Benes, Lachemann Trade Words

In his first day back in St. Louis since signing a free-agent deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Andy Benes got into it with a Cardinals coach.

Benes and Rene Lachemann, the Cardinals’ third-base coach, had words before Tuesday night’s game.

“Hey, it’s Andy Benes,” Lachemann yelled at a group of reporters that were talking to Benes near the Arizona dugout.

Benes excused himself, looked over, and yelled back: “Hey, Lach, you managed once, right? Now you just follow Skip [Manager Tony La Russa] around and [expletive].”

Benes’ young son was standing nearby when he made the remarks.

Benes and Lachemann had a falling out last season after he accused Lachemann of riding former Cardinal player Mark Sweeney during one game soon after Sweeney had been traded to the Padres.

Benes later apologized.

“I probably shouldn’t have said what I said,” Benes said. “But that’s better than grabbing him around the neck and dropping him.”

In other news, the Cardinals signed outfielder Ray Lankford to a five-year contract extension for a reported $34 million through 2003. Lankford was in the final season of a three-year, $12-million deal.

Meanwhile, Cardinal left-hander Donovan Osborne, sidelined most of last season because of a groin injury and a hernia that carried into this spring, will get his first start today against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Former Cy Young Award winner John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves, whose season debut was delayed while he overcame off-season elbow surgery, will start today against the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . Four minor league players in the New York Mets organization were arrested on sex charges at the team’s training camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla., the club said in New York. The four--outfielder Vincente Rosario, shortstop Jose Tucent Brea, shortstop Ruddi De La Cruz, and pitcher Natividad Tavarez--were participating in the team’s extended spring training program when they were arrested Tuesday. No other information was available on the arrests.