Cards must pick starter for Game 5

Jeff Weaver and Anthony Reyes sat together in the interview room, looking at each other and waiting for questions. There was one they couldn’t answer: Who’s going to pitch Game 5 of the World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals?

“I don’t know which it’s going to be, so they’re both getting ready,” St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday.

It made for an unusual and somewhat awkward scene, although neither right-hander sounded too worried.

“I always go at it like I’m going to pitch, so I just do everything I was going to do before, like I’m going to pitch,” Reyes said. “If it’s not my time, I just try to prepare for the next one.”

“Another day of rest always helps, but I feel good right now,” Weaver said.

La Russa and St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan wanted to keep their options open and see what happened in Game 4, which was rained out.

“We don’t know what the outcome of Game 4 will be,” La Russa said before the postponement. “The reality is, one of those two guys are going to start the fifth game.”

Justin Verlander was set to pitch for the Tigers, who hoped he’d do better than he did in a Game 1 loss. While Reyes was brilliant for eight innings in a 7-2 victory that night at Comerica Park, Verlander struggled.

“World Series television ratings are as meager as Detroit’s offense.

The Cardinals’ 5-0 victory Tuesday night was the lowest-rated Game 3 in Series history, and the three-game average also was the lowest.

Rodriguez will stay with Yanks

Speculation about the possibility of Alex Rodriguez getting traded from the New York Yankees will surely linger until he actually takes the field, but the embattled third baseman’s agent said that he has received assurances from GM Brian Cashman that there will be no Rodriguez auction this winter.

Scott Boras, who negotiated Rodriguez’s 10-year, $252 million contract, said he recently got a phone call from Cashman in which the GM was adamant that Rodriguez isn’t going anywhere.

“Joe Girardi will not be a part of the Yankees’ 2007 coaching staff, but he still could end up at Yankee Stadium in a different capacity next year.

Girardi, recently fired after a year as the Florida Marlins manager, chose to stay off the field next year to be a broadcaster, perhaps for the YES Network.

Around the bases

Reliever Mike Timlin agreed to a $2.8 million, one-year contract to play his fifth season with the Boston Red Sox. … The Oakland Athletics will interview former major league pitcher Orel Hershiser for their managerial opening. … Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter were named the National League and American League recipients of the Hank Aaron Award, as the most outstanding offensive players.