Three years ago Cliff Politte was looking forward to a summer of pitching for the Capahas of Cape Girardeau and considering which four-year college to transfer to after he finished junior college.

Today, at 12:40 p.m., Politte will make his major-league debut at Busch Stadium when he starts for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With a 4-1 spring training record in Jupiter, Fla., Politte was a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals. For a team that has several pitchers injured and which finished the spring with a 12-16 record, Politte was attractive enough to take north despite his lack of experience.

Along with his record, he impressed Cardinal brass with a 1.10 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings in his first five spring training appearances.

His strong spring came on the heels of an attention-grabbing 15-2 record last year in the Cardinal organization. He spent most of 1997 at Class A Prince William and had six appearances at Class AA Arkansas.

"To make it up that quick is a lot of credit to him and the organization," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen.

How long Politte, 24, stays with the Cardinals remains to be seen. He's starting today in place of No. 2 starter John Morris, who's currently on the disabled list but expected back within a week.

Politte's quick path to the major leagues has developed like a fairy tale for the St. Louis native who attended Vianney High School.

The right-hander attended Jefferson College in Hillsboro and compiled a less than eye-popping 3-6 record in 1995 with the Capahas.

"When he threw for us, he was just a fastball, slider pitcher," said Bolen, noting Politte also had good control. "He threw hard, but he didn't have an off-speed pitch."

Potential is the crux of scouting and the Cardinals had taken note of the hard-throwing blonde. While St. Louis did not exactly jump on Politte in the 1995 amateur draft, they did retain his rights by selecting him in the 54th round.

Politte and the Cardinals did not reach an agreement early so he spent the summer with the Capahas. When he accompanied the Capahas to the NBC National Tournament in Wichita, Kan., in August, the Cardinals became more intent on signing him.

Politte lost twice in the tournament, but his 93 mph heater also heated up negotiations.

"The Cardinals came up to me and asked me if they thought he'd sign," said Bolen. "I said I didn't know, but if he got enough money he probably would."

Politte's father, Cliff Sr., had formerly played in the Cardinals' organization and was also in Wichita for the tournament. He consulted with Bolen, who said his son should insist on a package that would include having the remainder of his college paid for, a common practice in contracts.

The term was included and Politte quickly signed.

"In fact, he took our uniform off and signed the contract that very day," said Bolen.

The Cardinals also taught Politte an off-speed pitch that turned him into a hot prospect.

"He's a good kid," said Bolen. "When he pitched for us he gave us everything he had. He's a competitor. I'm sure it will be awesome for him to go into his stretch and see Mark McGwire standing at first base."