NEW YORK – Renewal can take many forms. Five left-handed pitchers wearing Los Angeles Dodgers uniforms sat in the smelly cubbyhole that passes for the visitor's clubhouse at Shea Stadium, contemplating their triumphs and travails.

For David Wells, a career is reborn at 44. He will make his first Dodgers start Sunday against the New York Mets in front of a national television audience, nearly three weeks after the San Diego Padres responded to his allowing seven consecutive hits by releasing him.

"Everybody wants to go out on his own terms," he said. "I love every bit of this game. My body feels fine. I might not look sexy, but I feel sexy."

For Joe Beimel, each day of sobriety is a gift. Last October in New York, the reliever cut his hand during a late-night barroom incident, rendering him unable to pitch in the playoffs against the Mets. Then he compounded the problem by lying. He said he hasn't had a drink since, and returning to Shea Stadium caused him to reflect.

"I thought about all the changes I've made," he said. "I've accepted not drinking. I'm able to wake up and do things instead of staying in my hotel room recuperating all morning."

For Randy Wolf, a decision made with his heart might cost him millions. He is on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, and has no idea whether the Dodgers plan to pick up his $9 million option for next season. Wolf turned down three-year offers from two teams to sign a one-year deal with the Dodgers, and the injury has made the wisdom of that choice questionable.

"I went with my heart and knew it was a gamble," he said. "I have no regrets. I'd do it again in a minute."

For youngsters Hong-Chih Kuo and Eric Stults, Shea Stadium was the scene of their most memorable major league moments. Kuo posted his first victory last September in a crucial game that, coincidentally, was Taiwan Heritage Day at Shea, pitching six scoreless innings. Two days later, Stults made his first big league start and held the Mets to one run in six innings.

From there, their fortunes diverged then crisscrossed like stock prices on a graph. Kuo, a favorite of manager Grady Little, began the 2007 season in the starting rotation while Stults was sent to Triple-A. However, Kuo pitched poorly, injured his shoulder and is out for the season. Stults is back in good graces, getting called up a week ago and beating the Colorado Rockies in his first start.

Kuo views the return to New York as a positive sign. "It's a good memory," he said. "It pushes me and gives me hope."

Stults wants history to repeat itself. "I'll never forget that game last year," he said. "We're in a pennant race again and I've got to try to duplicate it."

ODD COUPLE

To make room for Wells, the Dodgers severed ties with veteran right-hander Brett Tomko, designating him for assignment. In a surreal scene, Tomko talked to reporters about his fate while Wells, an unapologetic jokester, dressed not two feet away at the next locker.

Tomko: "I'm OK with it. Last night I saw it coming."

Wells: "Really? You saw it on the sports ticker?"

Tomko: "Funny."

The Dodgers have 10 days to trade Tomko or give him his unconditional release.

Tomko: "I hope the (general manager Ned Colletti) can get me to another team and not let me sit around and rot. I'll go home and start throwing at the local high school field. I don't know what to do first, it's uncharted territory."

Wells: "You've got to find a catcher."

The Dodgers kept Tomko on the roster through Thursday, allowing him to reach 10 years of major league service time and guaranteeing him the maximum pension.

Tomko: "That was important. It's a good time for me. I'm ready for a new opportunity. And it's not like they brought in a chump to replace me."

Wells: "Yeah, they did."

STRUGGLING SLUGGER

Carlos Delgado's slump has reached new depths – and so has his place in the Mets' lineup. Manager Willie Randolph moved him from fifth to sixth Friday night before a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers.

"I just go to the plate a minute later," Delgado said, seeming somewhat annoyed.

The numbers back up the move. Delgado is batting .245 – 35 points below his career average – and is hitting homers with about half the frequency he did during the previous 10 years. It didn't help that he missed four games with a hyperextended knee last week. He is 0 for 16 since the injury.

COMMONWEALTH DROPS BALL

Puerto Rico will not have a professional winter league for the first time in 70 years, a result of declining attendance and shrinking revenue. Quality of play has declined in recent years, and most major leaguers who hone their skills by playing in the winter have turned to leagues in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Mexico.

"I'm disappointed, because baseball has been part of the culture and history of Puerto Rico for a long time," said Luis Melendez, major league baseball's vice president of international operations. "We're exploring ways to keep the game alive in some form."

Mets infielder Jose Valentin owned the winter league team in Manati, P.R., the last two years and nearly every Puerto Rican major leaguer played in the league during off-seasons while working their way through the minor leagues.

However, hardly any established big leaguers played in recent years and Puerto Rico typically finished last in the Caribbean Series that annually pits All-Star teams from the four Latin American leagues.

"To realize there's not baseball any more in Puerto Rico, it's kind of a shock to me, you know?" said Detroit Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez. "It's tough for young players in Puerto Rico."