Eckersley Hoped for a Return to L.A.

St. Louis Cardinal closer Dennis Eckersley didn’t want to be in Atlanta.

Eckersley wanted to be in Los Angeles. In Dodger Stadium.

For eight years Eckersley has been haunted by one swing of the bat.

It was the night that will live in Dodger history, the moment Kirk Gibson hit a two-strike, two-out, two-run homer off Eckersley into the right-field pavilion in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The Dodgers went on to defeat the Oakland Athletics in five games, and Eckersley blamed himself for the entire debacle.

“I wanted to get back to Dodger Stadium badly,” said Eckersley, who had a 13.50 earned-run average in two games at Dodger Stadium this year. “I just wanted to get rid of that. I felt bad about that thing for a long time, but it still doesn’t go away.

“I’ve seen that . . . thing a zillion times. I see it every . . . day. They show it up on the scoreboard at Busch every day. They show clips of Ozzie hitting a homer. Someone else. And then I see Gibson hitting his homer.

“I’m so damn sick of that thing, but what are you going to do.”

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Cardinal reliever Rick Honeycutt wasn’t apologizing for saying, “I’m tried of seeing that chop every year. Let’s show Atlanta where they can stick that tomahawk.” But he said he wasn’t being malicious.

“It was just a fun statement,” Honeycutt said. “I said it to be funny. Obviously, it offended a lot of people.

“Hey, I was rooting for the Braves before the chop was even invented, so it’s not like I meant anything about it.”

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Phil Regan, who managed at triple-A Albuquerque last season for the Dodgers, will be interviewed today for the Philadelphia Phillies’ managerial opening.

The Phillies also interviewed Terry Francona of the Cleveland Indians and Phillie coach Larry Bowa and have scheduled an interview Tuesday with Hal McRae of the Cincinnati Reds. They also are expected to interview Chris Chambliss and Bucky Dent when the playoffs end.

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Cardinal outfielder Ray Lankford, who suffered a torn rotator cuff the final week of the season, will make his first playoff start tonight.

“I’m not going to be 100%,” he said. “I can’t throw the ball the way I’d like to, but I can throw it. And I should be good enough to play.”

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Brave Manager Bobby Cox, when asked if there was anyone he feared in the Cardinals’ lineup:

“No, George Brett is retired. Now that guy was impossible to pitch to.”

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Cardinal third baseman Gary Gaetti, hampered by a bruised right heel, is expected to be in the starting lineup today.

“It’s better than it was [Monday],” Gaetti said. “It’s a nagging injury. The thing that I hate is the uncertainty of whether I’m going to be in there. I think I’ll be fine.”

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The Cardinals began the season with an opening-day roster that included 11 imported players and three rookies. They were in last place on May 19 with a 17-26 record.

“This team really didn’t have any character,” Eckersley said. “This team was painfully put together. Stitched together. It’s amazing how it could come together in just one year.

“This is great for the young guys because they haven’t won before. And it’s great for the old guys because you don’t know if you’ll ever get back.”