Is Terry Pendleton A Candidate For Cardinals Manager?

Legendary

drinker and driver

manager, Tony La Russa, went out on top after winning the 2011 World Series with his underdog St. Louis Cardinals. TLR decided to hang ’em up after Ron Washington miraculously found a way to out-mismanage La Russa in a thrilling seven-game series. The Cardinals won TLR his third World Series ring despite La Russa’s guidance and his now infamous call to the bullpen blooper. I’m fairly confident that, if somebody just gave La Russa a good shake after making up that story, a dozen airplane size bottles of scotch would have fallen out of his jacket.

With La Russa swerving his way into the sunset, the Cardinals need a new skipper. Could Braves’ first base coach Terry Pendleton be that man? David O’Brien was asked that very question and thinks the job might be too enticing for an aspiring manager to pass up.

I don’t know how qualified Pendleton is for the job or if he’s a legitimate candidate. But he did play the first seven years of his career in St. Louis. He hit .259/.308/.356 over that time which I guess makes him capable enough to mishandle a bullpen and get Allen Craig caught stealing at every opportunity.

On the other hand, Pendleton loves Atlanta and might want to wait out whatever brief legacy Fredi Gonzalez is trying to carve out as the Braves manager. If Albert Pujols departs via free agency (I don’t think he will), the most attractive thing for moving to St. Louis from Atlanta for Pendleton might be the opportunity to shovel down pounds of barbecue. Not that he can’t do that at Swallow at the Hallow in Roswell.