Cardinals want to go Greene at second base

~ St. Louis is giving the former first-round draft choice a chance to win the starting job at second base

JUPITER, Fla. -- St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak would like to see Tyler Greene take over for Skip Schumaker as the team's regular second baseman. First-year manager Mike Matheny isn't ready to commit to the switch.

"I'm trying not to have any preconceived ideas what that is going to look like over there," Matheny said. "Who's going to be in that particular spot? We just don't know yet. I'm going to stand behind that and try to fight any prejudice or any favor in any one direction at this point."

Greene, a first-round selection out of Georgia Tech in 2005, has yet to earn consistent playing time in the major leagues. He has been asked to try third base and the outfield over the past couple of springs after playing shortstop most of his career.

"It's really about taking someone who is really talented -- has a unique skill set in the sense of speed and power -- and giving him an opportunity at a starting job," Mozeliak said. "It is something that we are trying to do with the understanding that he still has to earn it."

St. Louis Cardinals' Tyler Greene, front, handles a grounder at second base as teammates Daniel Descalso, center, and Skip Schumaker, rear, wait their turn during a baseball spring training workout on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in Jupiter, Fla. Perennial prospect Greene is getting a shot to play second base for the Cardinals while Descalso and Schumaker are also in the mix. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Second base is the only starting position up for grabs in camp as the Cardinals prepare to defend their 2011 World Series championship.

Greene, a career .270 hitter in the minors, smacked 85 home runs and stole 144 bases in a little more than 600 games. Those numbers have yet to translate into major league success.

He's never hit more than .222 in any of his three big league seasons, maxing out at 122 plate appearances in a year.

Greene got a start on the transition when 25 of his 58 appearances came at second base last season, including 14 starts. The organization's decision to give him the opportunity to win the job has allowed Greene to focus on the most difficult aspect of the change -- turning the double play.

"That's where the footwork and the body turns and everything are kind of flip-flopped from the other side," he said. "It's the complete opposite from the other side. I've really been working on that every day, just to get that much more comfortable."

Schumaker understands what it's like to try to learn second base at the major league level. His transition from the outfield to second base was former manager Tony La Russa's grand spring experiment three years ago.

Schumaker, a career .290 hitter, has committed 32 errors in 351 games at second base.

"I think they are going to give Tyler every opportunity to win the job, and if he ends up putting everything together, it's exciting for our team," said Schumaker, who avoided arbitration by signing a two-year contract with the Cardinals in December. "I've always been a utility guy in my opinion. I've played just as many outfield innings as I have infield innings.

"I'll be ready to play every single day. If I'm in the lineup, I'll be ready. If I'm not, I'll be ready in the seventh inning as a defensive replacement in the outfield or wherever it is."

The Cardinals also are asking Daniel Descalso to spend more time at second -- his natural position -- this spring after using him as a defensive replacement for David Freese at third base last year.

"I don't think anybody wants to be the utility guy, especially early in their career, but that's a role that every team needs to have filled," Descalso said. "Somebody has to do it, so I was more than willing to do that job last year."