Saving the best for last
Are you like me? Did you stay up late last night waiting for just a glimpse of baseball's greatest hitter, Albert Pujols, in a pinch-hitting role for the National League All-Star team? If so, then you're surely disappointed today after Pujols' own regular-season manager, Tony LaRussa, left him on the bench for a potential "utility" role in case the game had gone extra innings. Because God forbid we have to utilize the All-Star Game's catcher "re-entry" rule or send a relief pitcher up to bat for himself in the 11th inning. Instead, the 11th inning never arrived, or even the 10th, as the world got to see all-world outfielder, Aaron Rowand, fly meekly to right with the bases loaded for the game's final out in another NL defeat, 5-4.Forget just the latest in a long string of "miscommunications" between Tony LaRussa and his players. Forget that Pujols is motivated almost entirely by pride, or that he was the Cardinals' only representative on the NL roster, or that he has all but personally driven LaRussa to Cooperstown with his prolific power numbers and unparalleled field leadership. No, the greatest tragedy is that baseball fans of every shade and stripe were denied a tremendous thrill -- the matchup between one of the game's top relievers, Francisco Rodriguez, and perhaps its most historically-significant active slugger, Pujols, in a situation in which an out or base hit determined home field for Game 1, and if necessary, Game 7 of the World Series. Instead of a classic baseball moment, we got simply another Tony LaRussa moment-- another out of left field piece of internal logic and game strategy that only one human being in the world fully comprehends. More fans tuned in to watch this baseball exhibition contest than did each of the four games of the NBA Finals this year, but what they witnessed was an anti-climax worthy of the Pro Bowl.
As a Cardinals fan, I'm just exhausted. LaRussa feuds with Ozzie Smith. He feuds with Scott Rolen. He feuds with Jim Edmonds. He complains about the St. Louis media, seemingly oblivious to how good he has it in a one newspaper town. He warns of vast hidden conspiracies of former players and managers. As perhaps the greatest affront, to Cardinals fans directly, he defiantly returns Kip Wells and his 5.92 ERA to the pitching rotation to start the opening game of the second half of the season.
I've never been comfortable with the question of whether or not LaRussa should be let go by the Cardinals. The choice is never about whether to fire a manager, it's about who would be a better manager. If you're going to replace the current skipper with Jim Riggleman, Jerry Narron, or some of the other middling white guys who get umpteen managerial chances in Major League Baseball-- then I'm against it. If you're going to make an inspired managerial choice, such as former Cardinals field leader, NL MVP, and long-time Whitey Herzog and Bobby Cox protegee, Terry Pendleton, than lets bring it on. It's no longer any fun to watch a "superstar" manager attempt to stay three moves out in front of the competition and perpetuate his alleged "genius." My greatest fear for the current club is that the real reason LaRussa didn't play Pujols last night was because he felt the Cardinals had already been represented in the All-Star game-- by him.
posted by CM @ 8:31 PM
4 Comments:
You seemed to express the same sentiment that I read from ESPN analyst Rob Neyer yesterday that LaRussa is too smart (or so he believes) for his own good. Here is an excerpt.
Brilliant! Save your star until you really, really need him! Just think how many more games the Yankees might have won, if only Miller Huggins and Joe McCarthy had realized how foolish it was to actually put Babe Ruth in the starting lineup. And now we know why the Yankees are struggling this season: Joe Torre's not saving Alex Rodriguez for the extra innings! I mean, the guy can play third base, shortstop, and (I'm quite sure) first base or left field in a pinch.
As I've said many times, I like Tony La Russa. If there's a Tony La Russa fan club, tell me where to sign up. When he's elected to the Hall of Fame, I'll be leading the cheers. But sometimes he'll drive you absolutely nuts, because sometimes he apparently feels compelled to prove ... well, to prove that he's not only smart, but smarter than every manager who came before him.
Indeed. I read that quote when I was writing that piece.
He's Cincinnati's problem next year.
This sounds like Mike Martz. Maybe there’s something about head coaching/managing in St. Louis.
There's something to that-- it's the sophisticated sports fans the coaches are trying to impress.
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