03/23/2008 6:26 PM ET
Izturis rebounds from defensive slump
Shortstop shows Gold Glove form vs. Mets on Sunday
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
Cesar Izturis won the Gold Glove at shortstop for the Dodgers in 2004. (Rich Pilling/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa couldn't help himself. He had to gloat a little bit. Asked on Sunday afternoon whether his team had played its best game of the spring to date, a gleeful La Russa offered a playful jab in response.
"Except we didn't catch the ball very well at short," he said, tongue planted firmly in cheek.
In the preceding three hours, Cardinals shortstop Cesar Izturis had played a dazzling defensive game, making at least three excellent plays, and each time converting a fine throw. A man who, for much of the spring, had more errors than hits showed on Sunday why he once won a Gold Glove.
Izturis had handled the questions about his spring struggles with grace, acknowledging he was unhappy with his defense and vowing to turn things around. La Russa consistently defended his shortstop's defense, arguing that the errors gave no true indication of what Izturis could do.
On Sunday, Izturis showed exactly what he could do. And even his staunchest supporter was wowed.
"I knew he could play," La Russa said, "but that's amazing."
The Official Site of The St. Louis Cardinals: News: Izturis rebounds from defensive slump
Izturis shows Gold Glove form vs. Mets
Izturis shows Gold Glove form vs. Mets
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