe we can win."