After Tuesday’s practice at Rams Park, coach Steve Spagnuolo was as upbeat as ever. Despite his team’s poor first half results – just one victory in eight games – he believed the foundation for rebuilding was coming into place.

The mood in the locker was notably good. Players weren’t happy to be 1-7, but they seemed glad to be heading in the right direction.

Life in Cleveland isn’t nearly so cheery. The Browns, also 1-7, appear headed the other way.

Here are the indicators:

• Browns general manager George Kokinis has left the building. In an official statement, the team denied that the GM got perp-walked Monday – but it confirmed that he was no longer working there. Kokinis had been coach Eric Mangini’s hand-picked GM, but their relationship soured this season.
• Earlier, Mangini’s right-hand person, Erin O’Brien, departed under murky circumstances. As operations director, she alienated many co-workers in the team complex.
• Earlier, supposed team cornerstone Braylon Edwards was shipped to the Jets, ending the wide receiver’s extremely disappointing tenure in Cleveland.
• Owner Randy Lerner has sought counsel from former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar and former NFL executive Ernie Accorsi. He expressed eagerness to hire a strong football person to oversee the needed clean-up.
• Lerner also spent two hours meeting with two disgruntled members of the team’s famous Dawg Pound fan group, hoping to head off their planned fan protest Nov. 16.

The problem, Kosar said during an appearance WKNR radio, is the team’s dearth of talent.

“I really think that, in terms of turning it around in the next year or so, we’ve got to be right in the draft,” Kosar said. “What are we doing to get ready for the draft and free agency?

“Until you bring in some difference-making players, I don’t know how you get out of this. That’s the one consistent thing in the NFL. The teams that do good have guys that make plays. We don’t have enough of them.”

In the meantime, Lerner will keep firing people until he gets it right. His employee severance tab for former coaches and executives is already pushing $20 million.

Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw summed up the situation thusly:

“How much more laughable can it get around here than firing a GM after eight games? A GM who wasn’t forced on the head coach but came in with him? Unlike (former GM) Phil Savage, Kokinis never said anything publicly to get himself in trouble, if only because he never said anything publicly. But don’t feel too sorry for him. He got off the ship.

“Everybody else is still on it. And the sense of more trouble ahead — just, you know, your basic tsunami, isn’t lifted just because another deck chair got rearranged.”

Unfortunately, the fan suffering has gone on for some time now.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while waiting for Mark Teixeira and Ryan Howard to make a little more contact with the baseball during the World Series:

• Will Don Zimmer come running out of the stands to take another shot at Pedro Martinez tonight?
• Other than get PETA worked up, what have the San Antonio Spurs ever done to excite us?
• Will Andy McDonald get those brakes checked before getting back in the lineup?
• If Adam Dunn ends up in left field for the Cards next year, will the National League allow him to wear a jet pack to actually reach some fly balls?

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com: “The chance to win a World Series-clinching Game 5 for the New York Yankees is meant for someone with XXL nerves. A.J. Burnett, who lasted all of six outs in Monday night’s meltdown, was a size ‘small.’ It turns out the moment was too much — way too much — for the Yankees’ No. 2 starter. This is why the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-6 winners on a chilled November night, have more than a pulse in this Series; they have an opportunity to pull off a baseball miracle.”

Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports: “While Alex Rodriguez recovered from hip surgery, Teixeira pushed an offense that, by the end of the regular season, was the highest scoring in baseball. He was an All-Star and led the league in total bases, home runs (tied with Carlos Pena) and RBIs. He did all that while forgiving his infielders their wayward throws, grinning boyishly, and standing up straight and tall. The man was barely flawed. So it comes as some surprise that Teixeira is batting .105 in the World Series and .172 for the postseason. He has struck out 16 times, including seven times in 19 World Series at-bats. He is hitless in six at-bats against the Phillies with runners in scoring position, and as soft as the switch-hitter has been right-handed (.214), he’s almost lifeless left-handed (.133).”

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “Displaying remarkable consistency, baseball umpires have been nearly as awful in the World Series as they were in the first two rounds of the playoffs. It has become so bad that when they get a call right, fireworks go off above the stadium.”

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Golf has escaped drug scandals until now. (Actually, a couple of ‘roid rages would do the tour good.) Doug Barron just became the first golfer to get suspended for performance-enhancing drugs. There’s a chance he tested positive for a medication he was taking. Barron said in a statement, ‘I want my fellow tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage . . .’ Yeah, well, that’s kind of obvious. He only made five out of 17 cuts on the Nationwide Tour last year.”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “News item: NCAA OKs $35 million addition to its headquarters in Indianapolis. Comment: Yeah, they’re building a whole new wing. They’re going to call it the Department of Discontinued Programs. There are even plans for a museum - featuring things like a Clemson wrestling jersey, a University of Vermont batting helmet, a West Virginia golf bag and a Washington swimsuit.”

MEGAPHONE

“I feel bad for the fans. I feel sorry for the fans, and we’re very, very appreciative of our loyal fan base. We just feel terrible. We’re disappointed. We’re embarrassed, and we hope to get it going soon . . . It really hurts. We are really trying very, very hard, everyone at Redskins Park, the coaches, the players. The organization’s quite frankly held together well, and I think we’ve got an opportunity the rest of the season to hopefully get it going. But to date we’ve let everyone down, including ourselves, and we know that and we’re just apologetic. We’ve blown some games that obviously we think we should have won.”

Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, addressing the sorry state of his team with reporters Tuesday.

INBOX

From our electronic mail bin:

An Open Letter To Matt Holliday

“Here’s a disclaimer right up front: The Cards are my first love since Gibson, Brock, Flood, McCarver and the boys won my heart in ’64.  Furthermore, I have come to know Tony La Russa personally through his work at ARF; to me, he’s a Hall of Fame human being, let alone one of the greatest managers of all-time.  As you can guess, I’d love to see you sign with Cards.

“With the potential conflicts of interest fully disclosed, let’s get to the heart (literally and figuratively) of the matter.

“Matt, you are at the crossroads of your career, embarking on the most important professional decision of your life. For your own sake and the sake of your family, sign with the team in the city and the culture that offers you the most joy.

“Ignoring the possibility of reincarnation, you have only one life.  How can you live the most fulfilling life possible?

“This goes so far beyond the money conversation, no matter what Mr. Boras or other GMs could have you believe.  You will sign your next contract for somewhere between 3 to 7 years at an annual salary of $15-20MM.  You will never have to work again, whether you sign at the low-end or high-end of this range.

“No matter how much Wall Street, big business and society at large would have you believe that success is measured purely by maximizing your income, it doesn’t make it true.  The extra few million you could make with one club versus another will not buy you and your family incremental happiness.

“We know that you love the game of baseball.  You have the work ethic, the focus, the desire to win and a boyish enthusiasm for playing a sport that sets you apart from many other players.

“Let your love of the game and your family guide your decision.  Ask yourself: What team has a culture of winning that will have you compete for a World Series ring every year?

“What team has that certain chemistry, that sense of family, that will bring out the best in you as both a player and human being? What city will offer you both a great baseball experience and quality of family life?

“In some ways, you can’t make a wrong decision.  Whatever team you choose, it will be absolutely the right choice for your personal development, even if it may come with a painful lesson.

“Too often, we go after the biggest paycheck, the shiniest object, without regard to our quality of life.  Matt, you are blessed with a situation far beyond the issue of financial survival.

“You know what it’s like to play for the Rockies, the A’s and the Cardinals. Talk to each team’s management, your current and potentially future teammates, and guys before you like McGwire and Edmonds, and even guys who just went to the highest bidder before making your decision.

“Yet, at the end of the day, no one else can live for your life for you, not even Mr. Boras.  Follow your heart and you will receive so much more than money can buy.”

Stu Zimmerman

That is a good, heartfelt argument. I’d like to believe Matt would look at things that way. But . . . business is business.

ELSEWHERE ON STLTODAY.COM

Rams running back Steven Jackson’s greatest value is setting a high effort/performance bar for his young teammates.