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Johnny Cueto Says Tony La Russa Snubbed Him From All-Star Game Because of Old Girlfriend

Johnny Cueto thought he had done enough this year to deserve an All-Star spot. The National League’s manager, Tony La Russa, thought otherwise, and the Reds are not happy about it.

Cueto and Dusty Baker are both taking shots at La Russa in the aftermath of Cueto’s snub, pointing to a fight between the Reds and Cardinals last year, when La Russa was still managing the Cards.

“A snub like that looks bad,” Baker said. “Johnny and Brandon [Phillips] were at the center of a skirmish between us and the Cardinals. Some of the Cardinals who aren’t there anymore are making some of the selections.”

Cueto, for his part, had a more colorful idea of why he wasn’t getting an invite from La Russa.

“I see that I have great numbers,” he told reporters. “I thought the way I pitched this year, I’d have a chance to go to the All-Star Game. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if the manager of All-Star Game is [mad] at me because I went out with one of his girlfriends.”

In addition to stepping on some toes, however, La Russa may have also violated some rules in the league’s CBA. La Russa indicated that he passed over Cueto not because of any bad blood, but because the righty is scheduled to pitch on the Sunday before the All-Star Game, which falls on Tuesday.

That’s a no-no in the rulebook, which states Cueto should be allowed to make that choice, not the manager. Cueto’s agent is now considering filing a grievance with the MLBPA, at which point we might get to the bottom of La Russa’s reasoning once and for all.