Weaver will make St. Louis debut vs. Braves

ST. LOUIS -- Just like the reclamation project who preceded him, Jeff Weaver comes to the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation with high hopes and a shaky past.

The right-hander, acquired after Sidney Ponson was released just before the All-Star break, gets his first start tonight against the Atlanta Braves. Weaver won 14 games last season and was, in the words of manager Tony La Russa, "too pricey" as a free agent in the offseason, ending up with an $8 million deal with the Angels.

He landed with the Cardinals, costing them only a minor leaguer on July 5, after going 3-10 with a 6.29 ERA and being cast aside by the Angels to make way in the rotation for his younger brother, Jered. It's been an antsy wait for his debut with his new team, given that his last appearance was a disaster on June 27 when he gave up six runs in two innings.

"Definitely, I want to get back out there," Weaver said. "Everybody's made the transition very comfortable and things are going well, and I'm just looking forward to a good and fresh start for the second half."

La Russa said this isn't an audition for the 29-year-old Weaver. The Cardinals are counting on a return to recent form for the 6-foot-5 pitcher, who has a career record of 81-97.

"We have confidence he's going to be good for us," La Russa said. "So, he's in the rotation."

Time will tell whether Weaver becomes the latest veteran success story for pitching coach Dave Duncan, who over the years has worked wonders with Dave Stewart, Woody Williams and Kent Bottenfield, just to name a few.

Weaver said the biggest problem that led to his exit from the Angels was over-reliance on the strikeout -- he's one away from 1,000 for his career. He maintains he's healthy and that the mechanics of his delivery are fine.

"Those are things that are easily worked through, and with the defense here there's no reason to feel you've got to strike people out," Weaver said. "I think the competitive nature gets a little bit too much of me sometimes.

"You're feeling good out there, you feel like you have the stuff to strike guys out, and you kind of forget what you need to do to succeed."

In any case, Weaver said the Cardinals haven't tinkered with his delivery. He's hoping the change of scenery, and a return to the National League where he thrived in 2004-05 with the Dodgers, will assist in the turnaround.

"Those things make it a little bit easier of a transition," Weaver said. "I've worked through tough times before and come back on top.

"I've stayed confident through it all, I believe in my abilities, and know that things will change for the best."

He's already gotten his feet wet with the bat, striking out as a pinch hitter in a 14-inning victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night. Weaver batted .229, good for a pitcher, with two doubles and seven RBIs in 2005 and is a career .220 hitter.

"That's an interesting first appearance, for a pitcher to be a pinch hitter before you get out there and throw," Weaver said.