Dear Tony LaRussa

[tombrady]

Thank you for providing the Boston Red Sox with World Series Home Field advantage by not batting Poo Holes last night with the bases juiced and 2 outs.


That is all.

[Duvall]

Dear Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland A's, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers:

Please beat the hell out of the Boston Red Sox for the rest of the season.

TIA.

[allenmurray]

"Unless it's a blowout game, you need to have somebody to protect extra innings," La Russa said.

Guess what Tony, there weren't any extra innings. Perhaps if you had let Pujols bat there would have been.

How did this guy get his reputation as a "smart" manager?

[tombrady]

How did this guy get his reputation as a "smart" manager?

His team made it to a few world series' despite him being in charge. Most real baseball fans (i.e. not st. louis fans) know he's an idiot when it comes to a) in-game decisions and b) managing pitchers over the course of a season.

But all it takes is some airhead like Steve Phillips to love LaRussa on the air enough times and people start getting the impression that he's a good manager. Then again, these people would have to somehow believe Steve Phillips knows what he's talking about.

[Duke4Ever32]

Dear Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland A's, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers:

Please beat the hell out of the Boston Red Sox for the rest of the season.

TIA.

Because you know the Yankees won't be doing it! It must be really, really difficult being a Yankees fan so far this season, eh??

[captmojo]

What was he thinking? Oh yeah, that's right, he wasn't

[Mal]

How did this guy get his reputation as a "smart" manager?

By wearing glasses and carrying a clipboard?

Seriously, that was the worst decision ever. His excuse was to save him for possible extra innings? There's virtually no chance at extra innings. Either you get a base hit and the game's over (barring an infield single or Derrick Lee getting thrown out at the plate, maybe a 1 in 20 combined chance), or you make an out and the game's over.

I mean, really, think of the setup: Bottom of the 9th, two outs, bases loaded, you're down one. If you had your choice of ANY batter in the world to hit right then, who would you choose? Especially with Bonds done for the night and Ortiz on the wrong bench, who wouldn't put arguably the best hitter in the game the last five years at the plate? Indescribably stupid choice by Larussa.

[Jim3k]

Statistically, there was no difference between letting Rowand hit or using Pujols as a PH.

Rowand: .310, 98 hits

Pujols: .310, 96 hits

I think LaRussa was well within the bounds of reason to do what he did. If Rowand had succeeded, Pujols would still have been available.

[captmojo]

Statistically, there was no difference between letting Rowand hit or using Pujols as a PH.

Rowand: .310, 98 hits

Pujols: .310, 96 hits

I think LaRussa was well within the bounds of reason to do what he did. If Rowand had succeeded, Pujols would still have been available.

LaRussa said with the headset on that Pujols was available to play any infield position. I think I'd have to use him, what with his big game experience and all, at sometime during the game.

[Duvall]

Statistically, there was no difference between letting Rowand hit or using Pujols as a PH.

Rowand: .310, 98 hits

Pujols: .310, 96 hits

Well, that's true, unless you consider the rest of their respective careers. Come on.

I think LaRussa was well within the bounds of reason to do what he did. If Rowand had succeeded, Pujols would still have been available.

If Rowand had succeeded, the game probably would have been over. So what's the upside?

[Jim3k]

If Rowand had succeeded, the game probably would have been over. So what's the upside?

If the walk-a-thon had continued (and K-Rod was wild), Rowand would have walked and the game would have been tied. Or, if Rowand had hit a dink single, only one run may have scored. Pujols as PH works very well at that point.

IIRC, Sanchez (playing 3B) was the next scheduled hitter. He's good, at .296 and 96 hits. Pujols would have been a slightly better statistical choice as a PH, but if there had been extras, would have been properly plugged in at 3B for Sanchez (normally a 2B). LaRussa was definitely thinking along those lines. Let Rowand hit and get to the next batter.

And, if Pujols had PH for Rowand but only managed to tie the game, you're out a good CF for the extra innings. Aiming Pujols for 3B was the better idea, particularly since he was the last position player available.

[JasonEvans]

...particularly since he was the last position player available.

I think LaRussa should have put Pujols in the game but part of the problem here is that baseball has made this game mean SOMETHING which means the managers are expected to play to win and yet the managers are also expected to play as many guys as possible to give everyone a shot at appearing in the game. Those two ways of managing run counter to each other and LaRussa got caught in the middle. It really was unfair to him.

--Jason "that said, LaRussa is still a mediocre manager in my book" Evans

[hurleyfor3]

reminder: larussa has won more world series than bobby cox has

[Duvall]

reminder: larussa has won more world series than bobby cox has

Reminder: The playoffs are a crapshoot, as evinced by, well, last year.

Also, no-talent hacks haven't written books proclaiming Cox to be a Baseball Genius.

[hurleyfor3]

The playoffs are a crapshoot

and the all-star game somehow isn't?

[Duvall]

and the all-star game somehow isn't?

Who made that claim?

[JasonEvans]

reminder: larussa has won more world series than bobby cox has

LaRussa's career record entering this season was 2297-1986 for a win percentage of .536. It will go down this year as the Cards are stuggling.

Cox's record is 2195 - 1698 for a win percentage of .564

30 percentage points is quite significant and don't forget that Cox got his start coaching some godawful Braves teams that were lucky to win 40% of their games.

--Jason "do you ever think anyone coached by Cox would criticize Bobby the way Pujols is on LaRussa today?" Evans

[Mal]

Statistically, there was no difference between letting Rowand hit or using Pujols as a PH.

Rowand: .310, 98 hits

Pujols: .310, 96 hits

Riiiiiighhhhhht. Is this year all that matters? How about this, instead:

Rowand: .283 .341 .450
Pujols: .330 .418 .619

Remember how Rowand derailed Brad Lidge for an entire season with a 500 foot bomb with two outs in the 9th inning of Game 5 in the 2005 NLCS? Oh, wait.

I'll concede that I didn't factor in the potential walk scenario when calculating the odds of extra innings occurring if Jim3K concedes that Rowand had just struck out to end the previous inning and over the course of his career is a vastly inferior hitter (no shame in that when being compared to the best hitter of your generation).

On a separate note, I never have liked and still don't like the way Francisco Rodriguez approaches his job. The guy throws a laser beam, low in the zone fastball but is so in love with the beautiful hook (and I admit the one he threw to Lee was a sight to behold) that he creates far too much work for himself. Just pound the outside corner with that thing until you've got guys leaning out there and then drop the hammer on 'em. And slow down, for crying out loud!

[kexman]

From a st. louis perspective...who cares about the outcome of the all-star game. You don't annoy your star player. At this point the cards are still 7.5 games out of NL central so if by some miracle (and decent play) they come back to win the division you can worry about lack of home field advantage.

[TheGodfather]

Statistically, there was no difference between letting Rowand hit or using Pujols as a PH.

Rowand: .310, 98 hits

Pujols: .310, 96 hits

Those two season averages of .310 are heavily anchored by what happened in April. Rowand jumped off to .378 avg for the month while Pujols struggled to hit .250. Over the last month Rowand is 22 of 82 for .268 AVG, much closer to his career .283 avg than to .310. While Pujols is 29 of 86 for a .337 AVG, much closer to his career .330 avg than to .310.

Pujols Career BA .330 OPS 1.037 with the bases loaded .368 AVG
Rowand Career BA .283 OPS .791 with the bases loaded .286 AVG

If Pujols does draw a walk (which Albert has a much better chance of doing than Rowand). Then Sanchez comes up:
Sanchez Career BA .310 OPS .786 with the bases loaded .375 AVG

As Mal mentioned, who didn't want to see if Pujols could do to K-rods career what he did to Brad Lidge's (fun Youtube video).