SAN FRANCISCO – Tony La Russa left fans scratching their heads, never getting Albert Pujols into last night’s All-Star Game, especially in the last inning with the ba
ses loaded and two out.
It was the bizarre non-move of the night. With the National League trailing 5-4, La Russa had the perfect chance to pinch-hit Pujols. Instead he allowed Aaron Rowand to hit and he flied out to right to end the game.
“Once [Miguel] Cabrera’s shoulder made him unavailable, [Freddie] Sanchez was going to be the do everything guy, became the third baseman,” La Russa said. “So you had to save somebody you could use all over the place, and, you know, the game was close enough to where if we tied it there in the ninth, somebody has to play in the 10th. So Albert was the guy. Very versatile.”
Evidently not versatile enough to pinch hit with the game on the line. Just another example of La Russa over-managing. And it didn’t sit well with Pujols.
“It’s the All-Star Game. He can do what he wants,” Pujols said. “He does whatever he wants. If I wasn’t expecting to play, I wouldn’t have come up here.”
Pujols, the NL MVP in 2005 and key to the Cardinals’ win in the World Series last year, said La Russa didn’t talk to him the entire game.
“If he wants to get upset, he can get upset,” La Russa said. “Whatever he wants to do, he can do. It’s America. That wasn’t the most important thing tonight.”
With the 32-man rosters, the AL used 27 players, while the NL used 28. Pujols and Texas shortstop Michael Young – last year’s All-Star Game MVP – were the only position players who didn’t get into the game.
– With AP