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Vina Is The Key To Cardinals' Ignition
Leadoff Man Produces 9 Hits In Series Sweep
Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch
October 6, 2002
Catalyst, as in igniter of offense, has eight letters - which is one fewer than the number of singles Cardinals leadoff hitter Fernando Vina had in the three-game series sweep of the defrocked world champion Arizona Diamondbacks.
Vina had two singles, scored one run and drove in another in a 6-3 victory over Arizona on Saturday night. The output came on the heels of three-hit and four-hit games (all singles) and left Vina with a nine-for-15 showing for a .600 average in the series.
Vina's 2002 regular season, for him, was pedestrian. After hitting .300 and .303 with .380 and .357 on-base percentages in his first two seasons here, Vina batted .270 with a .333 on-base mark this year.
But Vina insisted late Saturday night that he had hit in tough luck much of the season, and hitting coach Mitchell Page concurred.
"Two-seventy is not bad for the kind of defense I play," Vina said. "But this is what it's all about, playing in the playoffs. I love the excitement, the fire, the blood gets flowing. The blood was going a ton.
"When you start off in the playoffs, you start at zero and you go for it. It was a sweet series for me - the best I've had."
In the postseason play, Vina has always been a cut above. In his three seasons with the Cardinals, all of which have finished in post-season visits, Vina is 25 for 70 (22 of them singles) for a .357 average.
"Pressure situations . . . I love them," Vina said. "We faced the best pitchers around in Randy (Johnson) and Curt (Schilling). In these playoff games, it's tough to score a lot of runs. You try to manufacture what you can."
Manager Tony La Russa said, "He really believes this is the time where he's going to play better, not worse. We've got a lot of guys who are not afraid to bat in a key situation, but he just raises his game in the postseason."
Most of his 10-season career has been spent as a leadoff hitter and Vina probably wouldn't be happy anywhere else in the lineup.
"I love the pressure put on your shoulders to get things rolling," he said. "I wouldn't want it anywhere else. You're the man who's got to get things rolling for your ball club."
Page said Vina had made an adjustment with the lower half of his body recently to stay behind the ball more. "He's almost going to hit like I preach," said Page, kiddingly. "Hit down, stay behind the ball.
"(The Diamondbacks) did not expect him to hit the ball like that, I'll guarantee you that," said Page. "If they watched film, he's not supposed to be doing what he's doing now. But, that's what he's done, making that adjustment, and getting it into his head."
If Vina never hits anything but a single, Page said he would be happy with that.
"If my boss (La Russa) ever hears me tell Vina to drive the ball (for extra-base hits), I'm fired. I'm on the next plane to Oakland," said Page. Or worse?
"I've taken the Greyhound before," Page said.
Counting an eighth-inning walk, Vina reached base 10 times in the series. General manager Walt Jocketty said that Vina had made it a point of telling either himself or aids Jerry Walker and John Mozeliak before each of the three games, "I'm going to get on base three times tonight."
Vina got on base three times, four times and three times respectively.
The Cardinals stripped the crown from baseball's reigning champions because they basically outpitched and outhit them.
But the Cardinals also out-fundamentaled the Diamondbacks.
Starting pitcher Andy Benes dropped down a flawless suicide squeeze bunt, scoring supersub Miguel Cairo, to key a two- run fourth inning capped by Vina's ninth single. Though Benes did not last five innings for the win, he did have the game-winning run batted in.
And Albert Pujols, back in left field after committing an error in his only chance as a relief third baseman in Game 2, threw out his second runner of the series. Pujols gunned down Chris Donnels, who was trying to score the tying run, to end the sixth after fielding a single by Steve Finley off Jeff Fassero.
After Benes had dropped his bunt on a 3-1 count after failing on the 1-0 pitch, Vina gave the Cardinals a 4-2 lead with a single to right, plating Mike Matheny.
Matheny was a hero in his own right in the series, going four for nine with two sacrifices and two walks.
Fittingly, Vina made the last out in the field, grabbing David Dellucci's grounder and firing to first. After this act, Vina bounded to second, where he embraced keystone partner Edgar Renteria and they began to bound in unison. "I was so excited to get that last ball. Once I let it out of my hand, I was pumped," said Vina.
Showing his sense of Cardinals history, Vina said this series victory was not only for late teammate Darryl Kile and broadcaster Jack Buck, but for departed Cardinals from years ago.
"This win is for DK and Jack and Enos Slaughter and Darrell Porter and all of those people who are so special to Cardinal nation," Vina said.
"We lost a lot of people. I didn't play with them, but I know a lot of history of St. Louis. All of those guys combined ... this is for them."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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