DOWNTOWN — When he was in pinstripes and even in the year since he left the Bronx, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre has often argued that Alex Rodriguez is the best all-around player in the game, the best hitter in the game, the best in the game. Torre said he’s added a new name to the short list.

And the description he came up for this new name, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols…

TOWER GROVE — The buzz this morning is the reaction to Roger Clemens’ appearance and ongoing, never-ending, repetitive and breathless (”from my heart”) defense of himself on ESPN Radio this morning. It dovetails with what’s been the larger topic du jour around baseball since the announcement last week of Manny Ramirez’s suspension for violating the drug policy.

The question: Does the public care? Is the ticket-buying, root-root-root-for-the-home-team crowd really bothered by the steroid era? Or is…

SOUTH GRAND — St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brian Barden, a superb glove with the journeyman flecks of gray in his hair, was validated as a 28-years-old rookie this week by winning the league’s rookie of the month award. He crossed paths with manager Tony La Russa outside the team’s clubhouse Monday and got what passes for congratulations in May.

“Rookie of the month!” La Russa said.

“Thanks, skipper,” Barden said.

“But,” La Russa said walking into the clubhouse, “that…

JUPITER, Fla. — A couple weeks ago Sports Illustrated contributor, Kansas City Star columnist and blogger extraordinaire Joe Posnanski visited the Cardinals looking for a baseball story he could believe in. The Alex Rodriguez soap opera was still playing to large crowds and another performance-enhancing drug fog — do they call it “marine layer” in San Francisco? — had settled over baseball. Posnanski was assigned to find the antidote.

He came to interview St. Louis Cardinals first…

JUPITER, Fla. — Six-time All-Star and twice a winner of the Silver Slugger, Moises Alou sat in the dugout this afternoon before starting in left field for Team Dominicana and said he has to listen to his body, and his body is hinting this tournament will be the last swings of his career.

“I’m going home after this,” Alou told a group of us reporters before playing the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium in…

JUPITER, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals bus pulled out of Roger Dean Stadium’s lot this morning and headed north for this afternoon’s game against the New York Mets at Tradition Field. They arguably left behind more recognizable Mets here than they’ll be facing up there.

The World Baseball Classic has picked apart the Mets roster, scattering David Wright over to Team USA, Jose Reyes down here for Team Dominicana, and Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado out…

JUPITER, Fla. — After his first workout with the Dominican Republic national team Monday at Roger Dean Stadium, Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez — one of four All-Star shortstops on the Dominican roster — was asked in Spanish what position he expected to play in the coming World Baseball Classic.

He looked to the English-speaking reporters for a lifeline. “Next?” he said.

Dominican Republic manager Felipe Alou isn’t sure how he’ll shakedown his middle infield yet, saying only that…

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The New York Yankees second-biggest signing in a blockbuster offseason has corner real estate in the spacious clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field — perfect locale for CC Sabathia to survey all the drama that comes with wearing pinstripes.

The hulking lefty who powered Milwaukee to the postseason last year signed a seven-year, $161-million deal with the Yankees and is the face of a renovated pitching staff for baseball’s largest payroll. After talking a…

JUPITER, Fla. — The revelations that Alex Rodriguez used performance-enhancing drugs during his three years as a Texas Ranger has thrown a curve to this sport’s bar staple: Who is the best player in the game? And, yet, the New York Yankees’ third baseman’s admission of the use has also made that discussion one that could preoccupy the game all season.

Not only who is the best player in the game … but how do you define…

TAMPA, Fla. — After he praised the drug-testing policy that Major League Baseball has now, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was asked if he heard enough today in Alex Rodriguez’s lengthy press conference here to be sure his star — and, heck, other stars — were now playing the game clean.

“I hope so,” Cashman said.

It’s what he now refuses to say that truly echoed.

For the second consecutive spring training and the third time…