Thank you, cardsfan, for those links. I knew I wasn't dreaming that...
So it was Larry Walker, with his Canadian roots and hockey ideas, who mentioned a handshake to Larussa, who spoke with Jim Tracy during the workouts before game 1; that's how it happened.
I can envision that Bob Gibson might have had second thoughts about a handshake, as well as Don Drysdale. But both of those guys were gentlemen, and both were intelligent, I'd like to think that they'd have done it, too, given a chance.
On a Cardinals blog it was mentioned that after the display of sportsmanship by the Dodgers and Cardinals in 2004, the Commissioner's office and the League office both commented that the handshakes were close to fraternization and should be discouraged, or that they didn't want that to happen any more, that teams shouldn't plan that, or words to that effect.
If that's what put the kibash to it, then I wish it would still happen, unplanned... at least in the final game of playoff series. I think the LDS and LCS are perfect places for it.
And I think Mr. Larussa and Mr. Torre ARE able to be good sportsmen, and that a handshake would not diminish their competitiveness.
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