Tampa Bay outfielder intimates Tony La Russa may have kept him from winning Gold Glove

Over the past couple seasons, many people have shot criticism Tony La Russa’s way.

The Hall-of-Fame manager has had a rough go since joining the Arizona Diamondbacks’ front office in May of 2014. In fact, after a wholly disappointing 2016 campaign, La Russa’s influence on the organization and his job title have changed. He’s no longer the team’s chief baseball officer. Instead, he’ll serve as chief baseball analyst in 2017.

There’s no doubt that La Russa has been an influential individual in the sport for the better part of four decades, but what one American League player is intimating seems a little far-fetched.

Colby Rasmus, who just signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, is an excellent defensive player. He felt like he should have received an American League Gold Glove last year, his second with the Houston Astros. Instead, the awards went to Boston’s Mookie Betts, Tampa Bay’s Kevin Kiermaier and Brett Gardner of the New York Yankees.

Rasmus was asked why he thought he didn’t get the award, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, and wouldn’t you know it, La Russa’s name popped up.

“You know how the game is. In the show they don’t necessarily like long hair and the redneck folks, that’s just the way it goes. My good old friend Tony La Russa he has a lot of pull in the game, so you never know. I just try to play the game how I play it. I play hard. I play the game kind of (all) out, and rough, so I’ve hurt myself along the way. When it comes to back, injuries, they set you back for awards like that.”

Huh?

Yes, there is a history between Rasmus and La Russa while both were still with the St. Louis Cardinals. Rasmus, once a top prospect, asked for a trade from St. Louis after feuding with La Russa, who once claimed the young player “doesn’t listen to the Cardinals’ coaching staff.”

Rasmus was dealt to Toronto in July of 2011 and spent three-and-a-half years with the Blue Jays. His father, also named Tony, wasn’t very happy with La Russa after his son’s tenure in St. Louis was over.

During the soap opera between Rasmus and the Cardinals, then-St. Louis star Albert Pujols sided with the organization, telling Yahoo! Sports “we need to figure out a way to get (Rasmus) out of here.”

La Russa is a busy man. Is it possible he spent some precious time last year, while he was still in a high decision-making position with the D-backs, lobbying American League managers and coaches to cast Gold Glove votes for players not named Colby Rasmus?

Seems highly unlikely.

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