Broxton has shown flashes of brilliance closing for the Dodgers in the past. He converted 14 of his 16 regular-season save chances last year after taking over when Takashi Saito was injured, then closed out the Dodgers' first postseason series victory in 20 years by blowing away three Chicago Cubs hitters.

But Broxton also has been notoriously shaky, and a week after polishing off the Cubs, he gave up a moon shot to Philadelphia's Matt Stairs that ruined any hope the Dodgers had of reaching the World Series.

"We know what type of arm he has and what type of person he is," Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said. "This role is a tough one for anybody. But I think his experience from last year will help him feel more comfortable and more confident. And, obviously, we have confidence in him or we wouldn't have put him in that role."

Broxton hears the whispers from the legion of doubters who are still waiting for the next Eric Gagne to arrive at Chavez Ravine. He hasn't forgotten his failures any more than anyone else has. But not forgetting them isn't the same as dwelling on them, which is something Broxton says he has learned not to do.

"I have had it in me (to be a successful closer) all along," he said. "You always have to believe in yourself, or you aren't going to be very successful. To me, there really isn't any difference between the seventh inning, the eighth inning or the ninth. The only thing is when Saito was around, if I got into trouble in the eighth inning, we had a chance to come back from it. But when you're that ninth-inning guy, it's all yours."