Results tagged ‘ Tony LaRussa ’
This Postseason the Last for LaRussa?
With this postseason being very sweet, it could be the last for Cardinal manager, Tony LaRussa.
LaRussa, 65, is in the last year of his contract with the Redbirds, and hasn’t heard any talks of extending contract talks. His postseason presence seems to loom every October, with the Cardinals taking home the Central again this season.
His seven NL Central titles has brought his teams to the postseason as many times, and most recently in 2006, a World Series ring.
After 2002 the skipper won his fourth Manager of the Year award, and is the only manager to have won the award four times in a career.
Not only does he bring his seemingly endless knowledge to the game of baseball, but his cabinet of other coaches. Dave Duncan, pitching coach, Dave McKay, base coach, and Jose Oquendo, also a base coach and fielding coach.
This crew of coaches can be argued as one of the best in the game among all managers and baseball analysts.
Dave Duncan is no longer under contract after the remainder of this season, but is unlikely to go anywhere if LaRussa doesn’t depart.
With the acquisition of all of the pieces the Cardinals felt necessary to obtain another division title as well as a World Series championship, it begs the question: Could this be Tony’s final go-around with the Cardinals?
A extremely successful tenure compiled by LaRussa has put him at third in wins by any manager. If Tony does decided to leave, it will not only leave a position vacant, but shoes which would be extremely hard to fill.
If this is, unfortunately, Tony’s last stand with the Birds, let’s make it a memorable one!
Torre, LaRussa Set to Square Off in L.A.
A clash amidst two of the top five all-time winningest skippers in the game of baseball begins tonight in Los Angeles.
Tony LaRussa, third on the all-time list, has 2,552 wins in his 31 years of holding the reigns as a Major League manager, his counterpart, Joe Torre, has 2,246 victories in 28 years. LaRussa has two championships to his name, which is less than Torre, 4, but lacks nothing in comparison to Torre.
With nearly 5,000 victories between them, it goes without saying this will be a match-up for the ages.
Having been there and done all of that a time or two before (26 playoff appearances between them) this will be nothing new for either of these Hall of Fame managers.
Experience won’t be a factor for either of these titans, who will be leading their teams into battle tonight for game one for the National League Division Series. Each of them know how to manage their bench, starting rotation, and bullpen without a question.
Torre, a longtime manager in the American League recently joined the NL last year, taking the helm as the Dodgers manager. Torre has never had to double-switch much, but undoubtedly is capable of anything. This may be the only area Torre isn’t as experienced in as LaRussa, a master of the double-switch.
Let the thinking begin, as it already has for these two. If you come away from game one with your brain aching, don’t be surprised by any means.
Carpenter Takes Nod in Game 1
Recently named Comeback Player of the Year, Chris Carpenter, will toe the rubber on Wednesday night in the opening game of the National League Division Series in Los Angeles.
Although Adam Wainwright will most likely be the NL Cy Young award winner, LaRussa will go with experience and veteran leadership in the first game of the playoffs. Carpenter is seasoned in pitching big games for the Birds, and will notch another one under his belt.
Wainwright, however, will start game two on Thursday night in Los Angeles, looking to stifle the Dodgers potent lineup. Carpenter and Wainwright will have a tough compadre to deal with in Manny Ramirez, who also has a great deal of playoff experience on his resume. Ramirez is the all-time leader in home runs in the postseason.
Shutting down a powerhouse like Ramirez will be tough, but he’s no longer the best player on the Dodgers anymore. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp oppose just as much of a threat as Ramirez, and won’t be a cakewalk to get passed.
This season Carpenter has only given up three earned runs against the Dodgers in 15 innings, while his career numbers in Dodger Stadium aren’t that great. Carp has only made two starts managing a sour 4.35 ERA. Those numbers are horrible compared to the outstanding season Carpenter has tossed this year.
Carpenter loves pitching in big games, and is definitely no stranger as he pitched in game three of the ’06 World Series allowing no runs on three hits in eight innings. He’s not going to be satisfied with a Division Championship, he wants it all. He’s hungry for another ring and will take full responsibility of being the ace of the staff that leads the Cards to the promise land again.
With a strong one-two punch of Carpenter and Wainwright and a solid third, Joel Pineiro, the Cardinals look poised to make a deep run this postseason. The offense is centered around Pujols and Holliday and is solid 1-through-7. We’ll see if another World Series title is in the Cards.
Game one is scheduled for 9:37 Wednesday night in L.A. on TBS.
DeRosa Staying In St. Louis?
Versatile INF/OF, Mark DeRosa, has had conversations with GM John Mozeliak about a possible extension with the Cardinals.
DeRosa was acquired in the later part of June from the Indians for Chris Perez and Jess Todd, both premier pitching prospects in the Cardinals farm system. Soon after coming over from Cleveland DeRosa found himself on the DL with an injured wrist, which will require surgery in the offseason.
Only hitting .245 and collecting 19 RBIs on his 8 homers in 48 games with the Birds. His versatility is a key with the way Manager Tony LaRussa fancies to fill out his lineup card, which makes him extremely valuable to LaRussa.
DeRosa, making $5.5 million this season, will most likely receive a raise if extended with the Cardinals. Mozeliak wants to see DeRosa stick around, but might lose a key contributor in the process: Ryan Ludwick.
Ludwick, injured part of the season, has played in 119 games for St. Louis and has managed to slug 20 homers and drive in 87 while keeping his average above the .270 marker. Although healthy, Ludwick doesn’t play every day with the plethora of outfielders available to LaRussa.
Mozeliak remains reluctant to offer Ludwick a deal that is more than a year long. Injuries have plagued Ludwick in the past, but he seems to have overcome the issues with his knees. An All-Star a year ago, Ludwick still is producing and protects Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday in the Cardinals lineup.
Smoltz To Join St. Louis
Having made several moves already this season, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak pulled the trigger to make yet another move to bolster the Cardinals roster. John Smoltz, who had been released by the Red Sox where he struggled, took the offer which Mozeliak extended to him.
The 21-season-veteran made eight starts with Boston, obtaining a 2-5 record with an eye-popping 8.25 ERA. In 40 innings Smoltz only issued 9 free passes and struck out 33, which isn’t bad.
Though, the ERA is rather high he can still pitch at a high level. It seemed John would pitch with his best stuff in the first four or five innings, but once the sixth inning came along, he would hit what would seem to be a wall where he would give up the big inning.
Tony LaRussa will utilize the strengths of John, allowing him to give the Cardinals five strong innings of quality ball, then turn it over to the bullpen to finish it off. Also, Smoltz can come out of the bullpen and be a setup man to bridge the gap to closer Ryan Franklin, who’s been lights out all season.
The Cardinals needed right-handed relief help and back of the rotation help was well, and with Smoltz joining the club they acquired both. Postseason is where Smoltz can be utilized the best, and with a six game lead on the Cubs, the Cardinals look poised to earn a berth in the playoffs.
Mozeliak Walks Unfamiliar Territory Around Deadline
St. Louis Cardinal fans know their recent management has been somewhat timid to pull the trigger on a deal which people feel would put the team over the edge. G.M. John Mozeliak was not wanting to hesitate a moment after the talks with Oakland intensified about slugging outfielder Matt Holliday.
In late July the Cardinals swung a deal with Cleveland to obtain Mark DeRosa for Chris Perez and a player to be named. Just about a week ago news broke that Jess Todd, St. Louis’ best relief pitching prospect was the player to be named. With Ryan Franklin having a career year the Cardinals might be hoping to keep Franklin around with wishful thinking that he might’ve finally found that “closer stuff”.
Pitching Coach Dave Duncan saw his son dealt to the AL where he seems to be better suited. First basemen/Corner outfielder Chris Duncan was sent packing to Boston in a deal for Julio Lugo. Lugo, 33, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox earlier this month after he’d worn out his welcome. Red Sox G.M. Theo Epstein saw a perfect opportunity to rid themselves of Lugo and pick up a power bat that can play first or DH. Each team seemed to relive the other of a problem player, but Lugo was placed on the St. Louis big league roster, while Duncan was sent to Triple-A Pawtuckett.
Tony LaRussa has been keeping his team atop the NL Central, but the surging Cubs are getting healthy and starting to hit their stride. St. Louis was picked by many to finish in the middle of the pack for the division while the Cubs ran away with another Division Title. Mozeliak saw some areas where the Caridnals could improve and pounced, showing the signs of dedication to win which Albert Pujols wants if he’s going to stay in St. Louis.
More than likely the Cardinals aren’t going to be pulling any last minute deals before today’s 4 p.m. Eastern non-waiver trade deadline, but the deals that have been made already could be enough to help the Cardinals fight off the Cubs for the division or better yet, another team for the NL Pennant.
DeRosa Deal Done, Joins Cardinals
Just as many suspected, the Cardinals were quietly looking for a constant at third base. It’d been rumored that Garret Atkins was a possibility, as well as Mark DeRosa. Tony LaRussa didn’t feel like waiting til the July trading deadline neared as he wanted the trigger pulled on the deal before July could even come around. DeRosa mentioned that he suspected something could’ve been up since he was held out of the lineup on Saturday night. The Cardinals and fans were happy something was up and welcomed him to a standing ovation on Sunday as soon as he buttoned up his uniform (minus the two top buttons of the uniform he never finds).
St. Louis had been in talks with Cleveland for a short while, wetting their appetites with flame-throwing right hander Chris Perez, 23, who was thought to be first in line for the closers role at the start of this season. Perez had lost weight in the offseason, but struggled early in the season. Cleveland had hopes of competing in the AL Central and getting back to the playoffs as they did in 2007. The Indians acquired DeRosa in the offseason hoping he’d be part of the missing piece they needed to get to the next level, but had failed to meet expectations (31-46, 5th in the AL Central).
The Birds possesed a surplus of right-handed relief pitching and with Jason Motte appearing to pass up Chris Perez in the depth chart, it made Perez expendable. Cleveland needs all the help they can get to bolster a meak pen, which made Chris exciting to them. Afterall, Perez has power stuff, and is very young. The deal will also send a player to be named to cleveland, which will be chosen later in the year from a list of players the Cardinals and Indians agreed upon.
Acquiring DeRosa not only gives the Cardinals an option at third base, but bolsters the versatility of their club. In his first game in St. Louis De Rosa played left, and showed off his glove making a tumbling catch. DeRosa shows that the Cardinals fully believe they are in it to win it this year, and shows commitment to winning. Upon finalizing the deal, General Manager John Mozeliak was asked if this will nullify any other deals the Cardinals could make before the trade deadline. Mozeliak didn’t comment.
A battle for first place in the division is in full swing with Milwaukee as the Cardinals and Brewers are deadlocked atop the division. Cincinnati is surprisingly sitting at 2.5 games back. Brad Thompson mans the bump for the Cardinals tonight against San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum. Look for DeRosa to be the impact player the Cardinals are hoping him to be.
Cardinals Done but Rattle D-Backs
Arizona was visiting St. Louis trying to keep their hopes alive to make the playoffs and catch the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, their dream for the postseason was decimated as the Cardinals took three out of four from the snakes. The Cardinals had no chance of making the playoffs when they slipped out of contention and the Mets and Brewers are fighting for the remaining spot in the NL Wild Card.
With having Adam Kennedy asking for a trade if he won’t be playing every day for the Cardinals, it looks like the Cardinals are showcasing him somewhat, giving him every day playing time for the last week or so to give teams the chance to catch some interest. Manager Tony LaRussa was not happy with the comments Kennedy made, especially at the timing in which he expressed his feelings. With Felipe Lopez, the Cardinals might look to keep him around as a starter, which looks to be a pretty good idea considering the way he’s played of late.
It’s nice to see that the St. Louis boys are still fighting with every game, not rolling over and giving up on the season now that a playoff berth is out of the question. Albert Pujols still has soemthing to play for: Three more runs for a 100 run season. The mindset of the players is, “If we can’t get in, why pave an easy way for another team?” That’s exactly the attitude to have in September if you’re out of contention! Watching the Birds still play hard daily is just a testimate to the never say die mentality Tony LaRussa embeds in all of his players.
Lilly, Errors too Much for Cardinals
Left-handed veteran starter, Ted Lilly was outstanding in tonight’s start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Lilly improved to 14-9 on the season, but made every bit of this outing count, both on the mound and on the base paths. The first inning was the only hiccup Lilly had on the night, when he allowed a run on an Albert Pujols RBI ground out, bringing his season total to 99. With the first inning behind him, Lilly put the Cardinals on lock for the next seven innings, shutting them out while only allowing four hits in his last seven innings of work without walking a single batter. After a two inning outing against the Reds, Ted Lilly made sure to right the ship for the struggling Cubs, only needing to throw 90 pitches (63 for strikes) to get through eight innings of work.
The mound wasn’t the only place Lilly managed to do damage against St. Louis. After a bunt that lead to an error on Felipe Lopez at third, when he tried to make a force play into a tag play, Lilly reached first on a fielder’s choice. The very next play, Lopez made another error after making a spectacular diving play to his left, got up to make a throw to second, making a low throw in the dirt. Lilly, running to second on the play, didn’t slide and ran over Cardinal second basemen, Adam Kennedy. With Derek Lee at the plate, Lilly tried to score on a soft chopper to Ceaser Iztruis, who threw Lilly out at home. With the close play at home, Lilly went in hard at home, trying to jar the ball loose from Yadier Molina, where Lilly’s knee went into the thigh of Molina. Molina suffered a bruised thigh which would later be the reason for him leaving the game after his at-bat in the bottom of the 4th-inning.
Lou Pineilla would take the ball from Ted Lilly after the 8th-inning and hand it to tenured Cub, Kerry Wood. After a strikeout of Felipe Lopez, Albert Pujols came to the dish, looking to spark some sort of rally for his Cardinals. Pujols doubled to deep right, giving exactly what the Cardinals were looking for; baserunners. Ryan Ludwick took a pitch out to deep right-center for a two run bomb, bringing the Cardinals within a run, while notching his 101st RBI and 33rd homer on the season. Kerry Wood would go on to retire the next two Cardinal batters, one by means of the strikeout, and another on a flyout to center. Wood obtained his 29th save on the year, but has made a number of those saves very interesting, keeping manager Lou Piniella on his toes.
The late-inning surge by the Cardinals was not enough to mount a complete comeback, but shows the type of heart St. Louis has shown all year. Tony LaRussa has his club using the “never-give-up” attitude which has kept them within contention for a playoff berth. Hopefully, the Cardinals can keep that attitude up, and overcome the newest dose of injuries to Troy Glaus and Yadier Molina. It’s up in the air now, but it’s only a matter of time before the playoffs will be set, and the postseason to begin. Intriguing is the most fitting word to use to describe the playoff races down the stretch.
8th-inning rally pushes Cards passed Brew Crew
Hopeful Cardinals fans witnessed a sight that should present more hope for their scrappy bunch of ballplayers. The Milwaukee Brewers came to St. Louis looking to stretch their lead in the Wild Card race, while the Cardinals were looking to the exact opposite.
With a 12-0 victory for the Beer Men, the Cardinals looked like a cellar dwelling team, instead of a lively ball club fighting for a playoff berth. Resiliency has been one term that the Cardinals could use about this season. They’ve always had resiliency. Not going on long losing skids that would resemble the 2006 campaign. Although, we all know what happened in ’06.
In the second of a two game series, St. Louis was trailing 3-0 going into the bottom of the 6th-inning, when Ryan Ludwick blasted his 32nd homer on the year, cutting the lead to 3-1. Kyle McClellan and Ryan Franklin teamed up to pitch scoreless 7th and 8th-innings respectively. After Franklin finished his inning on the mound, the Cardinals came to bat, but with a little more fire than usual. At the end of the 7th, relief pitcher, Carlos Villanueva got out of the inning, and began yelling towards the St. Louis dugout. Pujols, the on deck batter, walked towards Villanueva as he was walking off the mound toward the visiting dugout. Pujols and Villanueva jawed back and forth for about a minute, with homeplate umpire, Phil Cuzzi trying to keep Pujols from going after the right-handed reliever.
Unfortunately, for David Riske, Villanueva got him into trouble. “He woke a sleeping bear” Pujols said. Riske back-to-back doubles, to Pujols and Ludwick, Ludwicks being the latter, also driving in a run. Troy Glaus came to the plate and singled to beat the shift the Milwaukee defense had set for him, plating Ludwick to tie the game at 3. Good baserunning allowed the Cardinals to score the go-ahead run as Glaus took second base on the throw from Mike Cameron to try to cut down Ryan Ludwick at the plate. Yadier Molina did his job, grounding out to the right side, allowing Glaus to advance to third on the play.
Brewers manager, Ned Yost, was playing a matchup as he brought in Brian Shouse to face Skip Schumaker to create a lefty-on-lefty matchup. LaRussa quickly countered with switch-hitting Aaron Miles as a pinch-hitter. Miles hit a groundball to shorstop, J.J. Hardy, in which Troy Glaus bolted home on contact, and with a smart slide was able to avoid the tag of Jason Kendall to give the Cardinals the lead on the fielder’s choice. After a sac-bunt from Braden Looper, Felipe Lopez singled and Miles scored to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Redbirds.
Rookie “closer” Chris Perez took the ball from Tony LaRussa in the top of the 9th-inning, pitching a solid inning. He gave up one hit in the inning, a double to J.J. Hardy, but he fanned the other three batters he faced in the inning. One being his old college teammate, Ryan Braun. Braun battled him nicely, but Perez threw a slider that fooled Braun badly, and sent him back to the bench with his 110th strikeout of the year. Perez blew Prince Fielder away with 94 mph gas to strike him out and end the game.
St. Louis has moved within 3.5 games back of the Brewers for the Wild Card and head into Houston on Firday to wrap up the month of August. Another three games in Arizona to start September, and the Cardinals are back home in St. Louis to take on the Florida Marlins. The Brewers play Pittsburgh for three games, then take on the Mets at home for three. We’ll see if the Cardinals can gain any ground in the Wild Card over the next week.
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