Tony La Russa

I know some Tony La Russa detractors, and I have to admit that there were times during his tenure as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals that his micro-managing and convoluted strategies would drive me crazy. But it's hard to argue with results, and even before the miraculous 2011 season, I felt that there was nobody in baseball who devoted more energy and intelligence to the game.

And then came 2011. Devastating injuries, including a season-ending one for Adam Wainwright in spring training. Struggles in the bullpen. Long losing streaks. Ten and a half games out in late August. After that point, the character of the team, their ability to take it and keep coming back, came to the forefront. It seemed there was never a time that the Cardinals did not have their backs to the wall, especially in game 6 of the World Series when they were twice down to their last strike. It was the single most exhilarating game I've ever seen. And I'm very thankful that it lit a spark in my younger son Jacob. He became a fan that night, and now he and I have had many pleasurable times watching and talking baseball together.

Anyway, La Russa is responsible for that more than any single man. This book is a well-told tale of that season, and La Russa's reminiscences of previous players and seasons. A most enjoyable book for any baseball fan, and especially for a Cardinal fan.… (més)

As a converted Cardinal fan, the 2011 season was a roller coaster ride of a season, one that tested every fan's capacity for excitement. The subsequent post season became a microcosm of the season, albeit in a much more exciting form and a more compressed time scale.

I had hoped that someone would write a book about the season, but I was delighted and a bit conflicted after hearing that Tony La Russa was working on such a book. excited because I knew we would get a look behind the curtain, conflicted because La Russa has always been somewhat aloof and closed up about what he did and his relationship with other people. This book has both surprised me by its openness at points and reinforced my initial reaction.

La Russa has had a reputation for being extremely cerebral as a manager and somewhat cold hearted. He makes an incredibly detailed and emotional recount of the year that was 2011 for the Cardinals. He starts the story at the end of the 2010 season, recounting the disappointment of the season and the post season moves. he occasionally takes side trips into his past, as a player and as a coach to recall lessons learned and experiences gained. True to form, there weren't too many good old boy back slapping stories, although the narrative was not devoid of humor and comradry,

The salient and very precise recounting of every critical decision he made throughout the season was a phenomenal bonus. True to form, La Russa was reasoned, detailed, and incredibly hard on himself for the miscalculations and mistakes. He proved to be extremely sentimental about former players and coaches and showed a side of himself that the fans don't often see. He wasn't completely magnanimous though, as he recounted various runinsa nd feuds that he had with others. His recounting of his run-in with Ozzie Smith during Ozzies last season was curt and unchanged from what he had said all along. His recounting of the controversy between him and Dusty Baker over the 2012 all star selection choices was also brusque and almost dismissive. he didn't even mention Baker by name.

In the end, this book could and should be dissected by anyone looking to become a coach and/or manager, regardless of sport. It is a recounting of a manager going about his craft, "grinding" it out as La Russa puts it and it is a grand lesson in the coaching profession which happen to culminated in a world series championship season. It is also a very detailed recounting of a great Cardinal year and an emotional farewell to a great manager. 11 in '11.… (més)