Bochy wrestles with putting Greene in lineup

By: SHAUN O'NEILL - Staff Writer | Friday, October 6, 2006 11:55 PM PDT ∞

ST. LOUIS ---- The Padres are one defeat from ending their season. Their 2-0 deficit against the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series is attributable in large part to the disappearance of the offense.

Yet Padres manager Bruce Bochy is considering a lineup change that would call upon a player with only three at-bats since Aug. 17. Just considering, mind you.

Bochy indicated Friday that he might put Khalil Greene back at shortstop for Game 3 today.

He is wavering, however, and won't decide until this morning.

"It is a leap of faith if I throw him out there. I know that," Bochy told reporters at his off-day news conference. "This kid really hasn't had enough at-bats to be comfortable up there. But you know what Khalil gives you. He's one of the better shortstops in the game."

Greene's absence from the lineup has been because of a sprained ligament in the middle finger of his glove hand. Bochy is increasingly satisfied with how Greene has looked in batting practice.

"He looks pretty good now at this point," Bochy said. "Sometimes, you change things to change things."

Veteran Geoff Blum has been a rock as Greene's replacement at shortstop. If Greene starts, Bochy would have another good option off the bench. Blum is a switch-hitter with a World Series pinch-hit homer to his credit.

In discussing Blum, Bochy revealed he still is wrestling with the decision.

"I think Blum has done a good job," Bochy said, "so that's why, chances are, (Greene) probably will not be out there. He just hasn't played in such a long time."

Common bond

Given the Cardinals' impeccable defensive positioning and pitching strategy in the first two games of the series, one might think their advance scouting is superior to the Padres'. Not so ---- neither team employs an advance scout anymore, relying instead on a computer/digital video system.

The Padres at least drafted pro scouts Ted Simmons and Van Smith for extra eyes before the postseason. Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan said they did not add an advance man for this series.

It helps, of course, that the teams played each other last week in the regular season. So the managers and coaches have fresh firsthand observations.

Pressure? What pressure?

If the Padres lose today, their season is over and their high expectations for the playoffs will have been dashed. But Bochy doesn't think the must-win situation is more of a pressure cooker than other postseason games.

"I don't think it adds or subtracts any pressure," Bochy said at the news conference. "At this point, we got to win a ballgame. You know you have steep climb. But at this point, the only thing we're thinking about is going out there trying to get a win.

"We can't look at what's ahead of us."

Bochy knows of what he speaks. He was the backup catcher on the 1984 Padres club that rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series. Those Padres were the first big-league team to win a best-of-five series after losing the first two games.

Random road scene

The Padres' division-clinching victory Sunday at Arizona was interrupted several times as Diamondbacks fans paid tribute to outfielder Luis Gonzalez, who won't return to the team in 2007. Padres fans, locked in on the NL West outcome, might have thought the displays were over the top.

Gonzalez provided an example Friday of why he is so highly regarded, however.

He was in first class of a commercial flight to St. Louis ---- he is working as an analyst for ESPN Radio for the series ---- when a flight attendant spotted a young Diamondbacks fan in row 25. As the plane began descent to St. Louis, the attendant brought the boy's Diamondbacks cap up to Gonzalez for a signature.

Gonzalez went a step further. He instructed the flight attendant to tell the boy to meet him at the gate after the plane landed. And Gonzalez was true to his word. He waited at the gate as 23 rows of people between him and the young fan deplaned.

Contact staff writer Shaun O'Neill at (760) 740-3546 or soneill@nctimes.com.