He knows it'll be worse, probably a lot worse, when the Cardinals head to Philadelphia for the first time. I look forward to going through the season and seeing new cities and just seeing the outcome of everything. La Russa said that response was just another example of how Drew is special. Anything that puts that little chip on your shoulder makes you better. Fans are probably helping him by agitating.
Some people try to hide.
All this buildup is making it tough for La Russa to pretend Drew still must win the left-field job. If he has a terrible spring, that's going to indicate he's not ready. Let him go down and get ready. Batting ahead in the No. 3 spot ahead of McGwire means it's likely he'll see plenty of good pitches. If he does what he's capable of doing, and from what I've seen I've been impressed, he'll have a really good year.