Sounding Off:

Major League Baseball is a week old as the Dodgers began their 52nd season in Southern California and the Angels their 49th. If both teams are to return to the playoffs, leadership might be the key word for both squads.

The Dodgers lost veterans Randy Wolf and Jon Garland, who took great pressure off young talents Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw. Billingsley, at 25, and Kershaw, at 22, have the stuff to be the lead dogs, but are they ready?

It may be an unfair historical perspective, but Sandy Koufax was 25 when he began his brilliant stretch from 1961 through 1966. Don Drysdale was 25 when he recorded his first 20-win season. Koufax and Drysdale were surrounded by the likes of Stan Williams, Johnny Podres and Ron Perranoski when they won the World Series in 1963. I don’t see that kind of support for Billingsley and Kershaw this year, so unless they pitch like Hall of Famers, the Giants and Rockies could overtake the Dodgers in the National League West.

The Angels lost a great leader in John Lackey. Remember the television camera capturing his passionate plea to Manager Mike Scioscia in the American League Championship Series?

“This game is mine Sciosh, this game is mine!” he said.

Lackey is a warrior and loves the big stage battles against the likes of Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia. Lackey-types are hard to find. The Angels have five good starters, but they will miss Big John’s presence in 2010.

With Lackey now pitching for Boston, the Angels’ chief competition in the American League West — the Seattle Mariners — might have the two best pitchers in the division with Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. Lee, though, could be out with an injury until late April or early May.

I believe the toughest position to develop in baseball is the pitcher. The second hardest is catcher; third is leadoff hitter.

Last year Chone Figgins became a great leadoff batter: 114 runs and 101 walks says plenty, but I remember games in mid-July last season when Figgins in his first three at bats against a division foe, forced the starting pitcher to throw him 24 pitches. Consequently the starter was gone in the fifth and the Angels tore apart the opponent’s bullpen.

Batting leadoff is an art and Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis have big shoes to fill. Now Figgins goes to Seattle where the Mariners go 1-2 in their lineup with Ichiro Suzuki and Figgins. That duo has the potential for 80 stolen bases and 220 runs scored. Rather nice way to set the table.

Both local teams do have the edge in managerial leadership. Joe Torre and Scioscia have a commanding presence and their teams believe in them. Getting 25 players to play as one will be the key to each team’s success. Torre and Scioscia have done it in the past and I believe they will have their teams ready to seize the moment in September.

Phiznotes

This past weekend I had the opportunity to broadcast the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore. Ten of the best 19-under USA players against 10 of the world’s best. The USA rallied from a double-figure deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the World team, 101-97.

UCLA is still in the hunt for 6-foot-9 Terrence Jones from Portland’s Jefferson High School, who scored 15 points.

Jones has cut his choices to five teams: Oklahoma, Kentucky, Oregon, Washington and the Bruins.

Jones told me Saturday he will make his choice April 23 or 30.

The Bruins are also in the hunt for Michigan point guard Ray McCallum. There are four great high school point guards still unsigned for next year, but a domino affect could change that soon.

This is just my guess, but if All-American Brandon Knight of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., signs with Kentucky, Josh Selby of Baltimore could go to Arizona, which needs a point guard and Sean Miller’s system would fit him perfectly.

Cory Joseph of Findley Prep would then make his choice, allowing McCallum to come to Westwood.

Again it’s just me having fun with the “what ifs” but McCallum would continue Ben Howland’s great line of point guards in the likes of Jordan Farmar, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison and Jrue Holliday.

Things should shake out in the next month. Stay tuned.

STEVE PHYSIOC is a professional radio and television broadcaster and Orange County resident.