--The conversion of OF Skip Schumaker to a second baseman has been a halting one. Schumaker did not have many hard plays early on but backed up on a couple of balls in one game, muffing one and whiffing on the other. "Pitchers expect those balls to be outs, and so do I," Schumaker said. "So I have to get that down. It's a work in progress. I still have a lot more work to do to be the second baseman, that's for sure."
Through March 11, Schumaker had already committed four errors, but manager Tony La Russa wasn't abandoning his plan to have Schumaker play at second. "It's too early to say he can or can't do it," La Russa said. --After being talked to by manager Tony La Russa, young CF Colby Rasmus seemed to relax. La Russa's message was that Rasmus didn't have to muscle up to match the power of OFs Chris Duncan, Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick. "He's a line-drive, ground-ball hitter," La Russa said.
--OF Chris Duncan, who had surgery last August to repair a herniated cervical disk in his neck, appears to be cutting the bat loose as well as he ever has, or at least since 2006-07, when he had 43 homers in 655 at-bats. After Duncan had four hits and knocked in five runs against the Mets, manager Tony La Russa said, "The only issue was health. It wasn't his talent or his ability to compete. It's health. So far, he's doing great."
--1B Albert Pujols had four hits in his first nine spring at-bats, and he also had been walked seven times.
--RHP Chris Perez, the leading candidate to be the closer, seemed to be finding his form after some early problems. Following a side session in which pitching coach Dave Duncan worked with him, Perez had a perfect inning against the Dominican Republic team. "He kept his legs underneath him. He wasn't jumping out like he's been doing," Duncan said.
BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Home runs hit by OF Brian Barton in a three-inning span against Florida. He had two in 153 major league at-bats last year.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "In my heart, I feel I'm a big-leaguer. I'm not thinking about (Class AAA) Memphis until I'm given the word that that may be the case." -- OF Brian Barton, fighting for a job.
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