Just not a lot going on right now, so some general thoughts:
- The Cardinals say they have extended the time frame on the GM search. Also, LaRussa is getting daily reports on what’s going on, who they are talking to, etc., so it’s pretty obvious that Tony will be back for another year. The only way that extending the search turns out to be a positive thing is if the Cardinals bring in someone like a Chris Antonelli who is involved in the playoffs. If they take this valuable time and then just let Mozeliak have the job, they are really putting themselves behind the eight ball when it comes to things like contacting free agents, setting priorities, etc. Because, reasonably, Mozeliak can’t be planning all that far in advance since he doesn’t know if it’s his job or not.
That said, what is the new GM going to think about having a manager already in place, and not only a manager, but a Hall-of-Famer who has the undivided attention of management? If they want to get their own guy in there, even if it’s next year, do they have the freedom to let Tony go? When push comes to shove, who is DeWitt going to listen to? To get top talent in that job, DeWitt is going to have to assure them that they outrank the field manager. That could be hard for him to do.
- Josh Beckett is proving to be the next John Smoltz. It’s amazing how well he pitches in big games. I wanted Cleveland to win last night, but I knew when they got down 2-1, it was probably over. The only thing that gave Cleveland some hope was his response after the Lofton incident. He seemed to be overly pumped after that, having a little trouble with location and the Indians got two on with two out, but couldn’t convert. Then the Red Sox started tacking on and that was that.
