In case you missed it, there was some fun stuff in last night's Cubs-Cardinals game:

Angel Guzman started the ninth, and the first two Cardinals batters got on base via a hit and an error. Guzman was lifted for [Sean] Marshall, who walked pinch-hitter Nick Stavinoha to load the bases.

Piniella then made another double-switch and put Marshall back as pitcher, and Reed Johnson was inserted into left field. Marshall struck out pinch-hitter Jarrett Hoffpauir. Colby Rasmus then lofted the ball to left, and Johnson made a diving catch to end the inning.

I've seen that before -- and here's a great account of it happening with the fun old '86 Mets -- but it's certainly not the kind of thing that happens too often. Some commenters over at my other blog are suggesting that, if a manager was inclined to do this more often, maybe it could become some radical new efficiency in that he could forever go lefty-righty-lefty with only two pitchers if he wanted to, although I believe that's against the rules now as switcheroos like that are limited. Even if they weren't, however, I think such an experiment would last until the exact moment a loogy misplayed a fly ball, and then it would never happen again, but it was fun while it lasted.

I think there were only two reasons for Piniella doing this last night. First: it was just before the All-Star break and, like a classroom on the last day of school before summer vacation, rules get bent and a little zaniness is allowed. Second: the opposing manager was Tony La Russa, who has never met a double switch, weird strategy, or pitching change he doesn't like, and Piniella simply decided to show him that he cannot be out-crazied, even by Genius La Russa.