A minor find is a major surprise

ST. LOUIS -- Despite the nuisance created by a pesky nail on the dugout steps at Busch Stadium, it's been a fantastic first week in the major leagues for John Rodriguez.

Not long ago, he was just a 27-year-old minor leaguer. Now, he's a daily, productive fixture in the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup, to the extent that manager Tony La Russa held off completing his lineup card on Sunday until Rodriguez, who missed his first start due to a sprained ankle caused when his cleats got snagged by the nail, could test the injury.

Right now, La Russa's injury-ravaged roster can really use a run like the left-handed hitting Rodriguez, an undrafted, forgotten outfielder no more, has put together. With three players on the 15-day disabled list and right fielder Larry Walker also sidelined with a recurrence of a seasonlong neck injury, the timing has been perfect for this unlikely success story.

"He's given us a real lift," La Russa said.

Rodriguez was 8-for-21 (.381 avg.) with two homers and three RBIs in his first six starts He homered off Ben Sheets and Carlos Zambrano, and doubled twice on Saturday against the Cubs' Jerome Williams before leaving because of the injury.

Pinch-hitting on Sunday, Rodriguez nearly added to the legend with a drive that landed in the right field seats just a few feet foul. He's also played well in the field, running down a handful of balls at the warning track in left.

Rodriguez earned his shot with an unreal month in the minors, piling up 17 homers -- including four grand slams -- and 47 RBIs in only 34 games for Triple-A Memphis.

"He was doing things I'd never seen before," said Cardinals teammate Scott Seabol, who was also in the minors when Rodriguez made his mark. "Unbelievable."

Rodriguez got his chance in the St. Louis organization only because the Indians needed minor league catching help and the Cardinals had a glut at the position after players returned from an early-season rash of injuries. Rodriguez was hitting just .247 with five homers and 23 RBIs in 46 games with Triple-A Buffalo when St. Louis acquired him June 9 in a trade for catcher Javier Cordona.

The Cardinals had been interested in signing Rodriguez as a minor league free agent in the offseason, but he signed with the Indians instead.

"Johnny Rodriguez is a guy we knew about a year ago," assistant general manager John Mozeliak said. "Did we know he'd have this kind of impact? No. But we saw him as an offensive guy who was solid defensively, and statistics-wise, he was on fire when we brought him up."

He's had some good years in the minors, with a 22-homer season in 2001 at the Yankees' Double-A level his top production.

"I've never had a power burst like that," Rodriguez said of his play at Memphis. "To get 17 in one month, wow! I was hitting fastballs, changeups, curveballs, sliders, I was just feeling good. It felt real good."

Rodriguez, who is from New York, felt he never got much of a chance in the Yankees' organization.

"I knew it was probably a lose-lose situation, but I was going out there auditioning for 30 other teams," he said. "For some reason or another I knew I'd have my chances, and here I am. I made it."

After the Cardinals' day off on Monday, Rodriguez was hopeful of returning to the lineup in San Diego on Tuesday when the Cardinals began a six-game trip. He's more than filled the void left when Reggie Sanders broke his leg in an outfield collision with Jim Edmonds, an injury that is expected to sideline him at least another month.

Rodriguez' first day with the Cardinals, one player double-checked the name of his new teammate with a reporter before introducing himself. Everybody knows who Rodriguez, or J-Rod for short, is now.

"I just try my best and go out there and play hard," Rodriguez said. "That's all I can do."