Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Can You Hear Me Now?

Maybe that's what Tony LaRussa should have said when Derek Lilliquist answered the bullpen phone.  

It's been nothing short of bizarre, keeping up with this ever changing story.  Yesterday I read, listened and watched so many different reports on what happened and the subsequent commentary on what now has been dubbed "Bullpen Gate".  What I find strange is how these stories have evolved with each passing hour.  There are so many inconsistencies and so much finger pointing.  I don't get it. 

From Lilliquist getting the wrong pitchers up, to LaRussa not remembering if he or Dave Duncan called the bullpen to the just as intriguing storyline of whether LaRussa or Albert Pujols called for a hit and run, where does the truth lie?  Not that any of that is important now, the Cardinals lost Game 5 and that's all that really matters.  And while the Cards deal with the circus, the Rangers are quietly and solely focused on Game 6.

What do I find the most humor in?  That all the analysts are shocked that the great Tony LaRussa may have made a mistake.  As the kids say, OMG!  Don't get me wrong, LaRussa is an incredibly smart man and he has a great baseball mind.  But that doesn't make him infallible.  One analyst on the MLB Network even made reference to LaRussa's age.  So now they think he's senile!?!  To me, it looks like the man made some mistakes during the game.  It's that simple.  Oh, and maybe he doesn't want to take all the heat.     

I'm curious about a comment from today's press conference. 

“Some of you don’t know me very well, but it’s been the same philosophy since I started,” LaRussa said. “…Treat the club like a family…I don’t throw this family under the bus…I’d rather take the hit.”

But isn't that what he kind of did to Lilliquist, Duncan and Pujols?

8 comments:

  1. LaRussa, should have just taken the heat and not said anything, your right, it makes it appear that he just can't take a hit.

    SA....

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  2. It sure sounded like LaRussa was letting the fingers point to others on his team. A real leader would have taken the blame and then addressed things behind closed doors.

    SA..

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  3. Never seen so many games postponed.....


    SA..

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  4. Will this go to 7 games??

    SA

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  5. I really can't decide if it will go 6 or 7. It would be better for the Rangers if they could wrap it up tonight as I think they have a better chance at winning a Game 6 versus a Game 7. If the Cards win tonight, momentum will totally shift and they'll have the edge in Game 7.

    I agree on the postponed games. I wonder if we've ever had this many in any post season. Perhaps I will research...

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  6. USA Today said there haven't been this many season cancellations since 9-11 but didn't say anything about just the post season.

    SA...

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  7. What an exciting game last night. For most of the night it appeared that both sides were trying to give it away with all the errors, then to see back to back innings of two out, two strike clutch hitting was exciting.

    SA..

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  8. I thought someone greased the balls up before the game! I couldn't believe the errors. Some were so bizarre. Do we chalk it up to a case of nerves?

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