Bosom chums on the left side

Another quick thought on Scott Rolen and David Eckstein who, for obvious reasons, have been bunched together as a pair here at spring training.

I asked Rolen if he and Eckstein as close off the field as they seem to be on the diamond.

"We have great mutual respect," Rolen said. Then he paused. "Well, I can’t say mutual cause I don’t know if he respects me (laughing) Ideally, great mutual respect as players and as teammates. We’ve taken good care of each other along the way."

Eckstein, who's constant ear-to-ear grin makes the perennially chipper Aaron Hill seem dour, easily confirmed the 'mutual' part of that.

"He's class on and off-the-field," Eckstein said of the big man.

But they are clearly thick as thieves in the clubhouse. Yesterday, St. Louis beat writer Joe Strauss was in camp interviewing the pair. Later, he lamented to John Gibbons how the corner in the Cardinal lockerroom where Rolen and Eckstein once held court was going to be a sadly quiet place this year.

Cathal Kelly