Using Pop Culture to Reimagine Tony LaRussa’s Bullpen Call

The World Series has come to St. Louis. The fifth game of the seven game series, played Tuesday night, featured one of the stranger odysseys in baseball history. Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa reached for the bullpen phone and informed the coaches in the bullpen to warm up Mark Rzepczynski and Jason Motte. The plan was to use the left-handed Rzepczynski against the left-handed hitting David Murphy, and then bring in Motte to face the dangerous Mike Napoli. But all hell broke loose. For whatever reason, LaRussa’s phone call was misinterpreted on the receiving end and Rzepczynski faced Napoli, who crushed what proved to be the game-winning double. Lance Lynn, who was supposed to have the night off, inexplicably showed up on the mound when LaRussa finallly relieved Rzepczynski. The next day, someone created a photo (to the right) reimagining how that phone call must have gone and it added much needed levity to a disappointing defeat on baseball’s biggest stage. I’ve decided to carry on with the levity using other famous phone calls from pop culture.