David Eckstein

Cardinal Shortstop

By Leslie Gibson McCarthy

David Eckstein has had quite a year. His signing with the Cardinals as a free agent last offseason was not only unheralded by the national media, it was also criticized as an example of gross overspending. But since the moment he ran onto the field in St. Louis on Opening Day 2005, he endeared himself to fans with his tremendous work ethic, enthusiasm and talent. And he silenced the critics with his first All-Star appearance, a career-high .294 average and an occasional game-winning grand slam. Oh, and he got hitched after the season to actress Ashley Drane. Between offseason workouts, Eckstein slowed down for an interview from his Florida home.

What's it going to be like, playing in the new stadium? A huge adjustment. As a shortstop, I’m going to be looking for every nook and cranny. I’m going to be taking a lot of ground balls early so I know exactly how the grass is going to play, how the dirt is going to play. In the old stadium, I knew every time a ball was hit down the third-base line I had to turn around and run straight out [to left field], because if it hit off the side panel it was going to bounce right back. I had to be in position.

How long will it take to learn all those quirks and hops? It will take a little while to see how the ball reacts, especially now that it’s an open-air stadium. Just to see how the wind might have an effect coming off the river ... Every game early on is going to be a new experience.

Did you find any places you liked when you lived in St. Louis last season? My favorite place is Café Napoli. I went out with some of the guys for a birthday party there. I am part Italian. It was a pleasant surprise, because I don’t try different things a lot. I’m more of a chain restaurant–type eater. At Café Napoli I usually get the fillet with a side of pasta, and it’s a great meal. My wife absolutely loves it, too.

You just got married. How will it affect your season? Ashley understands my lifestyle: the travel, the fact that I’m not there that much. I think it helps that she’s an actress. She understands that the schedule is crazy and it might be a while before we see each other again.

What a typical summer day before a night home game? I get up between 8:30 and 10 a.m. and make myself breakfast—usually pancakes, maybe bacon. I have TiVo, so the shows I missed the night before when the game was going on, I will watch; then I’ll make chicken with pasta, maybe a sandwich. I start getting ready around 1 p.m. I get to the park at 2:30, go straight to the [stationary] bike and ride for 10 minutes. Jose Oquendo is our infield instructor. I will go out there early with him and work with him on ground balls, and then we watch the pitchers, and then it’s game time.

So what do you TiVo? [Laughs.] I gotta put that out in the open? I’m an American Idol fan; I admit it. The Apprentice. And—this always gets me in trouble, but I watch wrestling. I know it’s fake, but I’ve watched it since I was a kid. Of course, when Blue Collar TV is on—that was my wife’s show, you know—I watch that, too.

How do you feel about being a role model? I tell kids, “You need someone in your life you can actually spend time with and can talk to.” But I understand that a lot of kids look up to me. I had a favorite baseball player, too. So I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a person they can look up to.

Who were your heroes? I had great parents. Those were the two people that I followed. My favorite baseball player was Dale Murphy. He worked hard and never complained, and you never saw him get in trouble.

Your family has struggled with kidney disease. Is there anything you'd like to get across to readers? Sign your organ-donor cards. My brother and sister both received kidneys from someone signing an organ-donor card, and they’re living healthy lives. It really works.

Born: January 20, 1975, in Sanford, Fla.

Bats: right

Throws: right

Height: 5-foot-7

Weight: 165 pounds

Honors: Played in the World Series, winning with the Anaheim Angels in 2002; named All-Star shortstop for the National League, 2005