DOWN THE LINE

Four Days in ...

St. Louis

The Cardinals open Busch Stadium III Monday against Milwaukee. The three-game series skips Tuesday, giving construction workers a day to hammer in peace. The ballpark isn’t quite done, but foremen expect to make up time during Tony La Russa’s pitching changes.

A team on the rise and a trendy pick to challenge the Cardinals (and have their first winning season since 1992), the Brewers get the early shot at justifying their Selig-less existence.

The probables: Monday -- Tomo Ohka vs. Mark Mulder; Wednesday -- Dave Bush vs. Jason Marquis; Thursday -- Doug Davis vs. Jeff Suppan.

Seven Guys in ...

Adrian Beltre’s Life

Since 1999, his first full season in the majors, Beltre has reported to seven hitting coaches in eight years:

* 1999: Reggie Smith.

* 2000: Rick Down.

* 2001: Jack Clark.

* 2002: Clark.

* 2003: Clark/George Hendrick.

* 2004: Tim Wallach.

* 2005: Don Baylor.

* 2006: Jeff Pentland.

Under Wallach, and just in time for free agency, Beltre hit .334 with 48 home runs and 121 runs batted in. Under everybody else, he’s batted .263 and averaged 18.5 homers and 75.7 RBIs.

Beltre said he likes the new guy, who is Hollywood-born and UC Riverside-tied. Pentland spent a few days in January with Beltre at a batting cage near Beltre’s home in Arcadia.

“He’s really good,” Beltre said.

Apparently, Pentland is selectively mute. “When I’m going good,” Beltre said, “I don’t want to hear anything.”

On the Hill With ...

Dick Cheney

The Washington Nationals announced that the vice president and noted spray-hitter would throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday’s home opener.

Harry Whittington, Cheney’s personal catcher, declined an invitation to attend.

All of the Marlins or ...

Part of A-Rod

Put another way, the Florida Marlins’ $15-million payroll would make them the 13th-highest paid player in baseball.

Two Guys in ...

Pittsburgh

The Pirates opened something called “Tracyball” by being swept in Milwaukee, where they scored nine runs in three days and confirmed they’re going to have trouble at the top of the order.

Granted it was half a week, but the early numbers weren’t promising for youngsters Chris Duffy and Nate McLouth.

* Duffy: 1 for 9, 0 walks, 0 runs.

* McLouth: 1 for 6, 0 walks, 0 runs.

Calling ...

the Sandmen

New Yorkers were startled to discover their new closer, Billy Wagner, enters games to the same tune -- Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” -- as Mariano Rivera.

Clearing up any confusion, Wagner blew a save in his second opportunity for the Mets.

Elsewhere, Rocky closer Brian Fuentes has his own rock ‘n’ roll entrance anthem -- Staind’s “For You.” Sadly, the folks at Coors Field played “YMCA” instead, leaving Fuentes a bit peeved.

C’mon, Brian, there’s no need to feel down.

One More Thing With ...

Ned Colletti

The Dodger general manager, to the Boston Globe on the gravity of new statistics: “Do I use VORP? I may be using it and not even know it, and if I am, it’s nobody’s business. There are a lot of different criteria in judging players. I think I use, um, esoteric qualitative mathematical review times five. That’s one of them.”

Top to Bottom With ...

Rafael Furcal

Hits at Dodger Stadium in six years with the Braves: 11.

Hits at Dodger Stadium in three games with the Dodgers: 4.

*

-- Tim Brown