http://tinyurl.com/yjccau Around the Horn: Corner Infielders Cardinals boast best in the business with Pujols, Rolen By Matthew Leach / MLB.com The following is the second in a series of weekly stories on MLB.com examining each Major League club, position by position. Each Wednesday until Spring Training camps open, we'll preview a different position. Today: Corner infielders. They are the anchors of the offense and the defense for the St. Louis Cardinals. Each is, at least arguably, the finest player at his position in the Major Leagues. They are Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen, and they are two of the main reasons the Cardinals remain formidable even after another winter of turnover. Health permitting, they'll remain all of those things for years to come. Perhaps the most comforting thing about the two cornerstones is that they're both under contract through 2010, fully four more years -- and Pujols has a club option for the 2011 season. Pujols fell short of a second MVP award in 2006, but for the sixth time in his six big-league seasons he finished in the top five in the voting. He also picked up his first career Gold Glove, a special honor for a player who has put in great effort on the defensive side. Rolen, meanwhile, enjoyed a magnificent comeback season in '06 after missing more than half of 2005 with a serious shoulder injury. He picked up his seventh Gold Glove, which puts him alone in third place for most Gold Gloves ever at third base. They aren't just greats of the game today. They're both building Hall of Fame resumes. And after 2006, they both have won the World Series. It's a formidable combination, and it's hard to find an equivalent anywhere. Manager Tony La Russa has called Pujols simply the best player he's ever managed, and there's no better hitter in the game today. "He's absolutely consistent," La Russa said during the playoffs. "You can't go anywhere and get him consistently. He doesn't have one hole where he can't make an adjustment. He's got the high-average mentality of [Tony] Gwynn and [Wade] Boggs and [Rod] Carew and those guys. He's out there to get as many hits as he can. His concentration doesn't back off. He's talented. He's smart. There isn't anybody better." Meanwhile, many have called Rolen the best defensive third baseman since Brooks Robinson, if not ever. In the ridiculously deep pool of National League hot-corner men, Rolen was once again selected to the All-Star team. The only question mark regarding either player has been Rolen's durability, but he stayed healthy and put up big numbers in 2006. Pujols is a model of health, going on the DL for the first time in his career in '06. They're simply the gold standard, and neither one is going anywhere for a long time. The certainty at first base has actually created a conundrum for the Cardinals. Chris Duncan, a first baseman by trade, showed his bat was Major League-ready in his first extended taste of the big leagues last season. But the outfield has been difficult for Duncan at times, and Pujols isn't going anywhere. So Duncan has continued to learn on the job. In fact, the primary backup at first base, as Duncan does as much on-the-job training as he can, is Scott Spiezio -- the same man who is Rolen's understudy at third. Spiezio's bat was a delightful surprise for St. Louis in 2006, and he is adequate, if not dazzling, at both positions defensively. Spiezio also spends time in the outfield, and could play second base in a pinch. Further down the depth chart, there's something of a dearth at both positions in the Minors. Third baseman Travis Hanson, once considered one of the organization's better prospects, struggled badly in 2006. Mark Hamilton, a 2006 draft pick, enjoyed a solid pro debut as a first baseman but has a long way to go. Then again, with the big guys signed through 2010, it's still far from time to worry. --

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