Tony LaRussa

[Ennder]

Last year's Cardinals team isnt' as good as this years Brewer's team. Its not even close. Yost has cost us 3 games or so and LaRussa gained them 3 games or so sadly enough.

[adamb100]

Just tell me this, would Tony LaRussa have pitched to Pence in that situation last night?

[JohnBriggs12]

The Cardinals talent level is below the entire division and has been for most of the year. That LaRussa has them ahead of any team is remarkable.

 

If Yost were managing this Cardinal team, they would lose 100 games.

[Fatter than Joey]

It's an absolute credit for LaRussa to be able to keep that team in contention as long as he did - a baseball version of a miracle.

 

Agreed 100% -- Plus I think that it is quickly forgotten they had a player die as well.

[Thurston Fluff]

Agreed 100% -- Plus I think that it is quickly forgotten they had a player die as well.

They had a more prominant player die and didn't have the probelms they had this year. Not to make light of the situation but that isn't why they tanked so badly this year. In some cases it even pulls a team closer together like it did when Kyle died. I'd also think it's fair to point out that LaRussa's own issues with drinking and driving, while not causing the accident, didn't exactly send a clear message about how bad an idea it was.

The Cardinals have about three useful players on the entire team right now outside of the bullpen. Pujols, Wainwright and Ankiel (Duncan is hurt). Pretty much the rest of that team outside of the bullpen would ride the bench if the Brewers and Cardinals merged teams.

Looper 12-10 4.55ERA
Pinero 5-3 4.50ERA
Wellemeyr 3-2 3.59ERA
Molina .722 OPS good defensive catcher
Eckstien- .713 OPS
Miles- .697 low but look at Weeks struggles for comparison
Ryan .749 as a bench player
Speizio .715 form the bench
Rolen .729 in 392 abs with 100% better defense than any player we can trot out there.

That's right a bunch of crap compared to what we had to trot out there last year.

It's an absolute credit for LaRussa to be able to keep that team in contention as long as he did - a baseball version of a miracle.

This stikes me as odd given Ned did the exact same thing last year with more injuries than LaRussa has this year yet no one seemed to think the Brewers where in it under virtually the same circumstances.

Just tell me this, would Tony LaRussa have pitched to Pence in that situation last night?

Tell me this. Have you seen LaRussa every day like you do Ned to know whether he would have or not? Asking loaded questions you think you know the answer to doesn't make a point one way or the other. It owld be just as correct for me to say yes he would have as it is for you to say no he wouldn't. LaRussa has and will continue to make mistakes like every manager does. To take one instance and use it in a hypothetical with no evidence what so ever to back your point does nothing for your arguement

His rotation had guys like Braden Looper in it, for cripes sakes.

Ours has exactly what in it that makes you think Looper and his 4.55 ERA wouldn't be in our rotation? Vargas, Bush, Cappy? Which one of those guys would you keep over Looper? When you compare what Ned had to work with last year to what LaRussa has this year in the pitching department it isn't even close. Looper is as good or better this year than Vargus, Bush, Ohka, Hendrickson, Eveland, or Jackson were last year.

He lost his top 2 starters and had a player die. -- It's been a tough year for them

You weren't so forgiving of Ned last year when he had as many if not more injuries. Ned lost two starter including his ace for most of the year and 3/4 of his infield.

It's real easy to say someone would have done more when it impossible to prove otherwise but I've yet to see any excuse that people make for LaRussa's poor team this year give Ned the same pass for the exact same problems last year. To me that says a lot more about the accuser than it does the accused. If you start out with the premise that Ned sucks it's easy to find annecdotal reasons to feel that way. That doesn't make it really true. I hope I've pointed out merely saying they only have three players of value, even though I think it's fairly obviously false or they had a lot of injuries while ignoring the Brewers had more or that they had such a horrible pitcher as Bradon Looper pitching for them isn't being very honest with yourself.
If you don't like Ned fine. If you like LaRussa fine. I'm not going to change your mind and your opinion is every bit as valid as mine. Just be more honest with yourself as to the reasons why. It's ok as a fan to say I just don't like him. That's exactly how I feel about LaRussa. IMO he's an arrogant condecending jerk. At least I can admit that, even though I don't like LaRussa, he would have been just as capable of winning with this Brewers team as Ned...Just not more capable. As the last two years have shown.

[Fatter than Joey]

You weren't so forgiving of Ned last year when he had as many if not more injuries.

 

I have been watching LaRussa since 1983. I think he is a great manager. I think Ned Yost is a sea cucumber.

 

I understand why the Brewers didn't make the playoffs in 2006 (injuries) -- I still think Yost was a bad manager though.

 

The Cardinals success last year and the fact that they aren't a 100 loss team this year in a large part can be attributed to LaRussa.

 

I guess it can be summed up as I think LaRussa in 2007 has done a good job with a lot of adversity, and Ned Yost did a bad job with a lot of adversity in 2006.

 

A lot of posters seem intent equating "being a bad manager" with "blame". I don't "blame" Ned for 2006, I "blame" injuries, but I don't think he did a good job in 2006.

[logan82]

I agree that LaRussa is a condecending jerk.

Just tell me this, would Tony LaRussa have pitched to Pence in that situation last night?

Probably. LaRussa issues fewer IBB than any other manager in all of baseball. Yost is 2nd.

 

 

(offset quote --1992)

[Thurston Fluff]

This board would be very boring without the ying to my yang, FTJ.http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/wink.gif As usual I don't agree but appreciate. I've watched LaRussa about as long as you have. For what ever reason, probably very similar ones you have with Yost, I don't like him. I admit mine is more about my dislike for his demeanor than his production but when similar results happen with similar circumstances I have to admit they are similar in abilities.

 

I guess it can be summed up as I think LaRussa in 2007 has done a good job with a lot of adversity, and Ned Yost did a bad job with a lot of adversity in 2006.

 

If they each had adversity and they end up with pretty close to the same record what does that tell you? It appears to me it has more to do with your dislike of one and like of the other than it does with actual abilties. I'm fine with that.

 

The Cardinals success last year and the fact that they aren't a 100 loss team this year in a large part can be attributed to LaRussa.

 

If Ned does the same thing with similar circumstances why attribute the success to one and not the other? The only real differnace is the division is tougher this year. LaRussa didn't have a single team over .500 in the division last year. If the Brewers played in last year's division they would have the division all but wrapped up by now.

[TooLiveBrew]

http://www.zamandayolculuk.com/cetinbal/PU/Time2Machine.jpg

 

If only it could be done http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/frown.gif

 

 

[logan82]

LaRussa didn't have a single team over .500 in the division last year. If the Brewers played in last year's division they would have the division all but wrapped up by now.

How about 2 years ago when the Brewers overacheived and got to .500?

[1992casey]

Moved from another thread:

brewmann04 wrote:

---

When can we Expect a Statement from Mark A

[brewmann04]

Ajay you ever think that happen

[jackalope02ca]

LaRussa should have been canned the second he was charged with impaired driving in spring training. In today's world that is simply unacceptable. Top that off with everything else that has happened in St. Louis this year he shouldn't get a job next year. I'm sure someone will hire him but his days of winning are over. Who would have any respect for him? Once you lose the players respect your done.

[brettac1]

If he hits the open market, which he might, he will be the most in demand manager in recent years, for good reason. It would possibly the best thing that has ever happened to the Brewers if they were able to get him to manage them.

[AJAY]

Hopefully when hires Tony LaRussa to run this team.