I’m certainly not the first one to point out that the reputation of Tony LaRussa as one of the game’s most intellectually astute and capable managers might just be a lot of hype. For example, check out Deadspin’s take on LaRussa’s decision-making HERE.
And this just in from an article on MLB.com from August 25 titled, “LaRussa Defends Defense”:
“’You can say what you want to, I'll say what I want to,’ La Russa said. ‘I think we have an above-average defensive club. Don't try to talk me out of it, because it's not going to change.’”
Also in that same article:
“The Cards rank 15th out of 16 in the National League in fielding percentage with a .980 clip and have committed the second-most errors in the NL, despite playing the fewest games…
La Russa pointed out that their three players on the club who have won a Gold Glove at some point in their career…and there are four other players who the skipper considers "above average" in David Eckstein, Aaron Miles, Juan Encarnacion and Chris Duncan.”
· Chris Duncan – 509th out of a total of 742 players rated with a projected -12 runs saved per 150 games, 31.4 percentile ranking; 94th out of 136 left fielders rated
· Juan Encarnacion – 559th out of 742, -19 runs saved per 150 games, 24.7 percentile ranking; 66th out of 102 third basemen rated
· Aaron Miles – 632nd out of 742, -33 runs saved per 150 games, 14.8 percentile ranking
· David Eckstein – 330th out of 742, 55.6 percentile ranking, 3 runs saved per 150 games; 41st out of 82 shortstops rated
So, let me see if I have this correctly – the team is second to last in the entire league in fielding percentage, having committed more errors than all but one other team even while playing fewer games than any other team, is the same team that Tony LaRussa considers “above average.” Not only that, he specifically mentions four players as above average, three of whom (Duncan, Encarnacion, and Miles) are demonstrably inferior defensively to the majority of players, and one (Eckstein) who is 41st out of 82 shortstops rated, by definition exactly average. According to the UZR nearly 70% of left fielders are an improvement over Duncan, and more than 75% of all third basemen help their teams defensively more than (or in this case, it would be more accurate to say that they don’t hurt their teams as much as) Encarnacion.
Now, we’ve all heard the saying about seeing the world through rose-#### glasses, but this takes things to an entirely new level. This is just plain delusional. Anyone who has watched Chris Duncan flail away in left field on routine plays could tell you that he is absolutely NOT A GOOD DEFENSIVE PLAYER. But it is more than that. This is not about judgment calls, or anecdotal evidence. This is about forming a conclusion on the basis of statistical evidence compiled over the first half of the season. Or, in LaRussa’s case, it’s about forming a conclusion in direct opposition to the available evidence, and then flatly refusing to even entertain the notion that you might be wrong. Just for the record, that’s not smart.
When it comes to managers in baseball, i really dont pay attention to whats said about their baseball knowledge or lack thereof. In my eyes, a manager is more of a caretaker and motivator than anything. The position that has the biggest impact on a baseball team is the General Manager position. The skipper can only play with the toys given to him and top tell you the truth, most on-the-field decisions made by managers are decisions that many baseball fans can make. What seperates the good coaches from the bad is the ability to motivate a team and bring out the best in his ballclub. Guys like Jim Leyland and Lou Piniella have different philosphies than say, Dusty Baker. Some managers are fiery and some are more subdued and give their players more space to do what they want. In the end of the day, if a team has a good GM, pitching coach and hitting coach, the team will most likely exhibit the same level of success whether Tony Larussa or Tony the Tiger is wearing the manager's cap.
I loved it when one of the Fox Sports writers mentioned La Russa as a manager of the year candidate. Yeah...why not throw Phil Garner's name in the hat too. That makes about as much sense.
I've always felt the same about LaRussa as you do. He won ONE title with those great A's teams? Hard to believe that any manager wouldn't have done at least as well.
You miss the point o####ood manager. Anyone can manage good players, but it is getting the most out of what you got. Larussa loses all his starting pitchers ALLLLL! to free agency and injuries and Ekstein, Edmonds, and Rolen have been out many days to injury and he takes no names and nobodys and gets us back to 500? No other manager in the history of baseball has done that and it had nothing to do with the GM because the GM has done nothing by way of trades or acquisitions that has helped this team this year. Larussa does out manage himself sometimes, but no other manager gets more out of less than Larussa
I won't going slapping LaRussa on the back for getting the Cardinals back in the race, because the Brewers and Cubs have been trying as hard as possible to give it away. Tony LaRussa is a good manager, I'm not going to despute that, but by no means is he a genius of the game.
This is exactly the kind of mindless, jingoistic drivel that keeps LaRussa employed, despite making blatantly moronic statements that are completely at odds with fact. Indeed, it seems that YOU are missing the point o####ood manager when you credit LaRussa with bringing the Cards back to .500, when he's not the one on the field. Did LaRussa perform the hip surgery on that no-name Isringhausen, or was he in the gym doing the rehab that allowed Izzy to come back and be a dominant closer this year? Did he stand in the batter's box and hit home runs in six consecutive games? Oh, right, that was that no-name nobody, Albert Pujols. Did LaRussa utilize his superior mental energies to cause the Brewers to lose 11 out of their last 14 games?
I'm not so sure that I would be that ecstatic about the Cards' record, either. Do you really think that getting to .500 is such a remarkable achievement for a defending World Series champion? If you do, I would like to apply for a job with the Cardinals, because it has to be the most cush job in baseball when you can sell out just about every home game, and your fans are writing blog posts singing your praises for fighting the good fight and scratching and clawing to get back to mediocrity.
Congratulations, Farmhick, you got just the team that you deserve. Enjoy.
HARDBALLFAN needs to learn how to read. I have not liked this season and am not expecting to see the cardinals win. I have also believed that Larussa has cost the Cardinals more World Series than he has won for them, but read what I wrote. No manager has lost his entire starting pitching staff from the previous year, have all four of his top players (Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen, and Ekstein) ####ed up all year, have a pitcher kill himself drunk driving, and find themselves at 500 and 2 games out at the end of August.
So, yes, I do believe .500 is remarkable when it is done by minor league pitchers and the walking wounded.
By the way, anyone who watched the playoffs last year would have seen how Larussas' benching Rolen was probably the main reason they won the World Series.
I am no fan of Larussa, I lived in Oakland when he didn't deliver a legitimate series win (the earthquake series was a joke) with unbelievable talent. Again, read what I wrote. Larussa is not nearly the best coach in baseball, but his talent is being the best manager to accomplish something when he has little to work with.
Larussa is certainly no genius on the field. I want to put a word in for Whitey as the best Cards manager that I can remember. He introduced the double-switch to baseball and now everybody in the NL does it. Also, when he placed a pitcher in right field for one batter and brought in a lefty to face a lefthanded batter, that not only took brains, but guts as well. Larussa has done O.K. this year, and with all the injuries and problems, he can still lead this team to the playoffs: thats quite a feat.
Last edited by bobp43 on September 2nd at 7:00 PM.
Chris Duncan is better off in the American League as a DH or a first baseman. Good bat, but very stiff in the outfield. Trade him in the offseason and get a good quality starting pitcher. The Cards need to get MUCH younger in the OF. Encarnacion's career is in jeopardy due to that freak injury he suffered the other night. Preston Wilson is done. Edmonds is a fourth OF at best now.
Edmonds would have a hard time staying healthy for a full season now, but I will take him in the post season. He seems to come alive for the big games. Speaking of staying healthy, looks like Albert is prone to having some trouble. Wouldn't hurt him to lose a few pounds. It would help him in the long run.
Last edited by bobp43 on September 3rd at 8:07 AM.
i think you guys are just here to bash La Russa, instead of actually looking at what he's done. Remember last October? When Tony took the barely over .500 cardinals from the "terrible" NL Central, and won a world series? You're not factoring in that this man is 3rd all-time in manegerial wins. Thats like saying Babe Ruth was a mediocre hitter. Add in that this year the cardinals had to go through josh hancock's death, encarnacion's career ending injury, and scott rolen's season ending one, and yet they're still only 1 game back. you can atttribute that to the watered down NL Central or anything you want, but to me thats still impressive.
I'm a So Cal sports fan with a lifelong passion for baseball and a penchant for the underdog. I grew up rooting for the Clippers after they moved from San Diego (I'm dating myself, I know) and the Angels (I can't help it if they're not underdogs anymore, it's too late to change). I am in the rather ironic position of having grown up as a fan of the UCLA Bruins and now find myself teaching and doing graduate work at USC. I'm a lifelong Bruin fan lost amid a sea of crimson and gold. Nice.
