Let's All Enjoy The National Barbecuing Of Tony La Russa

I love this image, and I love this play-by-play of a half-inning I will love forever.

Bottom 8 Defensive Substitution: Jon Jay replaces Ryan Theriot, batting 8th, playing center field. Pitcher Change: Octavio Dotel replaces Chris Carpenter. 1. Michael Young doubles (2) on a line drive to center fielder Jon Jay. 2. Adrian Beltre strikes out swinging. Coaching visit to mound. 3. Octavio Dotel intentionally walks Nelson Cruz. Pitcher Change: Marc Rzepczynski replaces Octavio Dotel. Coaching visit to mound. 4. David Murphy singles on a ground ball to second baseman Nick Punto, deflected by pitcher Marc Rzepczynski. Michael Young to 3rd. Nelson Cruz to 2nd. 5. Mike Napoli doubles (1) on a line drive to center fielder Jon Jay. Michael Young scores. Nelson Cruz scores. David Murphy to 3rd. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Craig Gentry replaces David Murphy. 6. Mitch Moreland strikes out swinging. Pitcher Change: Lance Lynn replaces Marc Rzepczynski. Coaching visit to mound. 7. Lance Lynn intentionally walks Ian Kinsler. Pitcher Change: Jason Motte replaces Lance Lynn. Coaching visit to mound. 8. Elvis Andrus strikes out swinging.

I'm going to print this out and roll around in it for a few hours. Isn't it beautiful? It's like the sheet music to a symphony for tuba and kazoo. The Marx Brothers worked off scripts like this. Someone should bronze that allegedly malfunctioning bullpen phone—Error, Alexander Graham Bell—and send it to Cooperstown, and for that matter someone should bronze the bus under which Tony La Russa just threw his bullpen coach.

The only bad thing about a hotly contested World Series like this one is that far too much is being written about the two managers ("cerebral" La Russa, "high-energy" Ron Washington—it's like Duke-UNLV in cleats!) and their " chess match." I can live with that if it means we occasionally have days like today, days when we all come together for a national Tony La Russa roast. Enjoy it.

La Russa is to blame for Cardinals' Game 5 loss [Yahoo] La Russa's sloppy mistakes cost Cardinals World Series Game 5 [SI.com] Tony La Russa cost his team Game 5 [HardballTalk] ANIMATED: Tony La Russa Reacts to Mike Napoli's Go-Ahead Double In Game 5 [SBNation]