It was my home-away-from-home. It was my third visit to Kona Bay used book store. Again, I found an interesting baseball book. This book helped me understand a big u-turn that the Diamondbacks made when they hired Mike Hazen as their GM. We will talk about that insight after my review of the book.
Book Review.
Very loosely, 3 Nights in August is about what Tony La Russa was thinking during a three-game series between
the Cardinals and the Cubs. My expectations were high because in 2014, Tony La Russa was voted into the Hall of Fame.
I did NOT enjoy reading the book. I told myself that it was noble to continue reading so that you would not need to read it. And most importantly, the book gave me insights about an important transition (U-Turn) for the Diamondbacks.
Many times, I stopped and made a note in my phone about something I very much disagreed with. Countless times the book meandered (it seemed endless) by talking about what happened many years before the three games. It was up to me to painfully decide whether there was a significant point being made.
It seemed impossible for me to track the narrative of the three games (despite my backtracking through the book). Perhaps that lack of easily grasped narrative was an accurate reflection of Cardinal manager La Russa’s mindset. The author implied that the series result was a credit to La Russa and it got the Cardinals to the playoffs, but my view differs. Perhaps the book showed a bunch of stumbles by managers of both teams and the result was a credit to no one in particular.
Managers have a few types of strengths.
The book said that managers live by adages and aphorisms. One manager who exemplifies that strength was Joe Maddon. This AZ Snake Pit article shares his Maddonisms.
Some managers excel in player relationships that motivate players to develop their talents and supremely execute during games. This is one of Torey Lovullo’s strengths, although Torey Lovullo is a multi-dimensional manager, with additional strengths. Here is my most recent article about Lovullo.
Some managers excel in pregame preparation and matchups. This is Tony La Russa’s strength. Also, my view is that he likely was a master politician who was deferential to key people, and who often spun what happened to make himself look better (and make the players look worse).
An important point is that Tony La Russa and Torey Lovullo are very different people who manage baseball games differently.
“I’m like, ‘Does he know that I’m Torey Lovullo and not Tony La Russa?’ You know, that other Italian guy.” — Torey Lovullo talking about being told Kevin Costner wants to meet him, March 2025
Team Culture is Important.
The book shared views about baseball players. One view was on target. It is important for players to avoid letting distraction interfere with their process.
My view differed for the following (which might instead reflect a poor team culture or might reflect self-serving political spin). Caveat: I have summarized what I read & understood, so it may not reflect the full breadth of meaning. For that reason I have referenced page numbers.
- Most hitters don’t like any change in their routine, even if they would have excellent results (page 8).
- Players don’t push/struggle to their maximum because it would be uncomfortable (page 32). My view is that its easy to struggle in appearance only, a little better is to actually struggle, and best is to master something in preparation so that game performance is excellent with any visible struggle.
- Players sulk if they don’t like their role (page 34). My view is that there are always possibilities. A role could be a stepping stone. A role could change due to an injury.
- La Russa saw only 17 players (in 24 years) that had both talent and a fiery heart to be a great player (page 129). My view differs because without those two qualities players only rarely reach the Majors.
- Players are afraid to be consistent because it would raise expectations (page 147). There may be a grain of truth in that observation. Recently, Torey Lovullo’s coaching moved from having expectations for his players to having standards for his players.
- Great hitters have certain absolutes that can be studied and emulated (page 148). My view is that won’t create a simple path foward because each player has a unique path toward being a great hitter.
- Players do the minimum (what they must) and plug along (page 159). My view is that type of attitude keeps players from reaching the Majors, so it does not apply.
- Winning is number 3 or 4 on players’ priority lists (page 160). My view is that teams with great cultures don’t have this problem.
- Historically, baseball players inevitably found somthing else to enhance their performance, resulting in a line of performance enhancers (page 162). My view is that the majority of players had high integrity and they eschewed the enhancers.
The Diamondbacks made a U-Turn.
From May of 2014 through the 2016 season, La Russa was Chief Baseball Officer for the Diamondbacks. My view is that he likely influenced the team towards an undesirable state of affairs:
- Players don’t care about winning, so treat them badly to shame them into performing.
- During the game, managers should stay isolated and above the fray and focus on matchups.
- Focus on what players should be capable of (instead of their actual skills).
In 2013 (before La Russa became Chief Baseball Officer), the Diamondbacks win-loss record was 81-81. Under La Russa’s leadership, the team got worse.
- 2014: 64-98
- 2015: 79-83
- 2016: 69-93
In October of 2016, the Diamondbacks demoted La Russa and hired Mike Hazen as Executive VP and General Manager. Then, Mike Hazen (and the Diamondbacks) hired Torey Lovullo as manager. The change was more than a transition. Because he and Torey Lovullo had a very different view of the players, and because they had a very different view of what the team culture should be, it was a U-turn for the Diamondbacks. And the U-turn resulted in more wins, even while Mike Hazen put a lot of work into rebuilding the farm system with a goal of sustainability. Under Mike Hazen’s leadership and Torey Lovullo’s leadership, the team got better, including their win-loss record.
- 2017: 93-69
- 2018: 82-80
- 2019: 85-77
Three observations follow:
- They built a new team culture, with players actively striving to be their best.
- During the game, Lovullo actively interacted with everybody on the field in the best interests of the Diamondbacks. That approach was very much different.
- They put players is a position to succeed (based on their actual strengths and weaknesses).
Summary.
I did not enjoy reading the book. My views differed, expecially my views about the characteristics of baseball players. The book indirectly gave me insights into the U-turn the Diamondbacks made in October or 2016 when they hired Mike Hazen.
Managers have different strengths. Tony La Russa and Torey Lovullo are very different people who managed baseball games differently.
From May of 2014 through the 2016 season, La Russa was the Chief Baseball Officer for the Diamondbacks. My view is that he likely influenced the team towards an undesirable state of affairs, including a worse win-loss record.
In October of 2016, the Diamondbacks demoted La Russa and hired Mike Hazen as Executive VP and General Manager. Because Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo had a very different view of the players, and because they had a very different view of what the team culture should be, it was a U-turn for the Diamondbacks. Under Mike Hazen’s leadership and Torey Lovullo’s leadership, the team got better, including their win-loss record.
