Loyalties divided, but a connection remains

Some guys can do it. Some guys can look past the faces and the memories and the feelings and the history and see only a uniform. It is the World Series, and there is no room for sentiment or friendship. If you are a member of the Boston Red Sox, every member of the St. Louis Cardinals must be the enemy. If you are the St. Louis Cardinals, you must spit on anyone wearing the cap emblazoned with a B.

But you must realize this is not always possible. Boston manager Terry Francona cannot look at Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen without smiling, then laughing, then resisting an overpowering urge to sprint over and corral him with a bear hug.

Do you think Scott Rolen can look through the Red Sox manager as if he wasn't there? No, he can't. Rolen credits Terry Francona for turning him into the ballplayer he is today. He cannot -- he will not -- forget him.

They were together a lifetime ago, as members of the Philadelphia Phillies. Francona was the rookie manager in 1997, and Rolen was the rookie hopeful. They walked into the big leagues together with dreams of grandeur and success.

"He is as dear to me," said Francona softly, in the hours before Game 1, "as any player I have ever coached."

At the time Francona was named manager, he was not the people's choice. The favorite son was former Phillies star Larry Bowa, and when he didn't get the job, the fans were angry.

One of Francona's first nights in his new city, he took in a Sixers game with Rolen by his side. The Jumbotron zeroed in on the new baseball skipper, and the crowd instantly booed.

"Scott was sitting right next to me," Francona recalled. "As soon as they started booing, he started scooting away."

The two quickly formed a connection, talking baseball and family and dreams.

"We went through so much together," Francona said. "We had some high points, and we went through a lot of struggles together. I just loved that guy."

The Red Sox manager paused to consider the number of baseball experiences they shared.

"But that's not to say we didn't have our battles," he said. "I butted heads with him a lot."

Their arguments were often about the most absurd issues. Rolen was young, eager, and very particular about certain matters. Once, recalls Sox bench coach Brad Mills, who was the first base coach for the Phillies from 1997-90, one of his fastidious little pet peeves sent him into a complete frenzy in the manager's office.

"Scott had this thing that he didn't like guys running from second base when he was hitting," Mills said. "He thought it was a distraction. He came storming into Tito's office yelling about this and that. Tito was trying to tell him, `Calm down, man, this is no big deal.' But to Scott it was."

Francona quickly developed a reputation as a laid-back, approachable manager. Rolen quickly developed a reputation as a quiet, hard-working, serious ballplayer. He was voted Rookie of the Year in 1997 after batting .283 with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs. He became the example that every Phillies player should have followed.

By Year Three of Francona's tenure in Philadelphia, the losses were mounting, and so were the critics. The fans booed their manager and accosted him on the street. They weren't so nice to the ballplayers, either.

"The way Veterans Stadium was set up, the players couldn't get to their cars without being heckled," Mills explained. "It drove Scott nuts. He didn't like them yelling at the guys and their wives.

"That was another time he came charging into the office. Tito grabbed him, sat him down and said, `OK, I agree this is a problem. But don't let it bother you so much. Voice your opinion, and get over it."

Following the 2000 season, when the Phillies went a dismal 65-97, Terry Francona was fired. Two of the first people to call and offer their condolences were Scott Rolen's parents. Two years later, on July 29, 2002, Rolen also left Philly, traded along with pitcher Doug Nickle to St. Louis for infielder Placido Polanco and pitcher Mike Timlin.

He has won five Gold Gloves, been to the All-Star Game for three consecutive seasons, and submitted a .314 average with 34 home runs and 124 RBIs in 2004. He has become the star Francona always knew he would become.

You wonder what Rolen was thinking when he lined up across from Francona last night. True to his personality, Rolen was polite, but firm in declining to speak about his former manager or anyone else in the hours leading up to Game 1. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm getting ready." Last night, both Scott Rolen and Terry Francona did everything in their power to destroy each other's dreams. It is the World Series, and there is no time for sentiment.