CHICAGO — As Cardinals rookie Lars Nootbaar began listing all the reasons he’s found ways to contribute significant moments despite a limited role and limited success at the plate, one of them walked by.
“What did he say?” coach Willie McGee asked.
“This guy helps me a ton,” Nootbaar repeated, motioning to McGee.
“Sheesh,” the former MVP grinned, stepping out of the dugout and away from such praise. “Best seat in the house. I sit here and watch him do his thing.”
Throughout the Cardinals’ record 15-game winning streak, Nootbaar’s thing has been coming off the bench or sliding into a spot start and doing something small that, in reflection, looms large.