I picked up this book a few months ago. We are all so very familiar with the Cards and LaRussa and their success. I've always been someone who wants to know why our rivals are so successful and wonder why my team can't be successful.
There are several references to people in this book who are involved with the Reds like Dusty and Walt and I wanted to share these references with the folks who haven't read the book.
I'll start with Dusty. "When Baker became available (after leaving SF) LaRussa was hoping that he would move over to the AL so that he might have to face him only in a World Series.... Baker may not be the greatest strategist, but the way the sport and its players are evolving, LaRussa also knows that how one manages during a game is becoming less important. What Baker is good at - superb at - is interacting with players. He can handle a ballclub as well as he handles the ever-present toothpick in his mouth; he knows better than anyone else in baseball how to manage the space between a player's ears. He is also masterful at deflecting attention to himself. He lets blunt and controversial remarks spill out of his mouth. But on closer analysis, they seem purposely designed to keep the media swarm buzzing around him. Better for him to get stung by clearly calculated outrageousness than his players."