Former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has taken considerable heat this week for his role in getting Harold Baines into baseball’s Hall of Fame. But no criticism was hotter than what he faced Wednesday when grilled by MLB Network commentator Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo.
La Russa, the winningest manager in Cardinals history who was a special assistant for the World Series champion Boston Red Sox last season and has worked in baseball for half a century, appeared on Russo’s “High Heat” program. He was bombarded with questions not only about Baines’ worthiness of being picked for the Hall over the weekend, but also being selected by a committee that included four people close to him.