Tony La Russa insists he wouldn't put Albert Pujols in the center of a political firestorm as the St. Louis Cardinals visit Washington for a weekend series with the Nationals.
La Russa and Pujols will join former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as honorees for a Saturday event organized by Fox News talk show host Glenn Beck.
"I made it clear when we were approached: I said, 'If it's political, I wouldn't even approach Albert with it,' " La Russa said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, of the "Restoring Honor" rally set for the Lincoln Memorial. "I don't want to be there if it's political."
La Russa, no stranger to political controversy of late, will introduce Pujols during the rally to be held on the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech at the site it was delivered.
La Russa said last month he saw nothing wrong with Arizona's mandate for local enforcement of immigration law, while Pujols has been outspoken about his opposition.
And observers quickly noted the possible conflict of interest.
"Pujols has been very vocal against SB1070 and other civil rights issues," said Roberto Lovato, co-founder of Presente.org, among the organizations seeking a boycott of next season's All-Star Game in Phoenix, to the New York Daily News. "We sure hope he continues to do the right thing this weekend."
But La Russa was confident his bases were covered.
"I made the point several times: What is this about?" La Russa said Thursday, according to the St. Louis newspaper, of the rally billed as a celebration of the First Amendment and one reportedly also expected to be centered around a message of faith.
"I don't know who's going to be there, who's going to accept it," La Russa said. "But the gist of the day is not political. I think it's a really good concept, actually."
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5504656Is Larussa, that gullible?
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