10 Reasons why the St. Louis Cardinals winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

Continuing my series of Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game, I am tackling the Cardinals.

Now the NL Central race looked like it was going to be a four horse contest. Instead, Milwaukee could run away with it.

So I better get my Cardinals entry done before they fall out of the race. The Cardinals have had a strange year. Wainwright has missed the season, there was the bizarre Colby Rasmus controversy and questions about Albert Pujols and his contract have swirled around the club.

Yet here they sit in mid August in contention and facing a very soft part of their schedule in the next few weeks. Games against Pittsburgh, the Cubs and Dodgers will fill up their dance card before going head to head against first place Brewers at the end of the month. So by Labor Day they could be within striking distance.

So would the Cardinals winning it all be good for the game?

Let me count the ways!

10 Reasons why the

St. Louis Cardinals

winning the 2011 World Series

would be good for baseball

1. If Albert Pujols leaves, another title would be a hell of a Good Bye!



Look, nobody knows what is happening with Albert Pujols. He could be coming back to St. Louis. He could be looking for a new challenge. Lord knows the Dodgers, Mets, Cubs and Orioles all would love to get some POSITIVE PR. And the Nationals have seem hell bent to bring a star to DC. So Albert's fate beyond 2011 has not been sealed.



But if he has to go, leave as a champion! All I can think of is Pedro Martinez, whose contract situation wasn't always pleasant. But what was the last image of him pitching for the Red Sox? Winning Game 3 of the 2004 World Series.



Pujols owes Cardinals fans nothing... but if he leaves them happy, how could you be mad?

2. Maybe a THIRD World Series title can make Tony LaRussa remotely likable



I can't comprehend why I don't like Tony LaRussa. But I don't.



It has nothing to do with the drunk driving (although that makes you an automatic a--hole.) And it has nothing to do with the Glenn Back rally last year. My dislike for LaRussa goes back WAAAAAY before that.



And all the cute puppies and kittens can't save it.

But maybe another title can make him seem as cuddly as the animals he loves to be seen with.



Maybe a Tony LaRussa title can turn into a celebration of his greatness and a big love in.



It might be worth seeing.





3. It would be a wonderful middle finger to Colby Rasmus



I know I've been picking on Colby Rasmus... but come on! We whined his way out of St. Louis based on one good season. Albert Pujols NEVER calls anyone out and he called out him.



Having him stuck in Toronto while the Cardinals celebrate without him might give players with one good year second thoughts to acting superior to their Hall of Fame manager.



Just saying.









4. The ever growing argument to put Dave Duncan in the Hall of Fame



As the Phillies are stockpiling aces, the Giants growing them and the Brewers dealing for them, the Cardinals don't need them.



They'll win with Fernando Salas closing games. The Cardinals will win with Kyle Lohse, Jake Westbrook and Edwin Jackson.



That's because Dave Duncan works his magic, just he did when he turned Chris Carpenter from reclamation project to Cy Young winner and Jeff Weaver from waiver material to World Series hero.



The pitchers in St. Louis come and go but they all seem to improve under Duncan. He might be a genius or a wizard. But if he keeps this up, he might be the first person to make the Hall of Fame as a pitching coach!







5. Maybe Mark McGwire's success can lead to more "Post Roids" work



Hitting coach Mark McGwire hasn't caused much controversy since taking his new gig. He has had some hitters flourish under his watchful eye. (I really hope the sudden surge in Lance Berkman's numbers have been because of McGwire tips and not the old method of "inject this"!)



If the page has been turned, then I hope this leads to Barry Bonds, hitting coach... Roger Clemens, pitching coach... oh let's face it. I want it to lead to Manny Ramirez, MANAGER! Tell me you wouldn't watch a team managed by Manny every single day!





6. A ring for Octavio Dotel, at long last



I wrote about Octavio Dotel's unbelievably bad luck playing for contenders in The Hardball Times.



Dotel broke into the bigs in 1999. Since then he has played for the Mets, Astros, A’s, Yankees, Royals, Braves, White Sox, Pirates, Dodgers, Rockies, Blue Jays and Cardinals. During his 13-year career, seven of those franchises went to the World Series. Yet Dotel hasn't pitched in a World Series as of this writing. That is insane.



Like Mike Morgan before him, who bounced from team to team without a ring, he truly savored that 2001 title. It would be the same for Dotel who has been a solid if unspectacular veteran for over a decade. He would cherish that ring.





7. Chris Carpenter's reputation as a big game pitcher would grow



Chris Carpenter is not going to the Hall of Fame. But he's had a nice run in St. Louis. He won a Cy Young Award and had two more top 3 finishes in the vote. And when he went down to injuries in 2007 and 2008, St. Louis fell out of contention.



When he came back as the ERA Champ in 2009, they were back in. If the Cardinals win the Division this year, then they would have been a playoff team in 5 of Carpenter's 6 full seasons for the Redbirds.



Throw in the fact that his injury that kept him out of the 2004 World Series helped cost them the title. And he pitched wonderfully in 4 of his 6 post season series. Another great October could help him get that "Not a Hall of Famer but a big game pitcher" reputation that Dave Stewart and Jack Morris have.





8. Matt Holliday deserves a POSITIVE Post Season highlight!





Yeah I know Matt Holliday won the 2007 NLCS MVP. If you have any October memories of Holliday, what are they?



His Wild Card winning slide in the San Diego playoff game where it looked like he never touched home plate?



His being picked off in practically the only critical moment in the 2007 World Series?



Nah... it's probably his dropping a game ending flyball in the 2009 Division Series that led to a Dodgers come from behind rally.



Holliday has had a terrific career. He deserves better.



9. Let's face it. The 2006 World Series was strange.



I wrote a post a few years ago about a conversation I had with a die hard Cardinals fan who forgot his team won the 2006 World Series. In a strange way I can understand why. The 2004 and 2005 Cardinals teams both won over 100 games and looked like legit World Series contenders, but fell short.



The 2006 team stumbled into the post season and while I am sure St. Louis fans were happy for them, they probably didn't invest as much "I think this team is going to win it" emotion on that battered squad. But the '06 squad, by far the weakest of Tony LaRussa's 8 playoff teams in St. Louis, was the one that delivered.



And I think it caught St. Louis off guard. It was a nice surprise, but the kind that has the awkward "Oh dear, if I had known you were coming I would have cleaned up the house" vibe to it.







10. The biggest baseball fans shouldn't wait long for a title!



Any discussion of baseball's most passionate fans usually gravitates towards Boston and New York... then heads west and lands in St. Louis.



Relax Giants fans, I know you love your team. So do you Baltimore fans, even though you haven't had much to cheer about. But in terms of cities that love their baseball teams more than their football teams, that list seems to be three names long. And the Red Sox won in 2007 and the Yankees in 2009. All three fan bases have a recent one and they shouldn't have to wait for another.



There should be a celebration involving the living Cardinal greats like Bob Gibson, Stan Musial, Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter and Lou Brock. And with the love of the Cardinals stretched throughout the Midwest, maybe Fox, TBS and ESPN will show them on the National stage a little more.







So that's plenty of reasons to be happy for a Cardinals title.

Now I will make this note. Before any Reds fans comment, yes Cincinnati should be mentioned along with Boston, St. Louis and New York as big baseball cities.



And yes Mets fans, I know that YOU haven't been appeased by the recent World Series titles. Get mad at Carlos Beltran for looking at a called third strike!



A Cardinals World Series title could be so terrific that it would almost make it bearable to hear Tim McCarver and Joe Buck go on and on about the great Cardinals teams of the past... almost.



If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.



CHICAGO WHITE SOX

NEW YORK YANKEES

NOW we get to see if Colby Rasmus becomes a big star

You got your wish, Colby Rasmus.
You were removed from the baseball purgatory that is St. Louis... from the blockhead manager that is probably going to the Hall of Fame... and a situation where you could make the playoffs for the second time in your three year career.

It must be a relief.
Now he can show the world what Tony LaRussa couldn't see.
And what evidently his supporters already see.
And the people who think the Blue Jays are stealing a star.

I am no LaRussa fan, but I have a hard time seeing how a guy with a decent season under his belt and lots of potential (you know, like Alex Ochoa) could be the focus of so much hand wringing.

I know he's young.
So were every bust in baseball history.

He remains hitless as a Blue Jay. But it is his FUTURE that everyone craves.

The strange thing about the future... sometimes it doesn't unfold the way you want.

And maybe if Rasmus struggles in an empty Rogers Centre for non contending Blue Jays teams, he might pine for the days when he played in a great baseball city along side future Hall of Famers with one of the great managers of all time.

But maybe I am wrong.
And if I am wrong, I will eat crow.

I need more than projections and potential. He needs to actually become a star.

THAT'S showing some fight, Pirates

When I saw the Pirates were losing AGAIN today, I was all ready to take them to the woodshed. I was going to trash them for letting themselves get swept at home and allowing the naysayers to be right.

Then lo and behold, a comeback and a 10th inning rally later (along with the Brewers loss to the Giants) and they finished the weekend still tied for first place.

It wasn't the best start to the 20 game stretch to define the season... but the more days they spend in first, the better.

Now will someone explain to me why they pitched to Chase d'Arnaud instead of walking him, forcing the Pirates to bring in a pinch hitter and setting up a potential inning ending double play?

I'm not saying I'm smarter than Tony LaRussa... but the logic of that escaped me.

Well, you are still tied for first place Pirates.
Go to Atlanta. And don't want video from the 1991 nor 1992 NLCS.

Please have Berkman be a NICE Tony LaRussa comeback story

In the last few years, Lance Berkman's stats have been falling off. He was a part time player for the Yankees in the playoffs last year, pressed into starting duty after Mark Teixeira's injury.

Well now he is in St. Louis and is putting up All Star numbers again.

Among the leaders in batting, he knocked his 15th homer tonight and drove in his 45th run.

It's a terrific comeback.
Tony LaRussa has had a lot of players comeback for him.

Dave Stewart in Oakland became an Ace, as did Chris Carpenter in St. Louis. Jim Edmonds refound his stroke and countless pitching reclamation projects.

But there have been other kind of comebacks.

The Mark McGwire comebacks... the lots of players who played for him being connected to stuff kind of comebacks.

Remember how quickly the Rick Ankiel story turned from the feel good baseball story of the decade to "Oh dear..."?

I so hope this is a NICE comeback on a LaRussa squad. But my guard is up.

Managing to Cooperstown - My latest for The Hardball Times

A big league manager will win a World Series this year. But how will that title affect their Hall of Fame resume?

For a few it would put them in the conversation. For others it would simply silence some critics. And still others would have a great first credit on their resume.

In my latest for The Hardball Times, I look at each big league manager and consider what the 2011 World Championship would mean for their legacy.

You can read the article HERE.

Have you noticed...

Have you noticed that the Cardinals haven't won since Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols appeared at Glenn Beck's vague rally?

They've lost two to the Nationals and all three to the Astros... not exactly world beaters.

Just making an observation.
I am sure people in Cincinnati are glad they showed up.

Have you noticed...

Have you noticed that the Cardinals haven't won since Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols appeared at Glenn Beck's vague rally?

They've lost two to the Nationals and all three to the Astros... not exactly world beaters.

Just making an observation.
I am sure people in Cincinnati are glad they showed up.

Tony LaRussa should be trying to Restore the Cardinals to the Pennant race

Call me nuts, but maybe the time Tony LaRussa spent coming up with a speech for Glenn Beck's dopey little promotional stunt could have been used in a more productive manner:

Like how about a game plan against the Nationals.

You know when you are the prohibitive favorite to win the division with the best 1-2 punch in the rotation in all the National League and a guy who seems hell bent to win his third straight MVP and you are LOSING ground to the Reds and Phillies... maybe promoting a Fox News talk show shouldn't be priority one.

Oh yeah, the Nats won 14-5... the Cardinals pitchers are letting up an average of 9 runs a game to the Nationals.

Maybe they should have Glenn Beck write THAT on his chalk board.

Tony LaRussa should be trying to Restore the Cardinals to the Pennant race

Call me nuts, but maybe the time Tony LaRussa spent coming up with a speech for Glenn Beck's dopey little promotional stunt could have been used in a more productive manner:

Like how about a game plan against the Nationals.

You know when you are the prohibitive favorite to win the division with the best 1-2 punch in the rotation in all the National League and a guy who seems hell bent to win his third straight MVP and you are LOSING ground to the Reds and Phillies... maybe promoting a Fox News talk show shouldn't be priority one.

Oh yeah, the Nats won 14-5... the Cardinals pitchers are letting up an average of 9 runs a game to the Nationals.

Maybe they should have Glenn Beck write THAT on his chalk board.

Congrats on your 400th homer Albert... Now PLEASE don't get caught

Seriously, the WHOLE EARTH wants this to be a cool and wonderful achievement.
We want to have each homer be a wonderful moment.

But we've been stung recently. And we're slow to trust.

So... I'm not going to ask if there's anything in your diet BESIDES Wheaties Fuel... please hide it well.

I don't want to know. Nobody does. We want to have fun.
Hide it better than those other two sluggers who played under Tony LaRussa.

I am rooting for you Albert Pujols. Let's keep it that way, shall we?

Congrats on your 400th homer Albert... Now PLEASE don't get caught

Seriously, the WHOLE EARTH wants this to be a cool and wonderful achievement.
We want to have each homer be a wonderful moment.

But we've been stung recently. And we're slow to trust.

So... I'm not going to ask if there's anything in your diet BESIDES Wheaties Fuel... please hide it well.

I don't want to know. Nobody does. We want to have fun.
Hide it better than those other two sluggers who played under Tony LaRussa.

I am rooting for you Albert Pujols. Let's keep it that way, shall we?

Hey Cardinals line up

I don't care if it was 20 innings... if you get 15 hits and draw 11 walks... you should score more than one run.

It got a little ridiculous yesterday as infielder Felipe Lopez threw a shutout inning against the Mets.

Outfielder Joe Mather got the loss... and yet pitcher Kyle Loshe was in the outfield.

Um... I'm no manager and Tony LaRussa is going to the Hall of Fame... but couldn't LaRussa have given Loshe a chance to throw ONE inning before going to his position players?

Was he going to throw Fred Bird as well?

Red Birds Lurking

Isn't it strange how little love the St. Louis Cardinals are getting?

Maybe it is because the Dodgers got off to such a fast start... or the Phillies made the key acquisition of Cliff Lee... or the Yankees have been on such a roll... or the Angels bats seem to be clicking all at once...

But the team that at this point might have the biggest shot to win the World Series is St. Louis.

Call me a Red Sox centric fan, but until this morning, I didn't realize they had the biggest division lead in the National League.

I thought there was a race going on... as recently as July 30th, the Cardinals were in second place.

As recently as August 5, they were tied with the Cubs with the Brewers and Astros in striking distance.

They have been 9-2 since while rest of the division has been sub .500.

Suddenly they have opened up a 6 game lead and are sneaking up on the Phillies to get home field advantage in the Division Series.

Seriously, did you know that?

As of now, who would WANT to face the Cards in a short series?

They have Albert Pujols, who could sit out September and still win the NL MVP.

They have Matt Holliday hitting behind him.

They have as good a 1-2-3 punch in their rotation with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Joel Piñeiro.

And the way Dave Duncan can turn broken down pitchers into playoff heros (see Weaver, Jeff) then watch John Smoltz regain his Hall of Fame stuff when he signs with them.

And oh yeah, they have the genius manager I don't like.

What I am saying is the Cardinals could sneak under the radar, like they did  in 2006.

And if they do, let's take a look at their decade...

2000 - NLCS

2001 - Division Series (and one of the best ones ever against Arizona)

2002 - NLCS

2003 - No playoffs

2004 - NL Champion

2005 - NLCS (With the Pujols homer)

2006 - World Champion

2007 - No Playoffs

2008 - No Playoffs

2009 - ???

Everyone says the Yankees and Red Sox have dominated this decade.

The Red Sox have 2 World Series titles... the Yankees 1 and the Cardinals have 1.

The Red Sox have 4 trips to the LCS... the Yankees also have 4... the Cardinals have 5.

If the Cardinals win the World Series... wouldn't THEY be the team of the Decade?

Look out for those pesky red birds... they might just be having a dynasty.

Did the 2006 World Series even happen?

I was talking at work with a guy who is a big St. Louis Cardinals fan.

We were talking about the current playoffs, players from his team and why I was disappointed but not devastated by the Red Sox losing to Tampa Bay.

He shrugged his shoulders and said "Well, you won last year... I'm still waiting since 1982."

I looked at him, cocked my head like the RCA Dog and reminded him that his team won the World Series in 2006.

He slapped his forehead and said "Oh man! I forgot!"
I guess that answers my question about how beloved Tony LaRussa is compared to Whitey Herzog!

When I accused the Cardinals and their fans for being subdued in their celebration when they won in 2006, I never imagined that in two years it would SLIP THEIR MINDS!!!

HALL OF FAME OR NOT: MANAGER EDITION

Last Spring, I broke down which current players belong in the Hall of Fame or not.

It got me some attention and this interview heard in Toledo on On Sports with JP and Kevin.

And rest assured, I am working on an update of that entry for 2008.

But for some reason I didn't think of which managers should get Cooperstown consideration.

And today's division title for the Angels made me think about Mike Scioscia and his ever growing Cooperstown resume.

Here are the parameters for consideration that the staff at Sully Baseball has come up with.

1) The manager is currently managing now.
2) They have managed a World Series winner.

Sorry Bruce Bochy, Ron Gardenhire and Dusty Baker. You need to win the big Kahuna in order to get in.

So lets look at the candidates.


BOBBY COX
Case For:
14 straight division titles with 5 pennants and the 1995 World Series title. Throw in the 1985 AL East title with the Toronto Blue Jays. His Braves teams won year in and year out despite a constantly changing cast of characters. He is also as respected a manager as there is in the game.

Case Against:
Only won one World Series. Had the better team but lost in the World Series or playoffs in 1985, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Was outmanaged often and his use of the bullpen was suspect to say the least. Went 1-6 in post season series in the 2000s. How much of the success was because of him or because of Leo Mazzone’s handling of the pitching staff and the rise of Glavine and Smoltz and the signing of Maddux?

Verdict: HALL OF FAMER RIGHT NOW
Winning only one World Series didn’t keep Earl Weaver or Leo Durocher out of the Hall of Fame. Al Lopez didn’t even win one! And the consistency of managing a team into the playoffs with different faces and different clubhouse leaders for nearly a decade and a half is more than enough.





TERRY FRANCONA
Case For:
Two World Series titles for a franchise that was starving for one. His calm and never panicking approach allowed the Red Sox to come back from a 3-0 deficit to the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and a 3-1 deficit to Cleveland in the 2007 ALCS. First manager to win his first 8 World Series games. Made the playoffs in 2005 and looks ready to have them back in 2008.

Case Against:
Was he in the right place at the right time? What manager couldn’t win with a team front loaded with superstars? OK, besides Grady Little. The huge payroll and All Stars at almost every position makes filling out the line up card kind of easy. He didn’t exactly display Hall of Fame stuff as a manager in Philadelphia. Besides, shouldn’t Theo Epstein be getting the credit for this team?

Verdict: NOT A HALL OF FAMER YET
It’s early but if he stays in Boston for 5 more years and keeps them in the playoffs for most of those years and wins another World Series title, it might be enough.




CITO GASTON
Case For:
He was the first manager to win back to back World Series in the Free Agent era. His teams made the playoffs 4 of his first 5 seasons. His 1992 team lost Dave Winfield, David Cone, David Wells, Tom Henke, Candy Maldonado, Manny Lee and Kelly Gruber in the off season and yet they won the 1993 World Series. Was the first African American to manage a World Series winner. The 2008 Blue Jays have played over .600 ball since he took over the team.

Case Against:
Followed up the back to back World Series teams with 4 straight losing seasons. Was fired and couldn’t get a job for 11 seasons. GM Pat Gillick replenished the lost stars after the 1992 seasons with more stars, so his teams were always stocked with talent.

Verdict: NOT A HALL OF FAMER YET. PROBABLY TOO LATE.
His first five seasons were spectacular and we forget now what a huge task it was to repeat as World Series champs. If he turns the Blue Jays around and they win a third World Series under his leadership, it might be a career worth examining. But not yet.



OZZIE GUILLEN
Case For:
Managed the White Sox to their first World Series title since 1917. And he managed them with their most visible superstar, Frank Thomas, hurt for most of the year. The 2005 World Series roster was devoid of a legit Hall of Fame candidate or a single marquee player… and yet they matched the 1999 Yankees with a 11-1 post season record. Has a White Sox team most picked to finish near the bottom in 2008 in first place in mid September. Has a hands on and aggressive managing style, including hit and running, stealing and unorthodox bullpen management, that makes it clear he is not a “fill out the line up card and take a nap” manager.

Case Against:
Like Billy Martin, can grate on the players and the management and constantly seems on the verge of getting fired. His 2006 squad was superior in talent to the Twins and Tigers and yet finished third (despite 90 wins) and the 2007 White Sox were a disaster. The team’s success could just as easily be credited to GM Kenny Williams.

Verdict: NOT A HALL OF FAMER YET
One great season and playoff run doesn’t make a Hall of Famer. Jack McKeon and the late Dick Howser would be in if that were the case. Ozzie needs to pile up some Division Titles and another pennant and not get himself fired. Longevity will go a long way. Earl Weaver was firey too and he only won one World Series… but he stuck around and piled up the October appearances. Take note Ozzie.


TONY LARUSSA
Case For:
Along with Sparky Anderson is the one of two managers to win the World Series as a manager in both leagues. Led the Oakland A’s to 3 straight World Series appearances. Including his time managing the White Sox, he has had 12 post season appearances, 11 division titles, 5 pennants and the 1989 and 2006 World Championship. Is considered to be a superior intellect in the dugout and consistently a winner from 1983 to present.

Case Against:
Has there been a manager who has more benefited from the steroid era than LaRussa? He won the pennants in the late 80s and 1990 on the juiced up strength of McGwire and Canseco and turned a blind eye as McGwire chased down Maris in 1998. Now there are whispers of Albert Pujols and positive tests for Rick Ankiel. Are we to believe after all the books written about his intelligence that he didn’t know?

Verdict: HALL OF FAMER RIGHT NOW
I don’t like LaRussa and I made that clear. But the total tonnage of what we don’t know about the steroid era is not enough to wipe out a remarkable managerial career.




JIM LEYLAND
Case For:
Took 3 teams to the playoffs, including the 1997 World Champion Florida Marlins. If it wasn’t for Francisco Cabrera’s single he would have lead three different teams to the World Series. Took a losing Pirates franchise and led them to 3 straight NLCS appearances. Took a losing Marlins franchise and led them to the World Series title. Took an irrelevant Tigers team, just 3 years removed from a 119 loss season and brought them to the World Series in his first year. A tough and no nonsense manager who actually got Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield to march to his beat.

Case Against:
Couldn’t win the pennant in Pittsburgh and when the stars left the team collapsed. Managed the 1998 Marlins, stripped of their World Series participants and saw them finish 54-108. His one year in Colorado was a disaster. The 2006 Tigers looked rusty and unprepared in their World Series loss to the Cardinals. Was given a $100 million plus roster for the 2008 Tigers and they stumbled badly out of the gate and have been irrelevant in a year they were supposed to be a World Series contender.

Verdict: HALL OF FAMER RIGHT NOW
If Francisco Cabrera had popped up, there wouldn’t even be a discussion here. Either way, his ability to revive moribund franchises and the respect he commands is enough for me.




LOU PINIELLA
Case For:
Pulled off one of the great World Series upsets in history when the Reds swept the A’s in 1990. Turned the Mariners, the most laughable franchise in baseball, into playoff contenders. After the Mariners lost Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr and Alex Rodriguez, they responded with a 116-46 record. With the Cubs has now managed three different teams into the post season. Has a firey unmistakable brand of managing he undoubtedly picked up from his former manager Billy Martin.

Case Against:
Couldn’t get the Yankees into the playoffs his three seasons as manager… The 1988 AL East was very winnable. Despite having Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, Edgar Martinez and a host of other stars, he couldn’t win a pennant in Seattle. His 116 win team got beat badly in the 2001 ALCS by the Yankees. His three years in Tampa Bay were disastrous. His managerial decisions may have cost the Cubs the 2007 Division Series.

Verdict: NOT A HALL OF FAMER YET… BUT HE’S ALMOST THERE
He’s on the bubble right now. Some might argue he is in Jim Leyland’s position of winning only one World Series but turning franchises around. I would argue that he needs to return to the World Series as a manager. If he wins a pennant for the Cubs, he’s in… no questions asked.



MIKE SCIOSCIA
Case For:
Won the 2002 World Series, toppling the heavily favored Yankees in the first round. With 2008 already wrapped up, he has led the Angels to division titles in 4 of the last 5 seasons. Has a mixture of veterans and rookies on his team and an ever changing roster, yet like Bobby Cox the team keeps winning. The turn over in ownership and in the front office during his time shows this isn’t a manager simply benefiting from a GM’s power.

Case Against:
The 2002 World Series was lost by the Giants as much as it was won by the Angels. While he has no problem beating the Yankees in the post season (the did it in 2005 as well) they get clobbered by teams with Sox in their name. (The Angels were swept by the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007 and lost the 2005 ALCS in 5 games to the White Sox.)

Verdict: NOT A HALL OF FAMER YET… BUT PROBABLY WILL BE
It’s early but no manager in baseball is putting together a Hall of Fame resume faster than Scioscia. He has the ring and is piling up the Division Titles. He needs at least another pennant and he also needs to keep the Angels as annual pennant contenders into the next decade.



JOE TORRE
Case For:
12 straight post season appearances for the Yankees including 6 pennants and 4 World Series titles. The 1996 World Series victory was as unlikely a win in World Series history. He rattled off 4 straight pennants despite strong challenges from Oakland and Seattle. And after Steinbrenner made 19 managerial moves in 21 seasons, he gave the Yankees stability over 12 seasons. Restored the dignity and championship expectations of the Yankees with his cool and calming managerial style and developed new Yankee legends along the way. He also managed the 1982 NL West champion Braves and looks poised to win a division title in Los Angeles this year. Also was a borderline Hall of Fame player.

Case Against:
How much was his Yankees success because of him or how much was it because he walked into a good situation with a team developed by Buck Showalter and Gene Michael? His record as a Mets, Braves and Cardinals manager was not exactly stellar. (One post season appearance prior to the Yankees and it was a 3 game sweep.) Not a great strategy manager and prone to making some terrible decisions that possibly cost him the playoffs in 2002 and the World Series in 2003. Only one manager has ever blown a 3-0 series lead and that was Torre. His managing of games 5 and 6 possibly cost the Yankees the pennant. How hard is it to manage the Yankees with all that money?

Verdict: HALL OF FAMER RIGHT NOW
You think it is easy? Ask Joe Girardi! The ability to stay calm in stormy waters is his greatest asset and it led directly to the 1996 and 2000 World Championship and post season appearances in 2005 and 2007 despite terrible starts. No man in baseball is more respected and no record speaks more clearly that they deserve a spot in Cooperstown.




So there you have it.
Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox, Jim Leyland and Joe Torre will be in Cooperstown.
Lou Piniella is a Chicago pennant away and Mike Scioscia is well on his way.

Then again if Piniella wins the World Series for the Cubs he might be canonized by the Pope

Why don't I like Tony LaRussa?

I don’t like Tony LaRussa and I’m not 100% sure why.
He’s a Hall of Fame manager… Sparky Anderson and LaRussa are the only two managers in history to win a World Series in both leagues.

Oh I admire him… but I don’t like him.

And I feel like I should like him.
My wife seems to like him, at least when I described him during the 2006 World Series.He’s a vegetarian who saves puppies and kittens.
Anyone who saves helpless animals should be liked.

But here I am not liking the guy.

Plus he got involved in local activities, like the Oakland Ballet. In fact starting when he was the A’s manager, he has performed in the Nutcracker along with other Bay Area based athletes.



As someone who was on the football and baseball team as well as drama in highschool, I love this merging of jocks and art.

It should make me love the guy.
But I don’t.

And it isn’t just because his Oakland A’s pummeled the Red Sox in the 1988 and 1990 ALCS. There are lots of people who beat up the Red Sox whom I don’t necessarily hate.

Besides, the Red Sox returned the favor when they swept LaRussa’s Cardinals in the lopsided 2004 World Series… so that should eliminate any lingering bitterness.

But it isn’t bitterness. I don’t like him.

Is it because he is a lawyer?
My cousin Bill is a lawyer. I like him.
My friend Susannah is in UCLA Law School. I like her.


There is a joylessness with the LaRussa era.
Maybe it has to do with the deaths of Kile and Hancock or his own drunk driving.


Is it because he benefited so clearly from the steroid era having Canseco and McGwire bulk up on his watch and bringing in a roided Big Mac to St. Louis and break Roger Maris’ record?

Nahhh. There are so many people who benefited from the steroid era in ways that we will never 100% know.

There’s something about LaRussa that rubs me the wrong way…
It could be the know it all aura he has.
It could be the fact that he has made some brutally questionable moves in the post season that he never seems to get crap for.

Or maybe he has that Alan Alda in Crimes and Misdemeanors quality.
He seems on the surface like a great guy, but get to know him and he’s a sleaze.

But I don’t think I am alone on this.
This is a guy who turned three proud franchises around…

He took a 90 loss White Sox franchise and brought them to the post season for the first time in 24 seasons.

He took an irrelevant A’s team and transformed them into a powerhouse, matching the 1970s A’s with 3 straight pennants.

His first year in St. Louis he took the Cardinals to within one game of the World Series and they have remained a playoff fixture in the 2000s.

And this year, with a team many people thought would lose 100 games, he has the team in the thick of the Wild Card race in late August.

Yet is he loved in Chicago? Oakland? St. Louis?

I could be wrong, but I get the sense that Whitey Herzog is still more loved in St. Louis.

LaRussa has that Clint Eastwood in Fistful of Dollars quality.
Yeah he protects the town, but what is his motivation? Can he really be trusted?

But then again, I loved Clint Eastwood in Fistful of Dollars.

I guess I’ll never figure out why I dislike LaRussa.

Maybe some Cardinals fans can help me.

Hey That's A Winner, do you look at LaRussa smile or do you look at LaRussa and nod your head thinking “He’s doing his job.”?

Let me ask you, Cards Clubhouse. Who do you have more affection for? LaRussa or Herzog?

Here’s a question for Mike at Stan Musial's Stance. Do you see the LaRussa era as kind of like signing a pact with the devil? And would the devil save puppies and support the local Ballet?

Viva El Birdos, do you look at LaRussa like he is an outsider? This is his 13th season in St. Louis. That’s 2 more than Herzog managed in St. Louis.

Or is it just not that complicated, Gas House Gang. He won in St. Louis. He will go to the Hall of Fame and his number will be retired… end of story.

Either way, the Cardinals are in the thick of it again and LaRussa might win yet another Manager of the Year…

And for some reason I still won’t like him