Furcal's presence keeping Cardinals loose

ST. LOUIS Rafael Furcal knows a loose clubhouse is a winning one, so he stood in the St. Louis Cardinals dugout Tuesday afternoon grinning about his contribution to a late-season rally. Before him, the Cardinals took batting practice at Busch Stadium. Nearby, a logo that read, "NLDS 2011" was painted in the grass to the right of home plate. St. Louis was about to host the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the National League Division Series the Phillies eventually won 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and the Furcal-inspired "happy flight" motto had come to symbolize the Cardinals' confidence. "It's something I used to always say especially on the last game of a series when we were traveling," Furcal said. "I always said, 'Let's focus and have a happy flight.' If you win, you are going to be happy." Despite their loss Tuesday, the Cardinals have done a lot of winning lately. They overcame a 10 12-game deficit before play on Aug. 26 to pass the Atlanta Braves for the National League wild card. After clinching a postseason berth following a victory over the Houston Astros on Sept. 28, Cardinals players chanted "Happy flight!" in their clubhouse at Minute Maid Park. And they flew home pleased Sunday after a comeback victory over Philadelphia in Game 2. Furcal looked toward the infield Tuesday, the Cardinals' run about to continue. His presence in St. Louis represents a key late-season move that helped make the Cardinals' charge possible. On July 31, the 11th-year shortshop was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for prospect Alex Castellanos. Ryan Theriot, the Cardinals' shortstop before the transaction, had a 2-for-38 hitting slump the week of the trade and was later moved to second base. Furcal batted .255 with 16 RBI and an on-base percentage of .316 in 50 regular-season games in St. Louis. "The main thing is he has been a great contributor both offensively and defensively for us in giving us a lift," Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman said of Furcal. "He's a valuable part of this team." St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak thinks so too. To him, Furcal adds veteran experience. Furcal came to St. Louis with a career batting average of .283 with 298 stolen bases. His best season came in 2006, when he hit .300 with 63 RBI and an on-base percentage of .369. "He brought a lot of energy from the day we traded for him," Mozeliak said. "From that standpoint, we've never looked back. He's been a nice addition that way." Said Cardinals pitcher Edwin Jackson: "Coming back from behind, we had to go out and have fun and leave it all on the field. We definitely put together a string of wins where we needed them at the end of the season to make this run we've been on." The Cardinals' run will continue for at least one more game. They more flights happen deep into October. "Everybody likes that," Furcal said. "Whenever I say, 'happy flight,' we try to make something happen. We try to win."