Living in the Bay Area and having managed there with Oakland, it is only logical that Tony La Russa has many local media contacts. As such, he granted a phone interview to the San Francisco Chronicle, portions of which appeared in a Sunday article there.
La Russa reiterated an earlier contention that he does not plan to manage indefinitely. Following is his quote.
“When you get to the end of the year, you’re a little beat up and want to make a decision with as clear a head as you can,” he said by telephone in the wake of the stunning three-game loss to the Dodgers in the Division Series. “I told them I wouldn’t take forever. At some point, sooner rather than later, I’m going to do something else in baseball. Thirty years (as a manager) is a long time.”
Upon questioning, La Russa made it clear he was not contacted by the Giants before they re-hired manager Bruce Bochy and reiterated an earlier declaration that St. Louis will be his final managerial stop.
“No,” he said. “We just ended. I just had a meeting with owners and the front office. My hesitation to return has nothing to do with going someplace else.”
Chicagoans hoping for a managerial upgrade will be crying in their Old Style as a result. Also on Sunday, the Chicago Tribune’s Phil Rogers hoped that with the announcements by La Russa’s contemporaries Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Lou Piniella that they plan to stop managing after next season, La Russa might take a one-year deal with St. Louis and jump ship in 12 months.
Nor would La Russa sit out for a season and come back elsewhere in 2010. In the San Francisco interview, he said he would not take a year off, like some other managers have done between assignments. That has spared us all from the potential of a year of La Russa in the television analyst’s chair or the like.
“When I go, I go,” La Russa said.
The article concluded with La Russa indicating a desire to remain in the game after retirement from managing. The writer’s speculation immediately zeroed in on La Russa moving to a front office job, potentially as a general manager. This idea has been floated by others in the past.
While I agree that La Russa has the credentials, I disagree in that I seriously question whether the 65-year-old would enjoy the position after 30 years of being in control in the dugout. In addition, general manager is hardly a retirement job, with considerable demands of its own and no defined off-season to rest and recharge.
All indications remain that we won’t know what La Russa’s next job will be for another year or two once his expected decision to return to St. Louis in 2010 and perhaps longer is announced.
The Chicago Tribune is pitching reasons why the Cards will have to move Albert sooner or later, and why sooner would be advantageous. This is necessary they say because paying Pujols and the supporting cast to be a contender would mean upping the payroll to the $150M range. This piece was picked up by SI’s truth and rumors feature and generating lots of comments. The number they say would be $10 yrs $235M, which is A Rod money adjusted for economic down turn.
The flaw in that is it takes as fact that the big star can’t get over 15% of payroll and still leave money for a supporting cast that can contend. I could imagine a contending Cards team including Pujols at that figure costing less than $150M, at least for a few years.
Typical Rogers piece short on substance. Anyone who can break down the Cardinals payroll knows $150 million is folly. The fact that others picked it up as “news” is another issue.
You have to admit that this as fascinating time. A fun year for me would be signing Holiday, bring up Craig and Freese and let Albert slide under the knife. Oddly enough, a short respite with time to reflect might be good for Albert. I bet that would be a good team. Oh yeah, sedate Ryan.
Sedating him might hurt his range a little.