ST. LOUIS – The Yankees aren’t the only team with a tenuous third-base situation developing. In fact, if they do plan to move Alex Rodriguez this winter, they might want to send a telegraph to the Cardinals.
Scott Rolen and Tony La Russa are butting heads over the third baseman’s balky left shoulder, although Rolen and his 1-for-14 slump were back in the lineup for NLCS Game 3. La Russa is trying to protect Rolen’s surgically repaired left shoulder, while the competitive five-time All-Star gets upset every time he’s not in the lineup.
The two stubborn men have been at loggerheads since mid-September over playing time, and the latest bombshell came in Saturday’s edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Two people in Rolen’s camp reportedly feel he’s being scrutinized in every at-bat, and that Thursday’s Game 1 was a “tryout.”
“I read that,” La Russa admitted. “Encarnacion is not in the lineup today. So was he trying out [Friday]? When you’re trying to win, you put the best lineup you think has the best chance to win.
“I saw him make a dive [Friday], make a play. That’s a healthy indication of what his shoulder felt like, that he wasn’t restricted. That was a heckuva play.
“To me, it’s just he’s got to find his stroke. He’s an outstanding player, and you always give an outstanding player the benefit of the doubt.”
La Russa is walking a fine line between motivating Rolen, keeping him healthy and not destroying his confidence or trust in the manager. But insiders feel the relationship is deteriorating over the issue. La Russa didn’t help matters when he threw in the caveat, “You’re supposed to produce when you play” on the Rolen issue.
“I played hurt through a pennant race, and I want to play now,” Rolen said. “That’s it.”
The Cards manager has options at third if Rolen’s skid grows deeper. La Russa penciled in Scott Spiezio for the second straight game, albeit in left field. But Spiezio batted fifth and Rolen sixth. Spiezio is a terrific postseason hitter, with a .700 average (14-for-20) with runners in scoring position in the playoffs. He was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs in Friday’s 9-6 victory.
This isn’t the only controversy surrounding the Cards, who brought momentum back to Missouri with them. La Russa again defended Albert Pujols, whose ridiculous comments about Tom Glavine (“He wasn’t good,” Pujols said) were dismissed by the manager as heat of passion ramblings.
“I don’t want to see Albert Pujols misrepresented,” he said. “So if this happened a couple times, I would say, ‘Make yourself unavailable.’ ”
Indeed, the surly Pujols didn’t talk after Game 2.
