Looper, Wainwright, Pineiro, and Lohse - all have Cardinals' rookie pitcher Mitchell Boggs in age, tenure, self esteem among peers, and dugout seat altitude. To put it in Jack Byrnes/Greg Focker terms, Mitchell Boggs is definitely outside the proverbial "circle of trust".
4th Inning
Status quo inside the "circle". Even invalids are coming up to the group and welcomed with open arms.
No one has offered the rookie a "cool" dugout stool - he's left to fend for himself. In this case, "fend for yourself" consists of plopping your ass on a debunk batting helmet that Troy Glaus slammed against the wall after batting practice. Wainwright makes a joke to Carpenter about La Russa, Duncan, and a bottle of wine...but Boggs can't even hear the punchline.
Damn "circle of trust".
7th Inning
Pineiro heads to the showers early, and Lohse takes his usual locker room dump during the 7th inning stretch. The perimeter surrounding the circle of trust has been compromised.
Boggs sees his opportunity and tells Brian Barton that Wainwright needs to talk to him. He heads over. Idiot. Boggs sees a potential buffer zone. Everyone loves the token crazy guy on the team with fun hair. Leech on to Barton - they'll never notice.
9th Inning
Barton's gone. Got plucked by La Russa to play some defense in right and is told "not to do anything stupid". The rookie slides in and makes a joke about Barton and the dread-locked man in the first row sharing hair tips. Wainwright smirks. Boggs is in - even though he stole the joke from the bat boy.
Just another day in the life of a rookie starting pitcher, and his attempt to fit in. Do it again tomorrow.
