Cardinals Don’t Want to Hear About It

John Schuerholz, executive vice president of the Atlanta Braves, opened a war of words with the St. Louis Cardinals with his postgame comments Sunday when he criticized Cardinal closer Dennis Eckersley’s fist-pumping gesture in Game 4.

“I wasn’t trying to show anybody up,” Eckersley said. “Just quit looking at me then. What are you looking at me for? Get the heck out of here. When I lose a game, I leave. I couldn’t care less what Schuerholz says.”

Said Cardinal outfielder Brian Jordan: “Their general manager makes a comment about emotions. Well, you celebrate when you get a big hit in front of the home folks. That’s part of the game of baseball. That’s what baseball is all about. Come on, those guys do it all the time. But it’s OK for the Braves to do that? . . .

“Even when we’re beating them, we feel like we get no respect. When we win, guys don’t talk about it. But those guys lose and they give us no credit for beating them. It’s always excuses.

“It’s ridiculous. If we’re so bad, then why are we here? It’s getting real old, and it’s going to be so sweet when we beat them.”

Schuerholz said after the Cardinals’ 4-3 victory Sunday: “It’s one thing to be excited. It’s another thing to be demonstrative and pump your fist at the other team’s dugout. You don’t see Braves doing that.”

Schuerholz laughed at the controversy he stirred up, saying it wouldn’t have been an issue if not for the off day between games.

“I guess everybody had to write about something.”

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Cardinal starting pitcher Andy Benes, remembering how his fortunes changed June 24 when he called up Jim Rome’s talk show on XTRA and promptly ended Atlanta starter John Smoltz’s 14-game winning streak, decided Wednesday to try it again.

He called on his cellular phone while shopping with his wife in a mall.

“My brother [Alan] needed the karma,” Benes said. “But my phone went dead during the interview. I don’t know what that means.”

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The Cardinals’ most intriguing move was moving center fielder Willie McGee to right and Jordan to center. Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa said the move was made to help McGee relax.

“I came up in the organization as a center fielder,” Jordan said, “so it’s no big deal to me.”

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Brave catcher Javier Lopez felt weak because of flu, but considering that he began the night batting .529 with one homer and three RBIs, Manager Bobby Cox said that he never considered scratching him from the lineup.

“If the bone ain’t showing,” Cox said, “he’s in there.”

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Brave third base coach Jimy Williams said that he still has not spoken with the Angels about a job interview for their managerial vacancy, but is interested. . . . Mike Cubbage, former third base coach with the Mets, was interviewed Friday. . . . The San Francisco Giants rejected the Florida Marlins’ four-for-one proposal for outfielder Barry Bonds. The Giants have countered, asking for outfielder Jeff Conine, infielder Edgar Renteria and pitcher Pat Rapp or pitcher Al Leiter.