CARDINAL RULE
Former St. Louis manager La Russa makes dream come true for Grenier
bmcgair@pawtuckettimes.com
PAWTUCKET – Jay Grenier was done throwing batting practice to the first group of Pawtucket Red Sox hitters. The Cumberland native was walking towards the dugout when an individual with a plaque hanging in Cooperstown shared some good news.
“You’re all set,” Tony La Russa told Grenier, whose jaw dropped to the ground upon hearing that there was no longer any reason to worry about tickets for two Major League Baseball games that Grenier was scheduled to attend tomorrow and Sunday.
These days, La Russa works as a special assistant to Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. No, the tickets that La Russa secured weren’t for this weekend’s series at Yankee Stadium. These tickets were for games featuring the Cardinals and Braves at Busch Stadium … as in St. Louis.
From a casual conversation about former PawSox contributor Allen Craig, there arose a feel-good story of graciousness that’s centered around taking care of the little guy.
“The whole thing is completely stunning,” said Grenier, a retired Central Falls teacher who besides his pregame duty of slinging baseballs at McCoy Stadium is also a volunteer baseball coach at Bryant for the last five years.
It’s stunning because the generous touch that La Russa displayed was the last thing that Grenier ever expected. He had just met La Russa, who last week spent three straight days around the PawSox. It wasn’t like they were lifelong pals where it wouldn’t be a foregone conclusion that those in high places would extend a helping hand.
Thanks to La Russa, tickets for two Cardinals games will be waiting at the Busch Stadium will-call for Grenier, his son Garrett, and his brother Gary.
Even though Grenier grew up in Rhode Island and would later become the college baseball head coach at CCRI and Rhode Island College, he was a devout St. Louis Cardinals fan. He especially appreciated the Cardinals of the 1980s who revolved their offensive attack around the stolen base. One of Grenier’s favorite St. Louis players was Willie McGee, the 1985 National League MVP who played five games for the PawSox in 1995.
Every now and again, Grenier will walk by the picture display the PawSox put up to pay tribute to former big-league MVPs who happened to make a pit stop at McCoy.
“They just played an exciting brand of baseball,” Grenier said.
This lifelong Cardinals follower had never made the trek to St. Louis; it officially became known as an item to cross off Grenier’s bucket list. When Cardinals franchise catcher Yadier Molina missed some time earlier this year, son Garrett thought it was time to strike and lock in plans to see Molina play in person in St. Louis before retiring.
After a quick check of the PawSox schedule, the Greniers found a window that worked. When brother Gary caught wind about the trip, he wanted to jump aboard and make it a true boys’ weekend.
“It became a chance to get away with my brother who happens to be my son’s godfather,” Grenier said. “We were excited about going.”
Tickets for Saturday’s Braves-Cardinals game were already purchased when a fortuitous stroke of Cardinal luck emerged last Thursday. Prior to the home team hitting the field for batting practice at McCoy Stadium, Grenier sat on the bench and started chatting with Mike Buffi, longtime PawSox chaplain. The door to the clubhouse swung open and out came La Russa, a two- time World Series winner during his 16- year managerial run with the Cardinals. La Russa sat down not too far from Grenier and Buffi. The topic was Craig and how it was nice to see him rebound with Triple- A El Paso after enduring lengthy struggles with Pawtucket.
La Russa managed Craig in St. Louis. “One of my all-time favorite players,” he told Grenier and Buffi.
Now that the ice had been broken, Grenier went on to tell La Russa about his upcoming trip to St. Louis. La Russa asked if Grenier was all set with tickets. Grenier replied that Saturday was accounted for.
La Russa replied, “Oh, jeez. I would have gotten you tickets.” It was as if he and Grenier were lifelong chums as opposed to meeting mere minutes earlier.
Next thing you know, La Russa was on his phone. Grenier and Buffi continued to talk as batting practice approached. Upon completing a successful exchange with his St. Louis contact, La Russa positioned himself behind the protective cage as Grenier went about his daily ritual of heaving baseballs for roughly 15 straight minutes.
Then came the ticket offer courtesy of La Russa that Grenier couldn’t wait to share with his son. When Grenier reminded La Russa that seats were already secured for the Saturday Atlanta- St. Louis contest, La Russa replied, “Sell them.”
In the event the Grenier traveling party runs into trouble at will-call, La Russa provided Jay with his cell number.
“Nobody does that these days, let alone someone in the Hall of Fame,” Grenier said. “As Tony said to me, ‘If I can’t trust a Cardinals fan, who can I trust?’”
To truly commemorate the experience, Buffi went up to La Russa and asked if he wouldn’t mind signing a baseball with a personal message to Garrett. La Russa obliged.
“The point of everything is this: what a great guy,” Jay Grenier said. “It was a nice thing that he didn’t have to do.”
That’s how you take once-in-a-lifetime family trip and make it extra memorable – before takeoff, no less.