Sarkus
1741
Even Triggercut noted last year when LaRussa retired that there were people in St. Louis who always questioned him, including during the series. So I don’t think its going out on a limb to suggest that if the Cardinals win the series this year with a first time manager at least some of those people are going to use it as evidence the LaRussa wasn’t that great but rather benefitted from a group of players that seem to have the ability to elevate their play when it matters most, regardless of who is in the dugout.
That was what I was referring to.
sluggo
1742
If that’s true, that’s surprising to me. I don’t know how you’d ever and OH MY GOD IT’S OFF THE WALL ARE YOU KIDDING HERE COME THE A’S
Back to this in a second.
sluggo
1743
What I was saying (as the A’s miss a bottom-of-the-9th series-saving game-tying HR by a few feet, and I want to joke SOMEONE CALL RAUL IBANEZ), I don’t know how you’d ever compare managers and THE A’S TIE THE GAME ARE YOU SERIOUS
sluggo
1744
One more time!
If it’s true that some segment of fans in St. Louis never really thought that much of LaRussa, that would surprise me. I don’t know how you’d rank managers, but it seems like if you were putting a list together of great managers of the modern era, he’d have to be on it somewhere.
Meanwhile, the A’s have tied this game in the 9th and are threatening to win it and send this to a deciding 5th game. Amazing.
sluggo
1745
And the A’s win it! Winning hit: Coco Crisp!
Good for him, after his error the other night.
Sarkus
1746
I’m not disagreeing with you about LaRussa. Always considered him one of the best mangagers.
I hate it when I’m right. Papa Grande this time. Those As are scary…it’s going to be quite a game 5.
There are people in St. Louis who always hated Tony LaRussa. They inherently mistrusted him because he’s a vegetarian who lives in San Francisco and has a law degree–pretty much the triple wolf-whistle for a segment of grumpy old fans who’d likely vote for Sarah Palin for President, if you get my drift. TLR lost that group for life in 1996, his first season, when he sort of mishandled Ozzie Smith’s final season in Spring Training.
Tony always did things that drove folks nuts–batting pitchers 8th, for instance–but he always had numbers and reasons to back his crazy shit up. And then there’s the fact that in a game, managing things, Tony LaRussa routinely out-managed the guy in the other dugout so many times.
This year’s team is made up of a bunch of guys who grew up learning baseball intensity from Tony LaRussa, and a manager, hitting coach, and pitching coach all of whom apprenticed with LaGenius. That the Cardinals are doing well in the postseason so far is a tribute to LaRussa’s legacy–not a detriment to it.
sluggo
1749
That’s kind of a bummer to hear. If nothing else, LaRussa has a resume that stacks up with just about anyone’s and it sounds like he didn’t quite get the respect he deserved. Was he fighting the ghost of Whitey Herzog to some extent?
Meanwhile, today had some pretty awesome baseball. You had the Cards taking control of their series, Lincecum coming to the rescue for the Giants, the Yankees turning their series around on an improbable pinch-hit HR in the 9th, and then the A’s staging a season-saving rally in the 9th of their game.
I think his dust up with Ozzie Smith hurt him with some fans. In Ozzie’s last year the Cards brought in Royce Clayton as Ozzie’s replacement. LaRussa didn’t think Smith had much left and wanted to play him part-time with Clayton, but he said Ozzie could compete for the starting job. Ozzie seemed to outplay Clayton in spring training but rather than name Ozzie as the starter LaRussa played both throughout the season with Ozzie getting into 82 games.
Anyway, Ozzie felt he had been lied to by LaRussa and has held a grudge ever since, refusing to make appearances on the part of the Cards as long as LaRussa was manager. It was well-known to fans and since Ozzie represented the glory days of 1980’s Cardinals (three-times National League champs and one World Series win, as well as some memorable pennant races with the hated Mets) there was a lot of popular sentiment on Ozzie’s side.
Speaking of batting 8th, how shitty must it be to pitch to Pete Friggin’ Kozma the way he’s been hitting recently in that 8 hole?
And here’s hoping the rest of the postseason stays this intense.
Giants have the lead over the Reds in the 5th! I have no dog in this fight, but I’m kinda pulling for the Giants to win three straight on the road. Better story.
And holy cow, that’s a grand slam for Buster Posey. 6-0 Giants in the 5th!
My God how I love Buster Posey right now.
sluggo
1754
Seriously, talk about a turnaround. The Giants looked as dead as a team could be, losing the first two games at home and needing to win three games in Cincinnati. And here they are, up 6-0 in game 5. Great job by the Giants.
Way to go, Cincinnati baseball fans! Before today’s game, tickets to the final game of an LDS playoff series could be had for $5 on StubHub. Not just a handful, either. There were more than 5,000 tickets available at that price.
Buster Posey says: “Get that weak shit outta here.”
sluggo
1757
And … heeeeere come the Reds! This could get fun.
The two runs they scored in response to the grand slam were huge, just to keep them in the ballgame. Now they can just keep chipping away, and it’s 6-3 with two on, nobody out, and they’re about to bring the tying run to the plate, which is all you can hope for when you’re down 6-0.
sluggo
1758
News is breaking that Joe Girardi’s father, who had suffered from Alzheimer’s for a while, passed away today.
If it has been awhile–as it is in the case with my own mother who has suffered from it for more than ten years now–death will actually be kind of a relief. Thoughts and prayers with him and his family.
sluggo
1760
Wow, that’s awful. :(
It’s sounding like Girardi had kind of expected this and will manage tonight. The announcers will inevitably make it part of the narrative of tonight’s game; hopefully they don’t make a mess of it.
