Author Topic: The 2007 All-Star Game  (Read 11645 times)

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Offline shoeshineboy

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Re: The 2007 All-Star Game
« Reply #175: July 11, 2007, 11:15:50 AM »
Mr. Bowden, if Pujols is this unhappy, make a TRADE to bring Pujols to Washington!  We can send them Bacsik and Simmontacchi, who apparently has cult status there.  Pujols was born in the Dominican Republic along with Manny Acta.

I was starting to think the same thing, but Pujols is a diva and will always act like this if he doesn't get attention. I would take him in a heartbeat, but I don't see him going anywhere. Being a god on the Cardinals is a great place for a ballplayer to be, and he knows it. He's perfectly justified in being upset about this. All players should want to compete. But it was likely someone was left out. I could see him being preserved for extra innings or just the right moment. But to me, that moment was when it was bases loaded.

Offline nats2playoffs

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Re: The 2007 All-Star Game
« Reply #176: July 11, 2007, 11:35:48 AM »
Pujols was drafted #1 in most fantasy baseball leagues, and the Cardinals are the defending World Series champions.  LaRussa's logic was that Pujols could play a lot of positions if the game went into extra innings.  But in the words of NFL Jets/Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards, "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!"  Pujols was there to hit the ball out, or drive in two runs to WIN the game!  LaRussa LOST because he PLANNED to LOSE!!


Offline shoeshineboy

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Re: The 2007 All-Star Game
« Reply #177: July 11, 2007, 11:51:30 AM »
LaRussa's logic was that Pujols could play a lot of positions if the game went into extra innings.

I heard him say something similar during the game and it made sense then. But it was about holding him for the right moment late, not for extra innings. Tony's desire to have Pujols available for extra innings would not have been counteracted by pinch hitting him there. One of three things happen. He either ends the game with a loss, ends the game with a win, or they tie and go into extra innings. I really doubted that they would walk in the tying run, and if he puts the ball in play, it is more likely that it would end the game one way or another with bases loaded. If they did end up tying he goes into the game instead of Rowand. They would move Soriano over to CF and he said that Pujols could play LF if need be. This was an allstar game, not a regular season game where you would hold onto a bench player for extra innings. It would have made more sense to send Albert up there. I almost assume that LaRussa was judging Albert from his numbers this year and not on his career performance.