Backe acted like a wanker that series. He was miked up to FOX and drove me nuts, I've disliked him since.

If I am a NL pitcher, the last guy I want to tick off is El Hombre (fantastic nicknake, btw).

Pujols turned his rage into 2 HRs tonight, so Backe may want to backe off.

I love Albert Pujols. That is all.

If I am a NL pitcher, the last guy I want to tick off is El Hombre (fantastic nicknake, btw).

i had not heard that nickname-it is pretty good. i have always liked "The Great Pujois". It seemed appropriate, and it brought to mind Earnes hemingway and "The Great DiMaggio"-and that was before I checked Bas-Ref and saw that Albert's most similar by age was from 21-25 was Joe D.

El Hombre

I know most of the guys here get the reference but El Hombre means The Man, which links him to Musial. I just think that's really cool.

El Hombre como el Operacion del Hombro?

I remember Backe wearing a mic during the Astros/White Sox World Series. Aaron Rowand (one of my favorite players) was also wearing a mic. Backe pissed me off to an extent that I thought was humanly impossible. I now hate the man.

If they get into a duel, go Pujols!

Backe is a terrific competitor. He is real fan favorite among Astros' fans. And I have always loved watching him pitch, particularly after seeing his terrific performance in person at the NLCS game 5 in 2004. I wouldn't put all of this beyond typical LaRussa mind games. Pujols had a dirty slide against the Astros' rookie catcher. (And if it wasn't...why did he call to apologize to him afterwards?) Then LaRussa issues a quote that he thinks it's a great slide and he teaches his players to take the legs out from underneath catchers, following up with what sounds like a veiled threat that the catcher, Towles, is going to get hurt. If I didn't know better, that almost sounds like LaRussa was encouraging some kind of confrontation....

Pujols had a dirty slide against the Astros' rookie catcher. (And if it wasn't...why did he call to apologize to him afterwards?)

You can apologize for things that aren't dirty. It looked like a clean play to me, Pujols could reach the plate, the catcher was clearly going to make a play - when a catcher wants to concede, he stands a few feet in front of the plate with his hands at his side, not a few incheds in front of the plate (his closest foot), crouched, ready to receive the ball. Pujols slid for the plate and clipped the catcher. What's the BFD? I think Backe and the Astros are just pissed because they suck. It's frustrating to suck the way they do.

But, you're correct; Pujols realized hard slides isn't really his game, so he'll just club you to death.

It looked like a clean play to me,

Well I guess we just see the play differently. I'm not one to get upset with a hard play at the plate when a play is actually being made. But that was clearly an uncontested play...the ball was still in the outfield...and Pujols had room to touch the plate. Sure the apology is fine. But LaRussa's quotes only add fuel to the fire.

The ball arrived at the plate not long after Pujols. It isn't up to the runner to decide the play is over - he's running. It's up to the catcher. If the catcher wants to concede, he needs to make it clear.

I don't disagree with you on TLR. He usually shoots his mouth off too much.

The competition between he and I just escalated and it’s OK. It’s no big deal. This is what makes it fun.

He then smashed a folding chair over Cesar Izturis' back.

I don't disagree with you on TLR.

Not only do I don't disagree with Tricky Dick, I agree with him.

LaRussa is a Drama Queen. He'd be right at home in some ###### high-school-girl clique or some sorority.

I wish he'd be more like Bobby Cox and let his actions and the play on the field speak for itself without creating all this melodrama, week in, week out, every single season.

Let's save everyone some time: The Astros fans agree w/ the Astros side of the story, the Cards fans agree with the Cards side of the story, and no one else gives a ####.

I can't say a word they use on prime-time family TV shows?

He then smashed a folding chair over Cesar Izturis' back

Please tell me he took him out for the season?

Let's save everyone some time: The Astros fans agree w/ the Astros side of the story, the Cards fans agree with the Cards side of the story, and no one else gives a ####.

for the most part, I have had a couple of people in St Louis argue that it was possibly a dirty play, from my point of view it was a hard slide, not sure why Towles was where he was positioned for that play, as others have mentioned the play wasn't going to be close and positioning yourself for the catch makes you a target. The runner should have no clue where the ball is, once making the decision to score, he should have head down running full out to the plate not concerned with the ball, the catchers actions indicate where the ball is at, and the on deck guy indicates whether you slide or come in standing up. Albert didn't barrel Towles over, which is a play I hate in baseball but understand it's existence.

i had not heard that nickname-it is pretty good.

really? I guess it never really occurred to me that el hombre wasn't well known outside of St Louis, it's been his nickname pretty much since he came up. As mentioned it references Stans nickname while not co opting it (right Pudge Rodriguez??? :) )

I wish he'd be more like Bobby Cox and let his actions and the play on the field speak for itself without creating all this melodrama, week in, week out, every single season.

Yep those record number of ejections indicates a guy full of no melodrama. I think a lot of the supposed melodrama following TLR around is due to writers and fans having a strong reaction to tlr and putting actions or context into his words which aren't really there.

CFB, the difference is that Cox is doing it on the field, whereas TLR is constantly getting in the news for starting/continuing wars through the media. And he's being quoted.

Bobby Cox doesn't need to play mind games with the players, he plays his politics on the field to get the umps to give him a 5' wide strike zone, if someone says something about it then they are the ones being melodramatic. That is hilarious, Cox is such a drama queen about his team it's a joke. How many articles has he participated in where he is being interviewed for people to say "you are underecognized" just so he could put on the humble face and say "That's OK I don't need to be glorified, and I don't want to be. I just try to do the best job I can, day in and day out. Just win."

When TLR says a comment like that, it's him trying to be political, when Bobby Cox says it dozens times a year in articles who's only purpose is to spread some coxian love, it's him being a genuinely humble guy. Gimme a break, he's playing the press just the same way and people don't get it.

Cox is a great manager, but to think he doesn't use psychological ploys to help his team and boost his own perception in baseball is nuts.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/AF3FEB3BA935437886257427001448DD?OpenDocument
from this link

The start of the sixth inning was delayed when umpires wanted Houston to switch a sign behind home plate from being white when the Cardinals were in the field and black when the Astros were in the field.

I didn't know that that happened, I don't remember anything being said about that during the broadcast (of course I was at a bar and couldn't hear much anyway) Sounds like an interesting way to cheat.

Cox is a great manager, but to think he doesn't use psychological ploys to help his team and boost his own perception in baseball is nuts.

I never suggested that wasn't the case.

I'm talking about Tony's weekly appearance in the media where he's quoted making some contentious, confrontational, or antagonstic pronouncement. I guess Guillen in Chicago would be a similar example... as a fan of the team I could see that act growing tired quickly.

astros fan here

it wasn't a dirty slide. no high spikes, no pete rose hitting ray fosse crap

albert meant to take out towles, of course, but that is part of the game.

uncle is a darn good player. i hate him. he kills us.

brandon backe is one of those guys who is full of nervous energy and can't shut up and the fans love him. also, pitching two no run 8 inning games in the playoffs helps...

and i would guess backe is trying to stir up a moribund team. so props to him.

- grinning
but it look like he stired up uncle albert and not the stros - figgers.....

TLR is the kind of guy who, after losing a World Series game, complains about the lousy food at the hotel and the team's inability to get room service (blaming the home team for possibly, purposely screwing up the travel arrangements), then when participating in a long hagiographic RealSports piece designed to hype Three Nights in August says things like "to call me old school is basically the highest compliment you can pay me."

It's this sort of dissonance that makes him hard to like/root for (well that and the constant public brushback wars and the annoying haircut and and the too-cute over managing and the public and in-your-face friendship with, like, Bobby Knight--'cause you know they have being great genius coach-types in common, all of whichh speaks of a pretty healthy self-regard).

Bobby Cox, on the other hand, manages to pretty much stay in character, i.e. crusty old baseball coot.

For what it is worth, Towles also got plunked with two outs in the ninth. Mind games or accident?