“I don’t see where the Diamondbacks should catch all this (expletive) they’re catching,” La Russa said . . . La Russa believes the Pirates were still responsible regardless of intent.
The crux of his argument lies in what he believes to be the Pirates’ pitching philosophy. They don’t just pitch inside, La Russa said. They pitch up and in. And by choosing to do so, they have to live with the consequences.
Which is idiotic baloney. Since when are there consequences for accidents? And indeed, the hitting of Paul Goldschmidt was clearly an accident and there is no one in their right mind who can say it wasn’t. To claim, then, that the Pirates were to blame for this is nonsensical.
If, however, his view is that the mere fact of pitching up and in is the offense -- not hitting Goldschmidt - then congratulations, Tony, you have added yet another page to the overflowing Unwritten Rules Book you authored when you were manager of the Cardinals. Thou Shalt Not Pitch Up and In can go right next to Thou Shalt Not Be Angry With Oneself For Messing Up and It Is Perfectly Alright For Pitchers To Shout Expletives At Hitters When They Do Not Succeed. There are scores of others too. They make no sense and are often contradictory, but the common thread is that whatever team Tony La Russa happens to be working for at the time is correct and the other team is disrespectful and wrong.
This is pure bull and La Russa either knows it is or thinks we’re all idiots. Or maybe both. I have no idea. All I do know is that Major League Baseball’s failure to discipline Randall Delgado or Kirk GIbson over Saturday’s incident is a disgrace.