65%

Especially because political approval ratings (unless I’m mistaken) are a simple measurement of “yes” versus “no” on the question “do you approve of ____”. This requires a bit more thinking.
Generally I like LaRussa. He’s an interesting mix of “set in his ways” and “quirky outside the box” managing. Maybe he’s “set in his once-quirky ways with the occasional dash of newness” or something. I’ll give him a 67%. I actually dig the sunglasses, and I dock him a couple points for the ARF stuff. It’s not that I don’t like puppies and kittens and hamsters or whatever. I’m just really getting tired of Celebrities Who Care About The Animals™.

75%

82%

80%…Love this idea.

I think, for the most part, Tony is a good in game strategist. The tinkering with the lineup rubs me the wrong way somtimes, and some of the stuff off the field, I could do without.

Overall I respect Tony, and I’m happy he’s presided over a pretty successful run for the Cardinals.

73%

74%

81%

Docking five points for the vegetarianism thing, and another five for being a lawyer.

/kidding about the rationale

I’m giving him bonus points for his charity work with animals.

3 or 4 years ago, I would have had him at 95+, but I think he is either slipping, or he is just to intent on TONY-fying baseball. Either way he is still doing a fine job (you can’t argue with results), I just wish he would tone it down a notch (see what I did there? pats my own back for that one).

85%..

He’s awesome

80%

Overall I like Tony and think we are lucky to have him. My gripes include too many hit and runs, the whole micromanaging the bullpen thing, and the fact that he hits Albert 3rd instead of 4th (Not trying to start another debate on that, just a personal feeling on the matter).

or higher loses bitching rights this season. Robots never forget.

60%

After reading the Bissinger book, I just can get over how often he play hunches and makes decisions based on 10 plate appearances.

Like
- his candor
- preparedness
- playing a hard nine

Dislike
- constant tinkering
- protectiveness
- his media baited bickering

He does a lot of things that bother me, but I think he’s a fine manager overall.

The Cardinals are competitive season in, season out and LaRussa plays a big part in it. When he has talent, LaRussa leads them to 105 wins (2004). When talent lacks or injuries plague us, he is still able to get us in the pennant talking. All in all, he’s good yet tends to overmanage some games…

A lot of his decisions and general baseball philosophy piss me off, but the dude gets results. Also I am pretty sure that Pujols loves him which gives him 50% out of the gate.

Though he will end up giving me a heart attack, he is the best in the game.

since the White Sox. I was glad the Cards brought him in. I was getting tired of him, but now I am ok with him again. So he is back up to 82.7%

The 20% I dislike can really tick me off, but there is no manager currently in baseball that I would trade him for.

Base score 85% +10% ARF +5% vegetarian + 5% wife and daughters like Iron Maiden -10% for sticking his hands under his armpits like Molly Shannon’s SNL character, “superstar” +5% for cool friends like Bellicheck and Parcells -5% for association w/Bobby “the choker” Knight -20% for DUI +10% for fessing up that he messed up and not make excuses -5% for succumbing to media Trolls on the Jim Ed fiasco +5% for being a lawyer -5% for being a lawyer +5% for LaDunc combination +5% for 3 nights in August
Total score = 90%

I have to doc him massive points on his cognitive biases that he runs the team: superstion, seeing patterns in random data, man love on things that can not be proven empirically (not counting grit, of course) et cetera.

I give him a failing grade of 45%for being the anti Thomas Gilovich.

He’s a winner, he has ARF, hasa law degree, he goes to concerts, I go to concerts, he doesn’t kiss and tell; a true baseball man. He does have a former family that he kinda just dumped. Dock 15% for that.

I don’t like the drama with players, but I do like how he deflects attention from the media to protect his players. Above all, he reminds me of my dad. Once you get on my dad’s good side, you are forever on his good side. He will forever shop at your store, buy gas from you, etc. But once you cross him, you will have forever crossed him. This is basically Tony.

I’m going to go 85%. We are still champions and we are still under Bill Simmons’ 5-year no bitch grace rule.

You know when you’re bowling and you only knock down 1 measly pin? Now, you can look your cub fan friends in the eye and say, “it’s time to pull a La Russa. I’m picking up the hard nine.” I like that I can be extra motivated for those moments thanks to Tony.

85%. Before the WS win, this would have been WAY lower, but he seemed to pull all the right strings through that run. I am not a fan of the micro-managing of games, just let your players play is what i think. Since the WS win though, I have warmed up to Tony quite a bit. I also like the fact that he looks like the Ozzman when he gets excited and jumps around lol.

They are up in my blog entry today, but overall, TLR comes in with a 79.5% rating. Just here on VEB, it’s 80.5. New one coming in a moment!

I’d say 90% because the Cards have been very successful during his tenure.
He got McGwire to come here (and we all loved the HR race at the time) and Albert likes him.

The worst move he’s ever made was not pinch hitting Pujols in the All-Star Game two years ago. You just know Pujols would have hit a walk-off grand slam. I still curse that display of micro-managing every time I think about it. Luckily it was a game that didn’t mean anything.

85%

Great idea!

I think he continually making us competitive is great, but it’s really not all that wonderful when we don’t end up making the playoffs (and yes, I remember 2006). It feels like he’s getting senile and more full of his approach with older age and the years and years of experience, and I really want him to just hang it up. I honestly can’t see Oquendo doing a much worse job (not that TLR is doing a horrible job).

for me as I am not really a fan of either his managerial style or his personality. A few years ago I would have given him a higher rating, but since he won the WS in ’06 he seems to have gotten far more arrogant while being less of an asset to the team.

You can’t deny the guy has had success, but I think manager’s impacts in general and TLRs impact in StL in particular are overrated. He probably cost the Cardinals several wins last year with his stubborn insistence on playing injured/non-performing players who were favorites of his.

75%. He’s had the luxury of one of the highest payrolls in the NL Central during his tenure. How much credit should he get considering the level of talent on his rosters? I give him some credit for trying things like hitting the pitcher 8th when no one else would attempt it. However, that’s offset by his stubbornness and more than occasional comments to the press that unnecessarily piss off his players and undermine the front office.

I’m going to focus on the negative because it’s easier. He’s been successful and we all know it so let’s not go there.

1) Much of his success came with the help of Dave Duncan, I believe
2) Kennedy in the OF is ludicrous
3) That whole drunk driving incident…imagine how pissed he would have been if it had been a player? (Picture what he’d say if Colby did it…)
4) I liked Scott Rolen. I know it’s good we don’t have him anymore, but sheesh.
5) We all knew Izzy was broken
6) Arrogance.

94 percent.

Downgraded for his dickishness to anyone who doesn’t fit in his system. But take a look at where the team was when he arrived (somewhere between first and second division) to where they are now (they’ve been competitive in all but two years he’s been here). Oh, plus . . . two WS appearances, with one ring. It’s pretty difficult to argue against those results.

Don’t have anything to say that hasn’t been spelled out in detail already.