It took a brutally accurate foul ball to knock catcher Yadier Molina out of the game the night the Cardinals clinched, but his rare absence turned into rarefied moment for his backup, Jason LaRue.

LaRue hit the pivotal home run against Colorado that snapped a tie and clinched the Cardinals' playoff berth, a first for him. Celebration ensued. Asked that Sept. 26 night about the severity of Molina's bruised kneecap, manager Tony La Russa nodded toward the champagne-soaked clubhouse.

"I saw him bouncing around in there," La Russa said.

A division title is powerful aspirin.

It would be five days before Molina started a game, and he wouldn't finish a start until the playoffs. The deep bruise on his left knee was only the most obvious — and admitted — ailment nagging at the Cardinals' bedrock backstop entering October. The team put a lot of mileage on Molina this past season.

As the Cardinals prepare for 2010, one question stirred by 2009 is how much Molina is too much for Molina before it takes a toll.

Molina is a favorite to win a second consecutive Gold Glove, and he would do so having hit .293, setting a career high with a .366 on-base

percentage and scoring a career-best 45 runs. But he also had 544 plate appearances, 59 more than his previous high, and caught 1,176 2/3 innings. That's the equivalent of almost 20 more games behind the plate than his previous high.

The Cardinals catcher hit .351 in the season's final month and rejected any questions about fatigue. But he also didn't move as comfortably behind the plate and drew criticism for a perceived lack of pep on runs to first base. After the season, La Russa considered an inquiry about Molina's health and whether or not he saw some wear from the season. Answered La Russa: "I think he was healthy."

"It's a long season," general manager John Mozeliak said this week. "He caught a lot of games. And that is going to have an effect on any player. ... He always gave me the thumbs up."

The Cardinals have historically moved swiftly to sign — or re-sign — their backup catcher. Mozeliak is meeting this week with the team's pro scouts to combine their feel for the position and its free agents with the opinions from the major-league coaching staff. One consideration facing the organization is if the best thing for one of the best catchers in the National League is to have a backup ready to spell him more often.

LaRue, 35, has been Molina's backup for two seasons, hitting .224 and slugging .340 in limited reps. The role fit the veteran's makeup, especially on knees that wouldn't allow him extended playing time. This past season, he started 26 games, 18 fewer than in 2009 and the lowest in his career since 2000 as a rookie in Cincinnati.

LaRue has many of the traits the Cardinals value in a backup. The team puts an emphasis on feel for calling pitches and rapport with pitchers. It seeks arm strength because controlling the running game is a hallmark of the style of pitching coach Dave Duncan and La Russa.

"We do look at how someone handles the staff, and we want to be sure that he can step in when Yadi's out and we don't fall off on the defensive side of things," Mozeliak said. "In the past, we have somewhat discounted (offense). That is something we want to give some more thought to this time around."

LaRue is the known quantity in house, without a clear successor in the minor-league ranks. The Cardinals laud the defensive ability of Matt Pagnozzi, the rookie catcher who debuted in September. The nephew of former Cardinals catcher Tom Pagnozzi, he hit .221 this season in Class AAA. Bryan Anderson, long billed as one of the Cardinals' finer prospects, is trying to reclaim those plaudits in the Arizona Fall League. His 2009 season was complicated by a shoulder injury. One of the better hitters at the position, Anderson has to improve defensively.

Molina amplified his career in 2009 as a first-time All-Star. He hit .312 after the break, fell two RBIs shy of tying a career best and started a career-high 136 games. As he enters the third year of a potential five-year deal signed in 2008, Molina has nurtured his reputation as the league's best defensive catcher and perennial Gold Glove favorite. Of the 24 catchers with at least 800 innings at the position this season, only two allowed fewer than 50 stolen bases.

Pudge Rodriguez allowed 41 in 63 attempts.

Molina permitted 32 in 54 attempts.

"He's a young player who is distinguishing himself as one of the premier players at his position," Mozeliak said.

Molina, 27, reached several career highs partially because his season wasn't pock-marked by injuries as in seasons past. He has fine-tuned his nutrition and slimmed down to lessen the burden of a season on his legs and improve his stamina. Only LA Dodgers catcher Russell Martin had more innings, and Molina would have led the majors if not for the bruised knee in Colorado that gave LaRue his moment.

The Cardinals must consider if through a season they can better preserve Molina, a cornerstone of their team. That means not only having a backup capable of starting but one they're comfortable starting.