Posted on 10/25/2011 6:41:21 AM PDT by doug from upland
La Russa asks bullpen “Can you hear me now?” October 25, 2011 By Bill Pollock
Remember playing the game “Telephone” as a kid? You sat in your classroom and the first kid was given a statement by the teacher they had to memorize then repeat back to the next classmate and so on and so on down the line? “Sally took a batch of cookies over to their new neighbors who just moved in where the Robinson’s lived before the husband Mike moved to Seattle to take a job as a pilot.” That statement was whispered through the classroom until the last kid in class stood up and recited… “Sally burnt her lip on hot cocoa.” It wasn’t that extreme in Game Five of the World Series, but the conversations between pitcher coach Dave Duncan and bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist got crossed up enough that it gave the Texas Rangers a pitching matchup that favored hitter Mike Napoli.
Mike Napoli hit a two run double off with the bases loaded off Mark Rzepczynski. Manager Tony LaRussa wanted Jason Motte warming up at the same time, but the crowd was too loud for bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist to hear the instructions over the phone. If La Russa had his way, he would have brought Motte into the game to face Napoli, but he was never ready in time. Of all times and people to have this happen to. Napoli has nine RBIs in the series, while the rest of the Rangers have combined for 10.
After the game when Napoli was interviewed by Fox Sports on the field, Napoli was asked if he was surprised he was facing a lefty. Napoli replied that with La Russa, you never know what to expect.
The video explanation = http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7146838/2011-world-series-crowd-noise-causes-st-louis-cardinals-bullpen-confusion
Cellphones are nearly useless during big events like this as it overwhelms the system unless the providers install temporary systems to handle the traffic. I couldn’t even post a Facebook comment from my iPhone during a sparsely populated Reds businessman’s special.
I still don’t get this... If the game is SO fragile these days -where you need a CERTAIN pitcher to pitch to a CERTAIN batter, or else you’re gonna lose the game.. you DESERVE to lose the game because your TEAM as a whole aren’t enough.
It kinda drives me bananas the way MLB uses pitchers like this now. I remember when pitchers were men, they pitched to a WHOLE team, beating them or getting beat. They didn’t blame it on a lack of cellphones.
YEA,some genius!
If one pitcher had to pitch the whole game, I never would have seen my Texas Rangers send in Jose Canseco pitch against the Sox’s. One of the funniest ever.
Lets go RANGERS!!
It’s no secret the Cards and LaRussa aren’t the most respected team in the MLB... They are known, as Brandon Phillips of the Red’s eloquently put it, “are a bunch of bitches”.
Always whining and blaming others.
So the excuses have started. How about the fact that the Rangers just outplayed the Cards last night? Is that even a possibility? Apparently not to some sports analysts.
Go Rangers!!!!
Second only to the fly ball that landed on his head.
Classic! lol.
How about the fact that the Rangers just outplayed the Cards last night?
Don’t ever use this line of reasoning when debating Red Sox fans. In their line of reasoning, there ARE no other teams, ergo, there MUST be some esoteric or cosmic forces at play to account for their loss...
I remember when a coach would simply look at the bullpen and tap either his left arm or right arm to signal which relief pitcher he wanted to come in.
True dat! The Cardinal fans are still living off game 3.
Yeah, and playing in the World Series. Where was Brandon Phillips last night?
Wait, let's start with this...who is Brandon Phillips?
Yeah, he's no Punto. *cough*
Im pretty sure they warmed up prior to that.
Apparently the stadium is configured such that the bullpen is not visible from the visitor’s dugout.
Maybe, but Punto was busy last night.
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