LOS ANGELES –For Troy Glaus, it has been seven years. For John Smoltz, it’s 17.

The two St. Louis Cardinals veterans know a thing or seven about what it takes to be successful in the postseason, and they each have personal hardware as an October spoil. Glaus won the World Series MVP in 2002 with the Los Angeles Angels, and Smoltz, the winningest postseason pitcher ever, won the National League Championship Series MVP back in 1992. Both are familiar with October.

Neither will be in a familiar position this October.

As the Cardinals enter the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Smoltz begins the best-of-five tilt as a reliever and Glaus starts it on the bench as a righthanded pinch-hit option. Smoltz is in the mix to start Game 4 of the series, but the Cardinals are tipping their hand when it comes to who holds the edge, the vet, Kyle Lohse or, should the team be trailing in the series, Chris Carpenter. Glaus missed five months because of shoulder surgery and subsequent back trouble, and he has been supplanted at third base. As the Cardinals held their workout at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, both October veterans, both former playoff MVPs, discussed what it’s like to enter the first postseason of their careers when their role is an unknown.

That’s where today’s 10@10 begins.

1. “I’m transformed in a lot of different ways,” Smoltz said. “What I mean by that is I have to be ready to do things differently and be ready to pitch at whatever moment’s notice. I understood that when I was sitting at home for 12 days. I just felt like if I could get in position where they could utilize me in some way. I felt like my postseason experience would come into play. If I had stunk it up for five or six games, I wouldn’t be given that chance.”

Smoltz came to the Cardinals after being released by the Boston Red Sox. He arrived with the notion that the Cardinals would plant him in the bullpen as an addition to their righthanded depth, and even, potentially, as a righthanded specialist should, say, a hitter like Manny Ramirez come up in a dicey, late-inning situation. He’s impressed, however, as a starter and the Cardinals will deploy Smoltz by need. He’s not bothered by the idea that he’ll spend the next two games in the bullpen, and that his schedule could be disrupted a bit because he may not know whether he’s starting Sunday or not until Saturday. “I firmly believe that this time of year I can still do whatever it takes to win a baseball game,” Smoltz said. “That’s pretty much my M.O.”

2. Glaus, riddled by surgery and injury this season, wasn’t even a topic for postseason conversation until the final week of the season. He missed the first 3/4th of the season because of shoulder surgery. That return was slowed by back spasms. When he lifted a bat and got back from that, he strained an oblique. Glaus didn’t come on the road with the team — even when they had a chance to have their champagne celebration. Instead, he stayed back in St. Louis, and only in the final two series of the regular season did he show he was healthy enough to be on the playoff roster. He went 2-for-10 in those final games, with the two hits coming in his start at Cincinnati. Having this little time to prepare his swing is new. Being a pinch hitter is new. But at least one thing isn’t: the playoffs.

“The pinch-hitting thing is new, and things like that are new, but going through the actual act of the playoffs is not a new thing for me,” Glaus said. “That’s one variable that is non-existent. … For me, the whole thing was trying to get healthy, and right now as we stand, I am. I feel good. Would I have liked to have more at-bats and more reps? Certainly. Unfortunately, circumstances dictated that that would not be the case. I feel ready to go for whatever I’m called on to do.”

3. Manager Tony La Russa said there is one question left on his lineup for tonight’s Game 1 against Randy Wolf, and so that’s the question posed to readers in today’s poll:

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4. Dodgers’ Game 1 starter Randy Wolf, the first of two lefties the Cardinals will face in the first two games of the NLDS, has been tough on lefties this season. He’s held lefthanded hitters to a .159 average this season, a .200 slugging percentage and one home run. Wolf has struck out 60 LHBs in 170 at-bats against. La Russa said there will be at least one lefthanded hitter in his lineup tonight, and most likely that lefty will be in center field. Skip Schumaker is in play, as La Russa said yesterday, but not one of the lefthanded-hitters have the numbers against lefties this season that scream starter for tonight’s late game. La Russa will have to side with something other than history.

Rick Ankiel … .234 BA, .265 OBP, .298 SLG … 29 Ks in 94 AB

Colby Rasmus … .160 BA, .219 OBP, .255 SLG … 27 Ks in 106 AB

Skip Schumaker … .220 BA, .278 OBP, .240 SLG … 19 Ks in 100 AB

5. Speaking about center field, this will be the first Division Series the Cardinals enter in 13 years without Jim Edmonds in center field. This season, first baseman Albert Pujols has stormed the top five in almost every one of the franchise’s top offensive categories (doubles, total bases, runs, RBIs … etc., etc.). But when it comes to the postseason, esp. the Division Series, he trails the former No. 15. Edmonds almost has a clean-sweep of the Cardinals’ all-time Division Series records. He’s first in: runs (17), hits (27), doubles (7), home runs (7) and RBIs (17). He’s second in batting average, .333 to Fernando Vina’s .404. Pujols is close in some categories, ranking fifth in average (.299), homers (four) and RBIs (15).

6. Excellent breakdowns of the Cardinals’ and Dodgers’ lineups and each hitters hot and cold zone is available in the multimedia zone at The Post-Dispatch. Think it takes some time to get through the 10@10? Wait until you wade into the numbers available in these graphics … Like: Mark DeRosa is a .133 hitter on balls up and in, Matt Holliday is a .472 hitter on balls down and in, and Jason LaRue is a .583 hitter on balls down the middle.

7. HIT THE LINKS: Don’t forget to check yesterday’s coverage from the workouts at Cardinal Beat, nor to visit there frequently this evening for all the latest for Dodger Stadium. … Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is keeping a blog during the series over at MLB.com. … The Los Angeles Times looks ahead to the possibility of an Angels-Dodgers World Series, and the story begins with a Vin Scully anecdote. How can you beat that? … Joe Torre’s ability to manage people as well as games is why he’s the even-tempered match for the Dodgers, writes Bill Shaikin of the Times. … All-Star second baseman Orlando Hudson won’t start Game 1 of the NLDS, yielding the position to Ronnie "Mr. Game Ball" Belliard, and the “O-Dog” tells Ken Gurnick that he’s cool with the role. … Kevin Baxter, the Times’ fine baseball writer, explores how the Dodgers might deal with Pujols. … Baxter, by the way, picks the Cardinals to win in three games. … Four ESPN folks pick the Cardinals to win the World Series. … And there was a tragedy in the press box yesterday while many of us were on the field conducting interviews.

8. Today’s Game 1 starter Chris Carpenter is the first Cardinals pitcher to win the league ERA title in more than two decades. Joe Magrane was the last with a 2.18 in 1988. Carpenter also led the NL in road ERA (2.05). He went 9-2 away from Busch and held opponents to a .198 average at their places. Only two Dodgers have ever hit a home run off Carpenter, and Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome, who have hit a few homers in their career, have hit two each off the righthander. The lineup for Game 1 has many strikeouts (20) has hits against Carpenter. Here is how the Dodgers’ Game 1 lineup has fared in their careers against the Cardinals’ ace:

Rafael Furcal, SS … 4-for-15, 5 K … .267/.250/.267

Matt Kemp, CF … 2-for-7, 4 K … .286/.375/.429

Andre Ethier, RF … 2-for-11, 1 K … .182/.182/.273

Manny Ramirez, LF … 8-for-30, 2 HR, 6 K … .267/.371/.533

James Loney, 1B … 2-for-8, 1 K … .250/.250/.250

Casey Blake, 3B … 1-for-7, 2 K … .143/.250/.143

Ronnie Belliard, 2B … 0-for-3, 1 K … .000/.000/.000

Russell Martin, C … 1-for-7, 0 K … .143/.250/.143

Randy Wolf, P … Has not faced Carpenter.

9. Some quick-hit notes from the 2009 season for the Cardinals, courtesy the media relations staff: Ankiel is the only player remaining on the roster from the 2000 NLDS roster. … Ankiel has struck out 269 times as a hitter in the majors; he struck out 269 hitters as a pitch in the major leagues. … Mark DeRosa went 4-for-12 with two doubles and a Game 1 home run against the Dodgers last fall in the NLDS with the Chicago Cubs. … Closer Ryan Franklin had a save against all but one of the 19 teams he faced this season. The exception? Potential NLCS opponent Philadelphia. … Yes, that’s a Powerpuff Girls backpack that Blake Hawksworth carries to the bullpen. … Matt Holliday is a .289 hitter with 10 RBIs in his 11 career postseason games, all of which came with Colorado in 2007. He hit a home run in each of his first two playoff games, and he has five home runs in his postseason career. For context: Pujols has 13 postseason home runs in 53 playoff games.

10. That other (johnny-come-lately) 10@10 fires a few questions Torre’s way. It starts 30 seconds in:

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