Matheny gets (good) earful from Herzog

As young Jesse Simpson might say…

The message Herzog wanted to impart the most was to be flexible.

“One of the things he told me was there is no ‘book,’” said Matheny. “I kept putting him in different situations and would ask him, ‘What’s your rule of thumb?’ He said, ‘There is no rule of thumb. The game situation is never the same twice.’”

Asked if Herzog ever had answered, “I don’t know,” to one of Matheny’s questions, Matheny laughed and said, “I don’t think I’ve heard that one.”

Herzog praised Matheny for the job he did in his first year, and added, “I think he’s improved a lot.

“They’ve worked on base-running a lot. They’re more aggressive.”

Another area that has caught Herzog’s attention is how dominant the Cardinals’ bullpen can be with an entire season from rookie Trevor Rosenthal, a postseason sensation last year.

“With Rosenthal, you’re going to have to beat the Cardinals in six innings,” said Herzog. “And he’s going to get better. Look at the curve he’s got.

“I told Mike, ‘The strength of your club is going to be your bullpen.’ I don’t care what they talk about. Their hitting is good. Still, last year it was streaky. It should be more consistent.”

...Acknowledging the Cardinals’ deep reservoir of young pitching, Herzog said, “This club is going to be good for a long time. So Mike should manage here for a long time. He’ll make a lot of money. That money he lost in the real-estate deal ... he’ll have more than that in his pocket.”