JUPITER, Fla. — Each day at spring training, manager Tony La Russa writes and posts a schedule of that morning’s workout. It can be as much a riddle as a schedule for those new to speaking La Russa. But one area of the sheet handed the media Friday was clear — and shocking.

It listed the coaches who would be working with players.

There, listed last after the Dave Duncan, Jose Oquendo, Derek Lilliquist, Dennis Martinez and Mike Matheny names was a surprising one:

McGwire.

The name of the famously private former Cardinal sent a ripple of speculation through campus. News rooms perked up at the mention of Mark McGwire. ESPN, in town for its run around spring, thanked its luck. Team coverage mobilized. Blog writers sat poised over their keyboards.

But the big man was not on campus.

“That was a typo,” La Russa said, defusing the near news. “Same thing for three or four years. He’s thought about it. I think he’s still considering it, has been considering it for the last three, four years. But it’s nothing official. At this point (each spring), he’s already said, ‘No.’ He hasn’t said no yet, but he also hasn’t said yes.”

La Russa said this spring, like the last several springs, he called McGwire and personally invited him to be a coach/instructor at spring training. The offer is still on the table as the Cardinals held their first official pitcher/catcher workout Friday. It’s possible that McGwire, who would work with hitters, wouldn’t be in camp this early – like, say, pitcher alum Cal Eldred and catcher alum Matheny — but would wait for the hitters to begin their workouts Tuesday.

La Russa holds out hope McGwire will someday accept the invitation.

McGwire has had a shrinking public profile since his retirement, and he has all but vanished since appearing before Congress in March 2005 and having to answer questions about his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. McGwire attending the Busch Stadium farewell later that year, but any public appearance he makes would also include questions about something he’s refused to talk about: the past.

He has already had a role with the Cardinals’ present. Outfielders Skip Schumaker and Chris Duncan and catcher Gabe Johnson worked with McGwire as recently as a few weeks ago. It’s the second winter that Schumaker has spent several days working with the former slugger/current recluse. Schumaker said he worked out with McGwire shortly before coming to spring training and spent three days with McGwire a couple weekends ago.

Among the things McGwire has helped Schumaker with is how he loads for his swing — or how he helps his timing when he lifts his back and the bat up at the start of his swing.

La Russa said it’s McGwire’s eye that he’d like to have around because he saw how McGwire went from a young, talented hitter to a veteran, smart hitter.

But, on Friday, his role is nothing more than a typo.

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La Russa surveyed his players, young as they are, on the first official workout of spring and announced that there will be some pep to the games this March.

“Shouldn’t be any sleepy spring training games,” he said. “Guys will be out there playing for their major-league lives.”

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That said, a few veterans will have some special rules this spring. Jason Isringhausen and Russ Springer – and possibly Ryan Franklin – will not appear in games in early March and may see only limited game time before the regular season. They will likely throw batting practice and appear in some minor-league games, waiting to make their exhibition debuts until the final tune-up weeks of the spring schedule.

Springer coined the term, calling it a “save-the-bullets rule”.

Isringhausen, who usually only gets in eight or so games every spring, described his plan for the spring in this MLB.com notebook, adding Friday that he thinks the biggest thing for him this spring will be the cardio work he’s been able to do to keep up his fitness. La Russa said Isringhausen and Springer are definitely on the Bullet Rules, and that Franklin may get the same treatment.

“If they’re doing it,” Franklin joked when he found out, “I’m doing it.”

***

All the pitchers and catchers reported. Two pitchers have been held out of workouts for health concerns: Cliff Politte and Dewon Brazelton. Both are having additional exams today to determine the severity — if any — of their conditions. Politte said he feels fine and the Cardinals called the checkup precautionary. Brazelton was scheduled to be a part of the minicamp but hasn’t thrown; the Cardinals said they “need to do a few more tests” on the right arm before clearing Brazelton.

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Colby Rasmus made his first appearance of spring training, shagging flies with several of the other outfielders already in camp, who include Joe Mather, Schumaker, and Duncan.

***

Sure Matt Clement’s trip up the mound got a lot of attention from the brass Friday, but the can’t-miss session on the bullpen mounds came a few groups later when power took over.

Between the Cardinals’ clubhouse and the first practice field here at Roger Dean Stadium’s backlot, there are a half dozen linked mounds. It is there that the pitchers throw their first bullpens of spring, before throwing to hitters next week. On the early days of workouts, the area draws the pens-and-lens crowd but also the lapels and cleats folks, too. Friday brought out a considerable gathering of both to see three pitchers who don’t have an inning combined in the major leagues.

Power prospects do that.

Lined up, throwing at the same time, were, from right to left: Chris Perez, Jason Motte and Mark Worrell.

Perez and Motte can both throw in the upper-90s, and Worrell, for all his quirky delivery, throws harder than he often gets credit. At times, Perez and Motte had their deliveries in rhythm and would both unleash fastballs that would race to the catchers.

Motte used to be one of those catchers, until the Cardinals converted him to pitcher to tap his arm that has thrown a 98-mph fastball. Perez is the hulking righthander with the funky slider and 95-mph-plus fastball.

***

Hitting coach Hal McRae, wearing his new No. 15, worked the hitters on hand (mostly catchers) through a bounce drill Friday on the cages near the back fields. The hitters would stand in the box and Dave McKay would one-hop a pitch to them. The idea of the drill, McRae said, is to work on strike-zone recognition. First time in the cage, the hitters just step and don’t swing. Second time through, they could swing at the cricket-like pitches, but “only if it’s a strike,” McRae cautioned.

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