Roger's finger 'stuff'

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by GarthB

You're giving LaRussa far too much credit. I believe his low key approach has more to do with Leyland knowing where the bodies are buried in St. Louis side of the field. Leyland worked with LaRussa.

LaRussa's skirt isn't all that clean. If he had come out and demanded a cavity search of Rogers, Leyland would have come out and the St, Louis pitchers, or the source of their goo, would be subjected to the same treatment.

LaRussa practically admitted this with a comment that basically said that everyone was looking for an edge and as along as it didn't go too far, it was okay.

Well, as I said, Tavarez got 10 days in 2004 when he played for the Cards and he got caught with pine tar on his hat brim.

When LaRussa was with Oakland....and I think that this happened in the 1989 ALCs.....a clubhouse attendant in Toronto found an emery board in Dennis Eckersley's glove after a game. LaRussa brought Eckersley in to close the next night, and the Jay's manager, Cito Gaston, immediately went to the home plate umpire to ask for a search of Eckersley's glove. I think that the ump was Davey Phillips- he talked about this play in his book iirc. The tv cameras caught Eckersley shoving something down his pants, but they never had a good shot of what it was. Phillips never found anything in the glove, and he said afterwards that there was nowayinhell that he was going into Eckersley's pants. So, yes, I agree that laRussa know what real life is like from both sides. Btw, also iirc that game ended with an Eckersley strike-out and the Oakland catcher then giving the Toronto bench the finger. That incident played big on the sports pages for a while too back then.

[David B]

Originally Posted by GarthB

You're giving LaRussa far too much credit. I believe his low key approach has more to do with Leyland knowing where the bodies are buried in St. Louis side of the field. Leyland worked with LaRussa.

LaRussa's skirt isn't all that clean. If he had come out and demanded a cavity search of Rogers, Leyland would have come out and the St, Louis pitchers, or the source of their goo, would be subjected to the same treatment.

LaRussa practically admitted this with a comment that basically said that everyone was looking for an edge and as along as it didn't go too far, it was okay.

Great perspective and I believe very true. Baseball is a dirty game - its not all good ole boys as its portrayed on TV.

We've been there as umpires in HS college and down and even with friends there is nothing above reproach when it comes to winning.

LaRussa knows what would have happened, Leyland's been around the block a few times and LaRussa probably knows that his pitchers might not be able to withstand the same treatments??

Makes you wonder ...

thanks
David