If you are the best hitter in baseball like Albert Pujols is, your manager does not take the bat out of your hands by attempting to steal when you are at the plate. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa must have forgetten this baseball rule of thumb because Friday he did exactly that. Pujols did not take to this well at all and threw a little tantrum according to the St Louis Post Dispatch:
Pujols flipped his bat and helmet as he returned to the dugout then smacked two trays of gum from a bench against the Cardinals dugout wall.
La Russa reprimanded Pujols, saying, “That’s enough.” Pujols responded and, according to eyewitnesses, the exchange escalated with La Russa telling Pujols at one point, “I (expletive) know how to manage.”
That last part of the quote is the best. If you follow baseball, you know that Tony La Russa is a hot head. This is not exactly out of character for him. Pujols, however, has been frustrated lately since he only has one home run this month. We will find out really soon if this is just a minor incident or a sign of bigger trouble to come.
As great as Pujols is — and considering they are already talking about his next contract — the Cardinals organization may want to keep an eye on this sort of thing. There are not many things that drive a wedge between teams like fights between the star player and the manager/coach. We also know who usually wins with management, and I will give you a hint: it’s the player.