St. Louis Cardinals’ Tony La Russa central to team’s success – MLB Update
St. Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa has repeatedly denied playing a part in his team’s success this season and instead has laid the onus on the players for showing immense unity and character. However, critics and the players alike believe that La
Russa’s managerial skills should be acknowledged and respected.
When September began, the Cardinals were 8.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card Standings. La Russa injected the required impetus in the squad and thereafter, there was no turning back. Not only did the Cardinals edged past
the Braves for a postseason berth, they overcame the NL East Champions Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series and then annihilated the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS to become the tenth Wild Card team in the history of Majors to qualify for the World
Series.
Explaining this run, La Russa said, "Improbable, incredible, overwhelming."
La Russa has earned respect from the dugout and believes that his methodology of approaching every game as the last game has played a vital role in doing so.
Praising his manager’s approach, Marc Rzepczynski said, "You know, he's been great. He takes every day, day by day. We've done that. When the next day game comes on, we get ready for that game, and at the end we get ready for the next one."
David Freese, who was named MVP of NLCS, agreed with La Russa’s thinking and stated that this is what every team should do in this game. Freese went a step ahead and praised the team for showing immense unity and craving for success.
La Russa faced problems when injuries came in surplus for the Cardinals, but did not panic and kept his cool. Clarifying his approach on this matter, La Russa stressed that a lot of it is dependent on character and self-belief. He added that the players
took every game as their last game and played with their hearts. This is what matters the most.
"You know, it's not my approach; it's the Cardinal approach," La Russa said. "That's what this franchise is famous for: Play hard every day, minimize mistakes.”
La Russa has won World Series in both leagues as manager and is the third in the list of all-time managerial victories. For all the hard-work he has put in, he will settle for nothing less than a title this year.
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