Top Seven Tony La Russa Player Enemies

As a Cardinal fan, it’s easy to say that there is no more interesting guy to have as your team’s manager than Tony La Russa. The problem with saying that is that if you’re not a fan of any other team, you really have no way of knowing. 

Regardless, there is a definite love/hate deal going on with La Russa as a Cardinal fan.  You love him when he squeezes 86 wins despite having three parking cones as a closer as he did in 2008. 

You love him when he manages to win a game with So Taguchi hitting in the three hole. You hate him when you go to a game and he’s got the “C” team in there, and you hate him when he makes his 14th pitching change of the current at-bat.

Another interesting aspect of watching Tony La Russa over the last 13 years has been how easy it is to tell when he dislikes or is annoyed by a player. He doesn’t make it much of a secret.  This week’s Top Seven looks at those fortunate folks. 

It was kind of hard to narrow it down to seven.

7. Adam Kennedy

In the next labor contract, there needs to be a clause in there on the minimum standards a player must meet in order to demand a trade. Kennedy had two atrocious years in St. Louis, and with one year left on a terrible contract, he asked to be traded. 

He hit .219 with a .282 OB% and a .290 (!) SLG% in 2007.  Compared to that year, last year he was Jeff Kent in 2000, but still only hit .280 with a .321 OB%, and still with no power. 

Even after his release was granted, he was still bickering in the media over how La Russa treated him. He was an invitee to the Rays' camp. Perhaps someone will drill him in the back in a Spring Training game.

6. Kerry Robinson

A St. Louis-born player, Robinson still found a way to get on the fans’ nerves, too, like when he’d swing on a 2-0 pitch down by two in the ninth with no one on. It was easy to tell that La Russa was annoyed by him, too (though one wonders how he got to the majors in the first place—he had no power and a low OB%). 

This was proven in the book Three Nights in August, when La Russa told Jose Oquendo that “if (Robinson) starts another game this year, I’ll kiss your ass.”  The next night, he hit a game-winning homer against the Cubs. It was his only homer of the year and one of three in his entire career.

5. Anthony Reyes

This list could have easily included J.D. Drew, but for once, I’m going to take the high road and not include J.D. in a list (his back is already injured this year by the way).  It may have been the hat or the socks, but Reyes could never get in with La Russa or his Siamese twin, Dave Duncan.

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