Blake Smith's chance to cement future begins now

When the Dodgers drafted Blake Smith in the second round of the 2009 draft, they were going against the grain.Many teams saw Smith as a better pitching prospect than hitting prospect, but the Dodgers thought otherwise. It wasn't the first time in the Logan White era the Dodgers have done something this: James Loney was drafted as a first baseman when teams viewed him as a pitcher in 2002 and Ethan Martin was drafted as a pitcher when teams viewed him as a third baseman in 2008.But after three seasons and nearly 1,000 plate appearances, it's clear the Dodgers made the right decision in drafting Smith as an outfielder.Smith said he's happy to do whatever is necessary to be a member of a Major League team."I had, and still do have one goal, and that's to be a long-term contributor to a big league team," Smith said. "To me, it doesn't matter how I reach that goal. I am willing to do whatever it takes."Smith said he misses pitching but playing t...