FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Last night in the "Midsummer Classic", the esteemed NL manager, Tony LaRussa, chose to play EVERY NL PLAYER except Albert Pujols.  LaRussa claimed he was saving him for possible extra innings, though if you don't tie the game, it's pretty hard to play extras. This certainly wasn't planned, as Pujols even commented "Maybe he was saving me for next year's All Star Game".  In fact, in the bottom of the 9th, after the NL was within 1 run, he batted JJ Hardy, Derrek Lee, Orlando Hudson, and Aaron Rowand with a chance to tie or win the game, forsaking the only Cardinal in the lineup.  While this shows stupidity on his part as a manager, especially in thinking Orlando Hudson would be more likely to win the game than Pujols, it shows something more telling as well:  LaRussa does not care at all about Cardinal fans.  He selected only 1 member of the reigning World Series Champions to participate in the game that he was managing.  Then, he made sure that every national league fan in the country outside of St. Louis had a chance to cheer in the game.  Even Nationals fans got to cheer as he pinch hit Dmitri Young in the 9th.  The entire organization, including LaRussa, showed a complete lack of concern for putting a quality product on the field in 2007, and the standings have borne that out.  The die-hard, best in baseball, Cardinal fans have had very little to cheer for this year.  When Baseball Tonight chose the best moment for each team in the 1st half of the season, the Cards' moment was getting their 2006 rings!  That's ESPN's way of saying they've done NOTHING worth cheering for this year.  So, it would seem like a no-brainer to finally give Cards fans a chance to cheer by giving their superstar a chance to make a dramatic appearance in the All Star Game.  What more could we ask for in a loser season like this except to have Pujols batting instead of Hudson with a chance to send everyone home with an NL winner? 

But folks, the sad truth is, LaRussa doesn't care.  The happiness of the fans who pay his salary is of zero consequence to him, as he's proven yet again.  So Tony, when you start lamenting again that the fans give you a hard time, remember your choices last night.  You'll never be one of us, and you'll never be revered like Schoendienst or Herzog.  I know that when you mercifully retire, you'll disappear to California like McGwire, never to be heard from again.  And that's fine with me, because you care more about saving cats than you do satisfying the best fans in baseball.  We loved the Cards long before you got there, and we'll love them long after you're gone, and Jose Oquendo is the manager.  Hey, maybe we'll even get to see Ozzie at the ballpark again!