When Tony La Russa managed the Oakland Athletics in the late 1980s, he forbid team officials from...

When Tony La Russa managed the Oakland Athletics in the late 1980s, he forbid team officials from revealing platoon splits -- a player's batting average against left-handers and against right-handers -- so an opposing manager could not read that information in the newspaper.

I don't like Tony LaRussa.

about 1 month ago Adam J. Morris 18 comments 0 recs |

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Luckily

Those games were televised and/or broadcast on the radio.

That's why they call them business sox

by egriffey on Oct 6, 2009 1:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

What did you think of the Joe Mauer revelation?

Link, though I’m sure you saw it.

"[Font} doesn't turn 19 until the end of May and his heater can already hit 99 on the gun. That's baseball porn." - Jason Parks

by hightowersmith on Oct 6, 2009 1:57 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Didn't really think about it

I’m surprised it generated as much controversy as it did.

by Adam J. Morris on Oct 6, 2009 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just thought it roughly paralleled with that LaRussa note. “Extracurricular effort” to win the game.

"[Font} doesn't turn 19 until the end of May and his heater can already hit 99 on the gun. That's baseball porn." - Jason Parks

by hightowersmith on Oct 6, 2009 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

But not a bad kind. I thought it was fascinating. I always knew it went on or was attempted but it was neat to see the play-by-play of it while it was occurring. I also liked how Laird was doing all he could to prevent it. Going through the signals over and over, quick signals, etc.

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

by WyoRanger on Oct 6, 2009 2:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That happens all the time

pitchers cheat too, you know.

Also, the Tigers need to mix up their signals better if Mauer was able to relay the signs to Kubel.

by jdh90 on Oct 6, 2009 2:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

tipping pitches is not cheating

gamemanship, but not cheating. However, I am not convinced he was tipping pitches.

Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year

by RangerMad on Oct 6, 2009 3:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't even understand how that would be cheating.

It seems like smart strategy, to me. The pitching battery should do something about it.

And That Happened: Sports with a Hint of Sarcasm

by philkid3 on Oct 6, 2009 6:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Would the Rangers

do better with LaRussa as the Manager? Would this team be in the playoffs now?

by SanDiegoKev on Oct 6, 2009 2:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

much as I don't like LaRussa

I really respect his ability to get every last advantage he can out of a game. Would that have translated into a trip to the playoffs… I don’t know. I think we would easily have 4-5 more wins than we do now, but I don’t think that would have been enough to catch the Angels in the end.

by MikeEl on Oct 6, 2009 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs