RFT: Hamilton: Baseball blogs make a successful pitch for legitimacy

Torque up those blogjamas!

Informed of Hernandez’s abrupt turnaround and the pitcher’s willingness to tip his hat to a fan blog, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa responds with skepticism. “If that’s true, then the [Mariners] pitching coach isn’t doing his job,” says La Russa. “I think blogs are things that are fun, and I love that people are interested in the game. But I don’t take ‘em seriously.”

The skipper’s sentiment comes as no surprise to Larry Borowsky, Denver-based creator of the popular Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos. “I don’t think what happened in Seattle could ever happen on a Tony La Russa-managed team,” Borowsky says. “I would like to think there are people within the organization that value that input. But I don’t think [pitching coach] Dave Duncan and Tony La Russa are the guys who value that information.”