A Young Little Puppy

I'm pretty sure Brett, our spazzy Maple Syrup national hero, is encouraging Colby Rasmus to "Kill the Tony, bro."

The comments Gregg Zaun made last week really rubbed me the wrong way.  It came off like a media personality trying to get attention by saying something sort of dickish instead of a baseball player who knows what he is talking about.  It bothered me that Zaun called out not only Colby Rasmus, but Jose Bautista, too. First of all, getting in someone's face only works for some guys. One of Rasmus' problems with LaRussa (at least according to Colby's dad) was that LaRussa used to call him out in the clubhouse in front of the entire team. His dad described him as both very quiet and very proud, and LaRussa's approach embarrassed Rasmus and he basically blocked the manager out.  His dad said LaRussa would've been better served talking to Colby privately. 

Of course, Rasmus Sr. is well practised in dealing with his kid's personality, but any sort of careful observation of people lets one know that some people rise up when criticized in public and some just shut down.  It's key knowing the difference.  One could also argue that a manager shouldn't cater to individual players, especially baby ones.  But I would say, keeping in mind a team's ultimate goal of winning, that figuring out ways to get each player to perform to the best of his ability lends quite nicely to that goal. 

But I have personal stakes being pro-Rasmus in the LaRussa vs Rasmus situation.  Perhaps my favourite player ever to wear a Jays uniform was a malcontent traded out of St.Louis because LaRussa rubbed him the wrong way.  Scott Rolen might have been a crabby man, but he also had a lot of pride in his work and in playing the game in the so-called "right way."  My love for Scott Rolen is deep. 

Tony LaRussa publicly questioned Rolen's character when he was injured.  And they stopped talking to each other during the 2006 playoffs. LaRussa talked to the press about how he was never going to cater to Rolen ahead of the team without realizing that those hard-nosed players will give back whatever respect that is given and leave everything on the field. 

There is a aura that surrounds LaRussa in baseball that has always made me roll my eyes a little. He's been very successful, obviously, but he also has an ego that won't quit.

The Zaun comments also bothered me because I don't ever recall Rasmus dogging it. Every player does it, except maybe Lawrie, whose only setting is Full Tilt.  But I don't remember Rasmus doing it often enough to see a pattern. And to call out Bautista, who already gets in Escobar's face and is widely hailed as being an excellent leader, is really unnecessary.  I remember Bautista grabbing Rasmus by the sleeve to come over for a chat during Rasmus' first game. I see them talking a lot in Sprint Training. 

Rasmus was chattier the other day than he has been his entire time in Toronto. Of all the things he said, this was my favourite:

"It won't be like St. Louis, where I'm just a young little puppy and everybody wants to teach me the tricks and beat me down and tell me I'm doing things wrong."

Someone please ask him to "Sit pretty!"

I'm hoping for Rasmus this season.  I hope he can catch on to Lawrie's relentlessly energy, fit in with the rest of the boys and finds his stroke.


Rasmus also called John Farrell "Mr.John" when he first arrived in Toronto.  I really hope he has kept that up. That is some good ol' boy shit.