Lankford will be 30 years old next summer. Gaetti is 38. They will have time for their pain soon enough. Lankford missed the first two games of the Division Series with San Diego, and he was still on the bench midway through the Cardinals' clincher. Lankford had said, before entering his pregame shell.
Adrenaline is an amazing thing.
Kirk Gibson limps to the plate, useless except for his swing, and hits the home run that turns the 1988 World Series. Turns out he was more the rule than the exception. Atlanta's Greg Maddux has been pitching masterfully on a strained hamstring. Cardinals right fielder Brian Jordan aches all over, but hits like the picture of health. Baseball players are not as famous for toughing it out, but part of this is the culture.