The untimely Tony La Russa/Colby Rasmus melodrama picked at an old organizational sore.

Jeff Luhnow’s ascension to Cardinals player development czar led to considerable change – and much friction within the organization. Many good baseball people left the Cards, including general manager Walt Jocketty.

Rasmus became the symbol of the new Cards order, the mandate to patiently groom home-grown players to fill roster needs. Colby was deemed The Next One, a star in the making, the beginning of a new era.

When new Cardinals GM John Mozeliak refused to deal the still-developing Rasmus for veteran help, skeptics inside and outside the organization bristled.

Before the kid ever arrived in the big leagues, he became the subject of much resentment. Rasmus was never totally “untouchable” as he rose through the ranks, but that tag stuck anyway.

As colleague Joe Strauss recently wrote, “At times this year Rasmus has been reminded by uniformed personnel that he is ‘Luhnow's baby.’ ”

Yeah, well, Rasmus is also the third-best offensive talent on this team, so uniformed personnel should start viewing him as an asset and NOT as the symbol of unwelcome change.

It’s time to move on people, or move out.

Here are some thoughts on the matter:

Yes, Rasmus must grow up. He should follow the lead of rookies Jon Jay and Jaime Garcia, who have earned teammate respect by grinding it out week after week. Jay didn’t grouse about starting the season in the minors. He didn’t whine about riding the Memphis/St. Louis shuttle. He just kept plugging away until he finally earned his spot. The Cards challenged Garcia to pitch his way onto the rotation in spring training and he did. Then Garcia soldiered on, stacking up innings and proving that his recovery from Tommy John surgery was complete. This is how the pros do it.

La Russa isn’t THAT hard on young players. His philosophy is sound. There is nothing wrong with making kids earn their way while learning from veterans. Too many teams don’t do that. Too many teams go too young – and that is why they fail to fully develop talent year after year after year. Ask the Pirates about that. Or the Royals.

The surviving Jocketty loyalists in the Cards organization must acknowledge Luhnow’s success. Even those scoffing at his use of new-age analytics must admit his regime has moved a LOT more prospects onto the cusp. Draft picks from the Luhnow Era made the Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa deals possible last season. And draft picks from the Luhnow Era have proved invaluable to this team.

The mandate for improved player development was overdue. Jocketty was a brilliant wheeler and dealer here, but the marketplace changed. More low- and mid-level teams used their revenue share dollars to keep their best players. More teams became committed to developing a nucleus. Poaching talent from the have-not franchises got harder. It was time to start building from within.

Rasmus is well on his way to meeting expectations. He replaced Jim Edmonds, who tumbled over the hill after departing St. Louis. Colby competed with Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan and Ryan Ludwick for at bats as a rookie. Injuries knocked Duncan out of the majors. The injury-prone Ankiel later tanked in Kansas City. Ludwick is struggling mightily in San Diego. The Cards didn’t unload superior players to make room for Rasmus.

Uniformed personnel should be thrilled by the contribution of young players this season. Jay, David Freese, Tyler Greene, Nick Stavinoha, Allen Craig, Bryan Anderson and Steven Hill have combined to hit .283 this season with 93 runs, 39 doubles, four triples, 15 homers and 92 RBI in 735 at bats. That is not horrible.

Uniformed personnel should also be happy with the support of the young pitchers. Garcia has emerged as one of the strongest No. 3 starters in baseball. Mitchell Boggs, Jason Motte and Fernando Salas have shored up the bullpen. Adam Ottavino got hurt and Blake Hawksworth struggled, but the Cards have another wave if pitching prospects coming.

Any lament about the 2010 struggle should start with the high-priced veteran players who broke down or failed -- particularly Kyle Lohse, Brad Penny and Felipe Lopez. Young home-grown veterans Skip Schumaker (a 2001 draft pick) and Brendan Ryan (picked in 2003) have had tough years, but they are fighting their way out of offensive and defensive funks.

The Cards’ farm teams at the Triple-A (Memphis) and Double-A (Springfield) levels have reached postseason play this summer. The organization has stockpiled near-term prospects despite promoting several kids and dealing others for big league help the past few years.

So the Cards organization will remain on its current course until somebody convinces DeWitt it is wrong. Good luck trying that. Strong player development is a more reliable and cost-efficient route to perennial contention. Strong player development could allow the Cards to move forward with Albert Pujols making huge dollars – or that program could help the franchise overcome his departure, if No. 5 opts to chase top dollar.

The Cards are on the right track. If the organization can keep the childish bickering to a minimum, the plan will play out nicely over the long haul.