Toronto’s outgoing manager Cito Gaston doesn’t have much good to say about Tony La Russa.
Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston is finishing his final week in his second stint managing the only remaining MLB club north of the border and has done a fine job just to survive in baseball’s toughest division. Regularly dealing with New York, Boston and Tampa Bay, the 2010 Jays still have posted an identical 82-76 record with St. Louis this season.
Just don’t compare the two clubs’ managers.
In an article in the Toronto Globe and Mail focused on his legacy, Gaston showed little respect for his former American League rival the first time around in the 1980’s, Tony La Russa. The latter is generally considered a Hall of Fame lock while Gaston is not. That seems to eat away at Cito.
“How many World Series has LaRussa won?” he asks with his calm, deep-voiced self-confidence. “He won two. How many have I won? I won two.”
Gaston is unimpressed by La Russa’s absorbed managerial style.
“I think those guys are just a little busy,” Gaston said. “You can only play this game so many kinds of ways. [LaRussa] stands at the top of the dugout, he walks and walks. But a lot of things I see from coaches and managers are just busy.”
Further, Gaston was either unaware that La Russa was also a former major league player or simply chose to forget that fact.
“And you know, I don’t think he played in the big leagues. [LaRussa, in fact, played for parts of six seasons, hitting .199 in 176 at-bats]. I’m not getting on him, but I think people who played at this level are a little calmer when they’re coaching and managing than people who haven’t played at this level.”
Gaston then went into how much his players respected him while conveniently not addressing the reality that La Russa has accumulated nearly three times as many career wins as he (2,634 to 891).
I can understand why Gaston is proud for being the first black manager to win the World Series, but his credentials for the Hall won’t improve by trying to take down La Russa.
Apparently, La Russa has been a source of irritation for Gaston for years. Another Toronto article this week, this one from the Toronto Star, oddly dredged up this 1994 quote from Cito.
“. . . The fact that I am being honoured with a doctorate in law even gives me a leg up on Tony La Russa, manager of the A’s, who only has a regular degree in law. Tony’s a great guy and while he’s been named manager of the year and I haven’t, I’m the one with a University of Toronto degree — a favourable trade off as far as I’m concerned.”
Stay classy in retirement, Cito!
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Maybe Cito can get Buzz to help him write a book. I’d buy it.
Haven’t seen Buzz on Twitter lately. Perhaps the new medication is working.
One of these days he’ll throw the water cooloer through the window and be back amongst us.
Cito did not attend any college and was given an honorary degree because a celebrity. This is meaningless, like Al Gore’s Nobel in Peace.
Branch Rickey is one of a handful of MLB managers who had a law degree. The Cards have had 3, likely more than any other team.
Cito does have TLR beat in terms of ML play. No doubt about it.
“. . . The fact that I am being honoured with a doctorate in law even gives me a leg up on Tony La Russa, manager of the A’s, who only has a regular degree in law.
Uh…….duh. A law degree is a doctorate. That is why they call it a Juris DOCTOR. CG wasn’t really serious was he?
Cito who?
Here is an interesting story……
The University of California’s main campus has announced it will dump baseball after the 2011 season. This is like Notre Dame announcing it is going to drop out of college football.
This is an indicator of the financial times. The State of California is in horrendous financial straits. The college president must have elected to get rid of the college baseball team, whose recent graduates include Brandon Morrow, Tyson Ross, and for the Cards Allen Craig.
This may be a harbinger of things to come. College baseball is not a big money earner like football. More colleges may need to cutback in sports, in the years ahead. If so, this will seriously influence the opportunities available to talented high school ballplayers. More may need to turn pro at an earlier point, if the opportunities to receive athletic scholarships decline. ML teams may find amateurs cheaper to sign, if there become fewer college opportunities in the years ahead.
Reference comment #5, I hoped you would call that out, crdswmn!
I was quietly amused that several Toronto baseball writers were apparently not aware of that, either…
Chris Carpenter.
Cumulative record with the Cards: 84 wins versus just 33 losses.
His 5th strong season with the Cards in 2010. 235 innings pitched. Terrific job.