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Tony LaRussa’s Controversial Intentional Walk Decision Recalls Incident From the 1972 World Series!

“Is there some question on whether that was a good move or not? Does anybody really think, given the count, I should have gone after Turner?” -Tony LaRussa, defending his controversial decision to walk Trea Turner on a 1-2 count. 

Tony LaRussa’s controversial decision last Thursday to walk Trea Turner on a 1-2 count has set the baseball world abuzz. To recall the circumstances, there were two outs in the sixth inning with the Dodgers leading the White Sox 7-5. On base was Freddie Freeman who had singled and had now advanced to second on an 0-2 wild pitch courtesy of reliever Bennett Sousa.

So first base was open. On deck was Max Muncy, hitting a robust .159. Turner, a career .300 hitter, was then given the controversial free pass ordered by Sox manager Tony LaRussa.

Tony’s grand plan immediately blew up in his face. Muncy proceeded to launch an opposite-field three-run homer, giving the Dodgers a 10-7 lead. As Muncy rounded the bases, he turned to the White Sox dugout, and if you could read lips, you’d see that he had some choice words for LaRussa and he let the White Sox’ skipper know it. The Dodgers held on to win the game 11-9. Tony’s decision proved to be a disaster.

Was It Really a Bad Move?…Yes, Actually!

When you put all the factors into consideration, it’s actually not hard to understand LaRussa’s reasoning. With two out and first base open, why pitch to a .303 lifetime hitter when a .159 hitter is on deck? But it’s the 1-2 count that changes the dynamics of the situation, and something that Tony, with all his experience at the managerial helm, apparently didn’t consider. According to David Schoenfield in his ESPN article about the incident:

“Turner is a .222 hitter with two strikes and a .197 hitter with a 1-2 count. The overall major league average in 2022 with two strikes is .167 and .161 on a 1-2 count. That’s why you also rarely see a two-strike intentional walk. The odds remain in the pitcher’s favor, no matter the matchup…The best part of the whole episode…was the microphone that caught one fan yelling ‘He’s got two strikes, Tony!’ and, ‘Tony, what are you doing?’ before Muncy homered.”

If only Muncy had struck out, would we even be talking about this? Oh well, I doubt they’ll be removing Tony’s Hall of Fame plaque any time soon.

(In the featured photo we see a young Tony LaRussa in his first “go-round” as White Sox manager.)

A Similar Situation in the 1972 World Series

The controversial intentional walk decision brings to mind something similar from the third game of the 1972 World Series between the Reds and the A’s. Some of us older guys remember the series very well. And when it was pointed out to me by our loyal reader Michael Keedy, my baseball history antenna and alarm bells immediately went off. I’d be remiss in my duties as your friendly baseball historian if I didn’t call it to your attention. Although in that situation, the outcome was completely different; and, by contrast, A’s manager Dick Williams came away looking like a crafty genius.

The 1972 pennant-winning Reds were managed by Sparky Anderson, and the A’s by Dick Williams. Like LaRussa, they’re both Hall of Famers. The A’s eventually won the series in seven games. Twelve years later, in 1984, the two managers would meet again in the Fall Classic, but this time they had switched leagues: Williams was at the helm of the Nation League’s San Diego Padres, while Anderson was managing the American League’s Detroit Tigers.

In the third game of the series with the Reds leading 1-0 in the eighth inning, a rare sneaky play occurred, instigated by Dick Williams:

The Reds had Joe Morgan on third and Bobby Tolan on first base with Rollie Fingers pitching to National League MVP Johnny Bench. Fingers pitched carefully to Bench before Tolan stole second base on ball three. After the stolen base, with the count 3–2 on Bench, A’s manager Dick Williams visited the mound. After a long discussion, he motioned for an intentional walk to Bench. A’s catcher Gene Tenace stood to catch ball four, but at the last second returned to his crouch as Fingers delivered a strike on the outside corner. Bench watched the pitch go by for strike three. (Wikipedia)

Thanks to Dick Williams’s move—a combination of guile, guts, and hutzpah— Bench, completely taken by surprise, was called out on strikes and the Reds were out of the inning. They held on for a 1-0 victory. Did Dick Williams earn his ticket to the Hall with that sneaky play? Surely it was on the minds of the voters when he was elected in 2008.

Two Very Successful Managers

Both Dick Williams and Tony LaRussa have been very successful. Williams managed 21 years in the majors posting a 1,571-1,451 record (.520). Dick has four pennants and two World Series titles on his resume. Tony LaRussa is one of the most successful managers in history. He’s second all-time in career wins behind only Connie Mack. In 35 years, over 5315 games, Tony has posted a 2838-2463 record (.536). His teams have won six pennants and three World Series titles.

Tony Doubles Down!

Following the game, Tony defended his decision and was actually shocked that anyone thought the call was controversial (see quote above). But the Chicago press – and even the national press – have been merciless. With the White Sox underachieving so far this year, many are now openly calling into question Tony’s fitness to manage at his advanced age. But with the support of loyal White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, it’s unlikely Tony will be going anywhere soon. 

Tony has survived a lot of controversy over his long career. So I have a hunch he’ll survive this one too. Tony needs a nice 10-game winning streak to finally put this one behind him!

Gary Livacari 

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Information: Excerpts edited from ESPN online article by David Schoenfield; and from Wikipedia article on the 1972 World Series.