Generous Ethier leaving fans, manager in awe

LOS ANGELES -- Andre Ethier gave an autographed bat to 11-year-old Daniel Millan, a Little Leaguer battling Ewing's sarcoma who had his Make-A-Wish fulfilled Saturday by meeting the Dodgers outfielder.

"I was in shock," Daniel said after meeting Ethier. "I was kind of speechless."

Ethier not only is impressive in what he's giving away, he's impressing manager Don Mattingly with what he isn't giving away this year -- namely, at-bats.

"He's been unbelievable," Mattingly said of Ethier. "He expects so much and is really hard on himself when he's not having success. We talk about it, that you can't come through all the time, but you can fight all the time."

Ethier and Matt Kemp have responded to Mattingly's spring appeal for them to be leaders and, in Ethier's case, that includes controlling his emotions and fighting through tough at-bats.

"The guys leading your club have got to play hard all the time," Mattingly said. "If they don't, the next guy won't either. It's important for the better players to play hard. Then there's no question for anybody else."