Mark DeRosa is trying to bring the intensity of football to the baseball playoffs.
The approach makes sense because the St. Louis Cardinals third baseman was the starting quarterback at Penn from 1993-95. He threw for 360 yards in the 1994 game against Cornell, the eighth on Penns all-time list for a single game, and is fourth on the Quakers career passing list. He left after his junior year after being drafted by the Braves.
I always take a football mentality, DeRosa said Saturday before Game 3 of the series against the Dodgers. I want it more than the next guy. Thats what I tell myself every time I go to the plate in big situations.
At least in the playoffs. During the regular season DeRosa has to regulate the highs and lows.
Id be lying if I said I did that for 162 games, he said. You cant. But for the postseason youd better do that or youll find yourself at home.
The Cardinals acquired the 33-year-old DeRosa in June. He injured his left wrist three games after arriving in St. Louis and struggled offensively, hitting .228 with 10 home runs. The injury may require offseason surgery.
Typical of an ex-football player, DeRosa soldiered on. Entering Saturdays game, he was hitting .556 in the NLDS.
I think in the postseason its kill or be killed, DeRosa said. Just play with your hair on fire, play smart, play aggressive and have fun.
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HOLLIDAY GREETINGS: Cardinals manager Tony La Russa encouraged fans to give Matt Holliday a warm reception when he returned to St. Louis, figuring the left fielder could use a pick-me-up after his gaffe in Game 2.
No problem.
The crowd at Busch Stadium let out a loud cheer for Holliday during introductions, then gave an extra-loud, extra-long cheer when he settled under Andre Ethiers slicing fly ball down the line in left in the first inning. The fans also rose to their feet when he came up with two on and one out in the bottom half, and were still clapping even after he grounded out weakly to the pitcher.
Holliday made a costly error in Game 2, misjudging a fly ball with two outs in the ninth inning that set up the tying and winning runs for the Dodgers.
He looks fine, La Russa said Saturday before Game 3. Its baseball. I mean, it wasnt an easy play. Its a play that you feel like you should make, but turn the page and do something special today.
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OCTOBERRRRR: Despite all the problems with cold weather, including Saturdays snowout at frigid Coors Field, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said its just part of postseason baseball.
Ever since I can remember, baseball is played this way and if you happen to be in a city where you can have this kind of weather, or the kind of weather we had in Philadelphia last year, really, Ive heard people say they should move it to a place where its warm and sunny and everything like that, Manuel said.
I disagree with that, because I think when fans come to see their team play all year long, 162 games, 81 at their hometown, I think they deserve a right to see their team during the playoff and World Series.
So, through rain and sleet and snow, I think its something that youve just got to live with, Manuel said.
Manuel was on Clevelands coaching staff for the coldest game in postseason history. It was 35 degrees for Game 4 of the 1997 World Series at Cleveland between the Indians and Florida Marlins.
Ive seen pitchers totally be dominant in cold weather, and then in the World Series, some of those playoff game series I was in I saw a lot of hitting against what we thought was very good pitching for us, Manuel said.
Had the Rockies and Phillies played Game 3 Saturday night as scheduled, the record would have been shattered. Temperatures were in the lower 20s after a low of 17 was recorded Saturday morning, breaking a 104-year-old record low temperature (25 degrees) for Oct. 10.
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NO DOUBT IN NATHAN: Despite closer Joe Nathans struggles in Fridays Game 2, giving up the tying two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez, the Twins arent fretting about the four-time All-Star.
Manager Ron Gardenhire called it stunning when Nathan blows a save like he did in New York.
Thats normally Katybar the door, as they say and weve always said, Gardenhire said. Thats one of those really tough ones because hes so good and sets the table so high.
Catcher Joe Mauer acknowledged Nathan missed some of his spots, but pinned most of the problem on Rodriguez.
Hes a pretty good hitter. I think everybody knows that, Mauer said. You make mistakes, and good hitters will make you pay.
The Twins were confident they can put the devastating defeat behind them and bounce back in the series – and avoid another late-inning lost lead.
We feel pretty good giving Nathan the ball in those situations, Mauer said. Hes a professional, and hes one of the best in the game. I think hes going to put that behind him, and if we need him tomorrow I think hell go out there and do a great job for us.
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RESILIENT ROCKIES: Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said the Colorado Rockies were able to bounce back from a 1-0 deficit in Philadelphia and even up the series because of the resiliency the team honed during their bounce-back from a 20-32 record to finish 92-70.
The thing that helped us is we were in a really hard situation early in the year when nobody believed in this team. We were out of everybodys plans, Gonzalez said. We never stopped thinking about reaching the playoffs and playing the baseball that weve had in our hearts.
Now were tied with the champions from last year, so everything is good for the Rockies, Gonzalez added.
Well, not quite.
The snowout Saturday allowed the Phillies to scrap plans to start right-hander Pedro Martinez in Game 3 and go with left-handed rookie J.A. Happ with lefties Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels lined up for Games 4 and 5, if necessary.
Colorado has had trouble with lefties all season as theyve largely neutralized a Rockies team that boasts left-handed hitters such as Gonzalez, Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe, Ian Stewart, Seth Smith and Jason Giambi.
The Rockies went 27-26 against left-handed starters during the season and 65-44 against righties.
We like left-handed pitchers against Colorado, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.
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COMEBACK MEMORIES: At least the Boston Red Sox know what its like to come back from the brink of elimination in the playoffs.
They did it in 2004, when they were one out away from being swept by the New York Yankees in the AL championship series before winning eight straight to take the pennant and the World Series. The Red Sox did it again in 2007, when they trailed the Indians three games to one before eliminating Cleveland and winning their second title in four seasons.
And last year, when they were down by seven with seven outs to go in a must-win fifth game against Tampa Bay before rallying to force the series to the limit.
I remember in 07 we were down 3-1 against Cleveland. It was the worst feeling ever, second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. You had that same kind of feeling now, obviously. You have that terrible feeling in your stomach that you dont want the season to end.
Boston also ralled from 2-0 deficits in the best-of-five first round against Cleveland in 1999 and against Oakland in 2003.
The Red Sox have rallied against the Angels, back in 1986, when Dave Hendersons homer off Donnie Moore kept the Red Sox alive in the ALCS. The Red Sox won 11 straight playoff games against the Angels in all, and 12 out of 13 before losing the first two this year.
Asked if it could help Bostons confidence to have come back before, manager Terry Francona said, You know what, it doesnt hurt.
But its a different group, and the Angels are somewhat of a different group, too, he said. Theres a lot of reasons were down 0-2. Some of that is because theyre pretty good.
