Feuding Central foes Brewers, Cardinals to battle in NLCS

MILWAUKEE -- In a Milwaukee Brewers clubhouse filled with oversized personalities, the first shot at the rival St. Louis Cardinals going into Game 1 of the NL championship series came from a surprising source: Starting pitcher Zack Greinke, whose bout with social anxiety disorder typically makes him one of the least likely players to pop off.

Greinke said Saturday that the Brewers don't like when Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter shouts at batters from the mound.

"They think his presence, his attitude out there sometimes is like a phony attitude," Greinke said. "And then he yells at people. He just stares people down and stuff. And most pitchers just don't do that. And when guys do, I guess some hitters get mad. Some hitters do it to pitchers. But when you do that, some people will get mad.

"There's other pitchers in the league that do it, but I don't know. A lot of guys on our team don't like Carpenter."

The NL Central champion Brewers send Geinke to the mound against the wild-card Cardinals' Jaime Garcia for today's opener. An already-simmering rivalry could reach a new level of intensity with a World Series trip on the line for the 1982 Series opponents.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter, right, in the clubhouse with after their 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in baseball's Game 5 of the National League division series Friday, Oct. 7, 2011 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa vigorously defended Carpenter, saying he was "very disappointed" with Greinke. La Russa said any team in the league, including the Brewers, would be happy to have Carpenter on its staff.

"That's a bad comment to make unless you know Chris Carpenter," La Russa said. "Our attitude is we look at ourselves and we grade ourselves. And even if we don't like what's happening on the other side, we don't make a -- it's not our business, unless somebody crosses the line. So I think the Brewers should take care of their players."

The sentiment itself isn't shocking, but it was surprising to hear Greinke talk openly about his teammates' disdain for Carpenter on the eve of one of the biggest weeks in Brewers franchise history.

Milwaukee's rabble-rousing center fielder, Nyjer Morgan, got in a heated confrontation with Carpenter late in the regular season.

The Cardinals and Brewers, not just foes on the field and in the division, are a study in contrasting approaches to the game. The Cardinals aren't prone to over-the-top celebrations and don't particularly like it when the Brewers do so.

Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter celebrates in the clubhouse after Game 5 of the NL division series Friday in Philadelphia. (MATT SLOCUM ~ Associated Press)

"Sometimes, that exuberance can spill over into a realm that I don't feel is appropriate," Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman said about the Brewers. "But I'm not the czar of baseball, either. So that's all I can say about it."

Brewers players make their "beast mode" celebration gesture after any significant play, talking big and -- so far, at least -- backing up it by finishing six games ahead of the Cardinals in the division this year.

"They're more of an old-school [team], and we're kind of a new school," Brewers outfielder Corey Hart said. "We're exciting and high energy. To be honest about it, that's why we probably clash a little bit because of the differences. But I feel we both respect each other. They respect us and we respect them. You can't let the differences get in the way of the fact that both teams are pretty good."

Carpenter spoke to reporters before Greinke made his comments and downplayed any suggestion that the two teams don't like each other.

"I don't think that's a fact," Carpenter said. "I think we have great respect for them. I hope they have the same for us."

But there have been several flashpoints between the Brewers and Cardinals throughout the season, and Carpenter was in the middle of perhaps the most intense moment.

Morgan struck out then he and Carpenter swore at each other during a Sept. 7 game in St. Louis. Albert Pujols got in the middle as the benches emptied.

No punches were thrown, but Morgan later posted messages on his Twitter account saying he hoped "those crying birds" would enjoy watching the Brewers in the playoffs. He referred to Pujols as "Alberta."

Asked if he regretted the Twitter insults, Morgan acknowledged that he -- and his self-created alter ego, "Tony Plush" -- probably should have kept his comments to himself.

"Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have said it," Morgan said. "But it is what it is."

But Morgan said he didn't think any "foolishness" would spill over into the NLCS with so much on the line, and he figured the story lines between the two teams would drum up more interest in the series.

"Honestly, it's good for baseball," Morgan said. "Going out there, all the stuff that's going on, people are going to view the game a little bit more. Thanks to Plush, the TV ratings are going to go up a little higher."

Pujols didn't want to revisit the incident.

"Can you guys talk about the game, about the series, and not bring up stuff that happened two months ago?" he said. "Come on."

But that wasn't the only flare up between the Brewers and Cardinals this season.

The Cardinals complained about electronic signs in Miller Park during an early August series in Milwaukee, saying they were distracting the players. Pujols and Ryan Braun both were hit by pitches. La Russa also complained about heckling, saying one fan yelled that he hoped La Russa got shingles again.

"They play hard," La Russa said Saturday when asked about the tension between the teams. "We play hard. We're both interested in the outcome and sometimes sparks fly."

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said he isn't concerned about his players letting their emotions get the best of them.

"We have a good team to play," Roenicke said. "We know that. We just have to make sure we're ready to do what we do best."

And Berkman, who spent most of his career in Houston, acknowledged that even he had a negative perception of the Cardinals before he played for them.

"I looked at the Cardinals as the Darth Vader of the NL Central, a foe to be vanquished," Berkman said. "They used to irritate me. Part of that is because when you're the team to beat, you're going to engender some of that animosity from the opposition."