Cardinals manager Tony La Russa solved this problem when he moved Albert Pujols to the three spot by batting the pitcher eighth, increasing the likelihood that runners would be on base for Pujols. But Torre did not employ that strategy last night, and his reasoning was surprisingly sound: "I'm not sure if [Danny] Ardoin or Berroa are going to add to the probability of getting people on base."
There's nothing like giving your seven and eight hitters a boost of confidence by publicly announcing that they aren't good enough to bat last.
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Doctor X -- the 'Baseball Medic' -- is an anonymous U.S. government trauma specialist with a Duke University sports medicine background and more than 20 years experience in emergency medicine. From time to time he considers MLB rumors, events and news reports as they pertain to baseball players' injuries, illnesses and various other disabilities, both on the field and off.
MLB Rumors editor Greg Fieg is a former sports news editor and award-winning writer whose bylines have appeared on the wires of the Associated Press and in numerous publications, including San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio Light, Houston Chronicle and Philadelphia Bulletin. He formerly was posted in various positions on the U.S.-Mexican border with Freedom Newspapers, and was a regular, independent contributor to United Press International.