LaRussa blames crowd noise for bullpen decisions

[Clem Fandango]

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7146838/2011-world-series-crowd-noise-causes-st-louis-cardinals-bullpen-confusion

 

Tony La Russa thought he was making a simple request of the bullpen: get closer Jason Motte ready.

 

Turns out it was anything but simple.

 

What happened after the call was a comedy of errors that played out like something from the "Can you hear me now?" cell phone commercials.

 

Cardinals bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist thought La Russa only asked for Marc Rzepczynski to start throwing, when the manager really wanted both left-hander Rzepczynski and right-hander Motte to get loose.

 

La Russa realized the problem once he put in Rzepczynski and saw no one else warming up, so he called back and ask for Motte again. This time, Lilliquist told Lance Lynn to start throwing, even though he was only supposed to be used in an emergency.

 

The series of miscommunications left Rzepczynski on the mound against Mike Napoli with the bases loaded, a lefty-righty matchup that clearly favored Texas. The Rangers' catcher delivered with a two-run double that sent Texas to a 4-2 victory Monday night.

 

"That phone in a loud ballpark, it's not an unusual problem," La Russa said. "I mean, it doesn't make it right, but ... "

 

Maybe it's a stretch, it WAS really loud, so this is probably an honest complaint, but still... it fits his M.O. Also...

 

"Maybe we need to come up with some ear mikes or something," La Russa said.

 

Yes, ear mikes. Because a mic is something you speak into, so naturally they should put one in your ear to hear better? You [expletive] dolt.

[Derwood]

and they were stealing signs! or something!

[Elrhino]

He's made a lot of really weird micro-managing moves in this series.

[pitchcs]

Actually sounds like that is what happened when listening to the interview/explanation and all the other talking heads give their opinions.

[abuck1220]

i find it very hard to believe that the bullpen coach would [expletive] this up TWICE in the span of 3 minutes.

 

so he doesn't hear larussa the first time. larussa calls back, bitches him out and says OK dip [expletive], get motte up now. the guy doesn't ask for clarification after screwing it up once and instead tells a guy who was not supposed to be used (i'm assuming the BP coach is aware of this fact) to start warming up.

 

YEAH RIGHT

[Cubs Fan Dan]

Tony LaRussa is a whiney douchebag.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Cubs fans don't like LaRussa because he's a winner, plain and simple.

 

It's a fact as told to me by a guy I work with who likes the Cardinals.

[NOLA]

Jason Stark, as respectfully as possible, called TLR out this morning on Mike and Mike this morning. I'm too lazy to find a link.

Basically, he said that while he has the upmost respect for TLR blah, blah, blah...

At worst, it was unbelievably bad baseball that a righthander was not warming up in the bullpen. Terrible oversight.

At best, it was the one of the biggest screw-ups in the history of the World Series. "I don't know, maybe he couldn't see over the wall into the bullpen. But still..."

The game after Pujols received criticism for his error, he hits 3 home runs. I wonder if the Cards will try to rally behind TLR after this.

[TruffleShuffle]

did he explain why he had dotel, who's been completely dominant against RH hitters, walk nelson cruz intentionally? even though cruz' obp against RHP this year was .280 or something?

 

also wondering if the crowd noise caused all those dumbass hit and runs and sac bunts.

[rocket]

tony making excuses? there really is a first time for everything.

[NonProfitCow]

3rd inning - Wilson had given up 2 runs in 2 innings. Furcal on 2nd with 0 out. Allen Craig, who had an OPS of 1.000 vs LHP this year sacrifice bunts. Run expectancy with a runner on 2nd and 0 outs - 1.102. Run expectancy with a runner on 3rd and 1 out - 0.943.

 

5th inning - Schumaker and Punto reach with 0 outs. Furcal, who is batted leadoff and thus guaranteed to get more PA than any other player, sacrifice bunts. Run expectancy with 1st and 2nd 0 outs - 1.476. Run expectancy with 2nd and 3rd 1 out - 1.380.

 

7th inning - Craig walks with 1 out. Craig gets caught stealing 2nd to "avoid the double play." With a man on 1st Pujols grounded into a double play 13% of the time this year. He got on base 39% of the time. He managed to not ground into double play 87% of the time.

 

8th inning - Yadi leadoff single. Theriot pinch hits for Schumaker to sacrifice bunt. The bunt is the right play in this situation (maybe, Yadi might be the slowest guy in MLB) but using Theriot burns 2 players simply to bunt, Theriot and Jay.

 

Bottom 8 - Rzeprdohkjbsd pitches to Napoli. Right handed batters have an OPS 200+ points higher than lefties against Rzerihsdjb and Napoli has an OPS 100+ points higher against lefties than righties. Lance Lynn (RHB hit him almost 300 points lower than Rzepisdfhgjk) was warm and was brought in to face the next hitter, who is intentionally walked, and is pulled.

 

9th inning - Craig caught stealing again representing the tying run with the best hitter on the planet batting.

 

TLR is just [expletive] horrible.

[Elwood]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/comment/11/2011/10/15b211215b253b9a18bd52a6b685d9f1/original.jpg

[Cubfanintheknow]

3rd inning - Wilson had given up 2 runs in 2 innings. Furcal on 2nd with 0 out. Allen Craig, who had an OPS of 1.000 vs LHP this year sacrifice bunts. Run expectancy with a runner on 2nd and 0 outs - 1.102. Run expectancy with a runner on 3rd and 1 out - 0.943.

 

5th inning - Schumaker and Punto reach with 0 outs. Furcal, who is batted leadoff and thus guaranteed to get more PA than any other player, sacrifice bunts. Run expectancy with 1st and 2nd 0 outs - 1.476. Run expectancy with 2nd and 3rd 1 out - 1.380.

 

7th inning - Craig walks with 1 out. Craig gets caught stealing 2nd to "avoid the double play." With a man on 1st Pujols grounded into a double play 13% of the time this year. He got on base 39% of the time. He managed to not ground into double play 87% of the time.

 

8th inning - Yadi leadoff single. Theriot pinch hits for Schumaker to sacrifice bunt. The bunt is the right play in this situation (maybe, Yadi might be the slowest guy in MLB) but using Theriot burns 2 players simply to bunt, Theriot and Jay.

 

Bottom 8 - Rzeprdohkjbsd pitches to Napoli. Right handed batters have an OPS 200+ points higher than lefties against Rzerihsdjb and Napoli has an OPS 100+ points higher against lefties than righties. Lance Lynn (RHB hit him almost 300 points lower than Rzepisdfhgjk) was warm and was brought in to face the next hitter, who is intentionally walked, and is pulled.

 

9th inning - Craig caught stealing again representing the tying run with the best hitter on the planet batting.

 

TLR is just [expletive] horrible.

 

It's Rzblighthsneswers! C'mon, you're better than that!

[rocket]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/comment/11/2011/10/15b211215b253b9a18bd52a6b685d9f1/original.jpg

 

i laughed way too hard at that

[ConstableRabbit]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/comment/11/2011/10/15b211215b253b9a18bd52a6b685d9f1/original.jpg

 

i laughed way too hard at that

Same

[UMFan83]

Now TRL says that Pujols called the hit and run himself (not sure which one). What a classy manager to put the heat on his players instead of taking it off of them.

[jersey cubs fan]

Now TRL says that Pujols called the hit and run himself (not sure which one). What a classy manager to put the heat on his players instead of taking it off of them.

 

Most people assumed that when it happened. Buck and McCarver settled on that story almost immediately.

[ConstableRabbit]

Now TRL says that Pujols called the hit and run himself (not sure which one). What a classy manager to put the heat on his players instead of taking it off of them.

TBMIB

 

We'd never do that to you, Albert!

[UMFan83]

Now TRL says that Pujols called the hit and run himself (not sure which one). What a classy manager to put the heat on his players instead of taking it off of them.

 

Most people assumed that when it happened. Buck and McCarver settled on that story almost immediately.

 

That's fine but it's odd to go out of your way to clarify that in the middle of the series. IIRC the reported didn't even directly ask whether Pujols had anything to do with it, he was just asked to explain what happened.

[gus_dog]

Cubs fans don't like LaRussa because he's a winner, plain and simple.

 

It's a fact as told to me by a guy I work with who likes the Cardinals.

 

I think this is fairly accurate.

 

I have to swim upstream on LaRussa. I like him. He's fiery, competitive, and all he ever does is win, wherever he manages.

 

WTH is not to like?

 

You don't have to like him personally, but I highly admire his body of work, and would love to have a guy who gets his type of results manage the Cubs.

[javy knows my name]

Cubs fans don't like LaRussa because he's a winner, plain and simple.

 

It's a fact as told to me by a guy I work with who likes the Cardinals.

 

I think this is fairly accurate.

 

I have to swim upstream on LaRussa. I like him. He's fiery, competitive, and all he ever does is win, wherever he manages.

 

WTH is not to like?

 

You don't have to like him personally, but I highly admire his body of work, and would love to have a guy who gets his type of results manage the Cubs.

 

It's very obvious to me that you missed this post:

 

3rd inning - Wilson had given up 2 runs in 2 innings. Furcal on 2nd with 0 out. Allen Craig, who had an OPS of 1.000 vs LHP this year sacrifice bunts. Run expectancy with a runner on 2nd and 0 outs - 1.102. Run expectancy with a runner on 3rd and 1 out - 0.943.

 

5th inning - Schumaker and Punto reach with 0 outs. Furcal, who is batted leadoff and thus guaranteed to get more PA than any other player, sacrifice bunts. Run expectancy with 1st and 2nd 0 outs - 1.476. Run expectancy with 2nd and 3rd 1 out - 1.380.

 

7th inning - Craig walks with 1 out. Craig gets caught stealing 2nd to "avoid the double play." With a man on 1st Pujols grounded into a double play 13% of the time this year. He got on base 39% of the time. He managed to not ground into double play 87% of the time.

 

8th inning - Yadi leadoff single. Theriot pinch hits for Schumaker to sacrifice bunt. The bunt is the right play in this situation (maybe, Yadi might be the slowest guy in MLB) but using Theriot burns 2 players simply to bunt, Theriot and Jay.

 

Bottom 8 - Rzeprdohkjbsd pitches to Napoli. Right handed batters have an OPS 200+ points higher than lefties against Rzerihsdjb and Napoli has an OPS 100+ points higher against lefties than righties. Lance Lynn (RHB hit him almost 300 points lower than Rzepisdfhgjk) was warm and was brought in to face the next hitter, who is intentionally walked, and is pulled.

 

9th inning - Craig caught stealing again representing the tying run with the best hitter on the planet batting.

 

TLR is just [expletive] horrible.

[gus_dog]

One game does not a career make. The dude is HOF manager, and that's not even an argument. Hate dislike or disagree with him, but you absolutely cannot argue with his results.

[javy knows my name]

One game does not a career make. The dude is HOF manager, and that's not even an argument. Hate dislike or disagree with him, but you absolutely cannot argue with his results.

 

I can and will argue his level of control over his own results.

[SABR Gamer]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/comment/11/2011/10/15b211215b253b9a18bd52a6b685d9f1/original.jpg

 

i laughed way too hard at that

Same

 

People were giving me funny looks in class for not being able to stop laughing at this during the lecture.

[NonProfitCow]

One game does not a career make. The dude is HOF manager, and that's not even an argument. Hate dislike or disagree with him, but you absolutely cannot argue with his results.

It's not one game. It's really just about every game. You know that NLCS and WS MVP David Freese guy that hit the walkoff HR and game tying triple in game 6? If the Cards had even a 1 run lead in the 8th, he's not playing because of defense. Think I'm exaggerating? He started 19 games in September and finished 4. He finished 7 of 18 postseason games. Obviously he's just a butcher defender to be pulled like that right? His UZR and DRS are both better than the guy who was replacing him in the 7th,8th and 9th in 2/3 of games.

 

Goofy bullpen management non stop, anyone can play 2nd base, allowing Corey Patterson to play baseball on his team, etc.

 

The postseason was Tony at his absolute best, and nearly all of his moves were just common sense moves. And even then he had to fail the first time before getting the point.

 

Here's a good link for you...

 

http://www.gatewayredbirds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35375

 

The key to his success over the last decade has been having arguably the best 1b to play the game being underpaid and an ownership group willing to spend for elite talent, Rolen, Edmonds, Walker, Holliday, Berkman etc.