When Tommy LaStella did not report to AAA Iowa in 72 hours after his option, we knew that was odd. Then it was reported that he was dealing with "personal issues." That was strange since there was no more information. Now, 13 days have past and the truth his filtering out.
La Stella’s me-first refusal to report to Triple-A Iowa isn’t
connected to any health issue, personal emergency or family crisis,
general manager Jed Hoyer and manager Joe Maddon confirmed Tuesday, 11
days after the Cubs optioned out the bench player as a way to make room
for outfielder Chris Coghlan and deal with the 25-man roster crunch.
This is the Ian Stewart situation all over again.
The trade for Stewart was the worst under Epstein's tenure with the Cubs. Stewart was supposed to be a high average, power third baseman from Colorado. He turned out to be a dud. He refused an option to AAA to work on his game. Instead, he went home to sulk. In the end, the Cubs had to get rid of him.
La Stella told ESPN
that he’s considering retirement if he can’t play for the big-league
team. Earlier this season, La Stella explained to his hometown New Jersey newspaper how he temporarily quit baseball in high school and rediscovered the joy of the game with Maddon’s Cubs.
“He’s not angry,” Maddon said before a 5-1 victory over the Los
Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field. “He’s not upset. He’s just at that
point now where he doesn’t know exactly what he wants to do.
“We all have a different lens (for) how we view the world. I know
when I went through my Kurt Vonnegut stage, I was kind of screwed up
when I was 21.”
However, La Stella is 27. He should know better. He is a role player on a good team that has more good players than roster spots. LaStella may be upset that he may not get on the playoff roster if he is viewed as "inventory" by the demotion.
“I think ‘disappointed’ would be the wrong word,” Hoyer said. “Given
how much we’ve talked to him, trying to understand where he’s coming
from, empathize with him and give him the space.”
Commentators have started to opine on what LaStella is doing to the Cubs. Did he quit on his teammates? Does refusing to go to Iowa hurt the major league team? Is he selfish? He only wants to play in the big leagues? Was he unprofessional? In the modern pampered athlete world is that even possible? If he reports to Iowa and badmouths his treatment by the Cubs, will that have a negative impact on organizational players?
Why does LaStella think he is more important than the organization making any move necessary to win a championship? The answer is no.
The White Sox have shown the sports world that baseball employees go off the handle at management without any responsibility or harsh accountability. In a normal business, someone who does not show up for work gets fired for cause. But athletes seem to be immune from the realities of the real employment world.
If LaStella does not want to play, cut him.
The Cubs are doing fine without him.
