The New York Mets may be facing October without 12-game winner Tom Glavine because of a possible blood clot in his throwing shoulder. Two other contenders, Oakland and Cincinnati, currently continue pennant races without their primary closers because of injury. Detroit second baseman Placido Polanco doesn't lead the Tigers in any offensive categories, but Chicago Tribune columnist Phil Rogers makes the case that Polanco's absence from the Detroit lineup with a separated shoulder could cost the Tigers dearly. Rogers identifies Polanco as a player who isn't flashy but does everything well, executes all the plays necessary -- especially when the game is on the line -- and is one of those "glue players" who holds a team together. "He does every little thing for this ballclub that a manager wants," Detroit skipper Jim Leyland told Rogers, noting that Polanco will turn every routine double play, lay down the necessary bunt, execute the hit-and-run and get the two-out base hit. "He's a manager's dream. I love him." Rogers points out that in five years with St. Louis and Philadelphia before he joined the Tigers a year ago, Polanco's teams averaged 87 wins a season -- something Rogers suggests is no accident. How about the notion of a glue player, someone who is so valuable because of all of the little things he does to keep a winning team going in the right direction? Rogers draws a comparison between Polanco and White Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, saying they execute most elements of the game consistently and end up playing on winning teams because of their contributions. Who else qualifies as a "glue player" on today's major league clubs?