In the process of searching for something, I sometimes come across unusual items completely unrelated to my immediate objective. Interest in the following photo knocked me off my original quest, at least temporarily.

It was taken by photographer-supreme Scott Rovak on July 10, 2007. Members of the defending World Champions were assembled during batting practice prior to the All-Star Game at AT&T Park in San Francisco. It was customary that the coaching staffs of the World Series teams from the previous year received all-star supporting duties for their respective leagues.

Despite having won it all the previous fall, the Cardinals had just one player selected to the 2007 All-Star Game, and he was a reserve. At the time, St. Louis was just 40-45. The club was already 7 ½ games out in the National League Central, en route to a sub-.500 record and a third-place showing.

What makes this photo so telling is that not a one of the seven Redbirds pictured – six coaches and one player – remains in his job today. The seven are (from left to right) bullpen coach Marty Mason, bench coach Joe Pettini, manager Tony La Russa, first baseman Albert Pujols, first base coach Dave McKay, bullpen catcher Jeff Murphy and pitching coach Dave Duncan.

Hitting coach Hal McRae, also now-long-gone, had been invited to the AT&T Park festivities as well, but is not pictured. He would have made it eight. Jose Oquendo was on the staff at that time as he is today, but was not included in this photo, either.

Mason was let go following the 2010 season amid concern that his criticism of the player development organization had been too vocal. He now works in the Chicago Cubs system. Pettini was ousted as bench coach following the 2011 season. Though it was announced he would have an undefined job in baseball operations in 2012, one would have to assume that Pettini is looking elsewhere. La Russa announced his retirement at the conclusion of the World Championship parade but expects to continue in baseball in an as-of-yet undefined role.

As the entire world knows by now, Pujols is a very wealthy new member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and is expected to be for the next decade or more. McKay was dumped along with Pettini, but has since been hired as the Cubs’ first base coach by new manager Dale Sveum. Murphy was let go following the 2011 World Championship as well.

Duncan was the last to depart. He has been dealing with his wife’s serious health issues and is unable to return for the second year of a two-year contract (with a third-year option) signed last off-season. When his indefinite leave of absence was granted, the last survivor from this 2007 All-Star Game photo took off his Cardinals uniform.

At this point, it is unclear whether La Russa will manage at the 2012 All-Star Game despite having earned it as the leader of the 2011 National League champions. Even if he does, he may or may not attempt to get (at least part of) the old band back together. By now, they are pretty much scattered to the winds. (Update: On January 24, MLB commissioner Bud Selig announced that La Russa will manage in the 2012 Mid-Summer Classic.)

Of course, Pujols is the most likely one of the seven to actually be at the game, anyway. As a bonus, it is to be held in his adopted home town of Kansas City. In a potential once-in-a-lifetime oddity, the first baseman would be in the other dugout, trying to defeat La Russa, who was Pujols’ only manager over his entire 11-year MLB career to date.

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Can you believe the number is four of seven?

Along with La Russa, Dave McKay, Jose Oquendo (pictured making the turn in a 2007 minor league spring training workout) and Joe Pettini, ex-middle infielders all, the Cardinals staff includes one ex-catcher in Dave Duncan, a pitcher in bullpen coach Marty Mason and of course, the new hitting coach and former first baseman in Mark McGwire.

La Russa, 65, signed his first pro contract with the Kansas City Athletics on the night he graduated from high school in 1962. He made his major league debut with Kansas City just one year later. La Russa did not return to the majors again until 1968, this time with the Oakland A’s.

Tony went on to play parts of four seasons in Oakland before concluding his big-league playing career with Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs. Overall, his professional career spanned 16 seasons as he finished, ironically, as a player/coach with the Cardinals Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans in 1977.

La Russa played at second base in 786 of his 1,028 minor league games and 63 of his 83 major league contests at second.

First base coach McKay, who turns 60 next month, was originally signed by the Minnesota Twins in 1971 and spent four seasons in the minor leagues after breaking in during August 1975. After the 1976 season, McKay moved to Toronto in the expansion draft, where he was in the lineup for the first game in Blue Jays franchise history.

After splitting time between Toronto and Triple-A Syracuse in 1979, McKay signed with the A’s in 1980. He played for Oakland through 1982 and returned to the minor leagues as a player-coach for the 1983 season before becoming La Russa’s bench coach in 1984.

McKay was primarily a second baseman in the majors, playing 385 of his 653 games there, also spending time at third and shortstop.

As a major league infielder, third base coach Oquendo is the most-known of the bunch for his playing exploits. Now 46, “Secret Weapon’s” professional playing career spanned 17 seasons, including big league time with the New York Mets (1983-84) and Cardinals (1986-95).

In 1990, Oquendo established single-season major league records for the highest fielding percentage (.996) and fewest errors by a second baseman (three). He also led the league in fielding in 1989 and compiled a .992 fielding average at second base for his career.

While Oquendo is famed for having played every position on the diamond as a Cardinal, his primary home as a major leaguer was second base. He played 649 of his 1163 career MLB games there.

Pettini’s professional career began when he signed with the Montreal Expos as a non-drafted free agent in 1977. In 1980, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he played for four seasons. He was signed by the Cardinals and played for Triple-A Louisville from 1984 through 1986.

The Cardinals current bench coach breaks the mold as he was a shortstop, having played there in 106 of his 180 major league contests.

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Knowing this story has not yet reached its conclusion, La Russa is now publicly advocating an approach to unlock the ex-slugger’s moribund Hall chances that I have pushed for years – speak up for yourself, Mark!

Having played the role of McGwire’s chief public defender since the player went underground following his embarrassing March 2005 Congressional testimony, La Russa has finally suggested the player answer questions about his past – precisely what Big Mac wouldn’t do four years ago.

Since then, the baseball landscape has changed with the Mitchell Report, enhanced testing and other players able to move on after admitting various PED-related activities in their pasts. Yet McGwire remains silent in his self-imposed purgatory.

Again this spring, La Russa invited McGwire to be a spring training coach, which would also offer the vehicle for McGwire to clear the air – the familiar and comfortable environment of the Cardinals complex in Jupiter, Florida, where access can be controlled.

In Monday’s New York Times, La Russa said this:

“I think if he came to spring training and was seen, so the writers and the fans could say, ‘There’s Mark,’ and answer whatever they want,” La Russa said, “I think that would go a long way, in my opinion.”

However, once again, McGwire has declined to come to Florida with the Cardinals in 2009. Undaunted, La Russa vowed to keep inviting him every year. With 12 more possible years on the HoF ballot, apparently McGwire is in no hurry.

Mac is still out there in the shadows. As recently as this past weekend’s Winter Warm-up fan fest, outfielder Skip Schumaker acknowledged his winter regimen includes hitting with McGwire in California. The ex-Cardinal told La Russa he is still in playing shape today, not that it matters anymore.

Big Mac’s long-time skipper reaffirmed his Hall support of his ex-player, noting the retired slugger’s numbers make him worthy.

“I believe this: His production, I think, is Hall of Fame quality,” La Russa asserted.

Of course, even Tony knows the real issue isn’t about numbers; it’s about refusing to discuss the past.

“If it’s a question of what did he do to make himself stronger that wasn’t legal, and that’s kind of a character-and-integrity issue,” La Russa said. “If it’s a character-and-integrity issue, how many guys do we know who did what Mark did?”

La Russa went on to cite the example of McGwire walking away from the game with money remaining on his contract as a character reference, as if that would somehow magically negate the steroid allegations.

Coach Dave McKay’s strength and conditioning programs were also again defended by the manager, asserting McKay ran a “100 percent straight” workout program in Oakland. Yet in what seems to be a moderation of past comments, La Russa admits lack of 24-hour supervision meant all may not have been known.

“Now, as José (Canseco) said, when you go to the toilet or you leave the ballpark, Dave didn’t control that,” La Russa said.

Previously, La Russa’s platform was that neither he nor his coaches saw any questionable activity by McGwire and because Mac said he was innocent, therefore he was. Instead, the above comment seems much more realistic, as any parent of teenagers might attest.

Speaking of control, there isn’t any more La Russa can do to control Hall of Fame voters to alter their lack of support of McGwire. With the exception of one or two comments perhaps, Tony has made these same points in defending McGwire many times.

For the first time in my recollection, and I have followed this story closely for some time, La Russa has publicly urged McGwire to clear the air.

I say “bravo” to that. McGwire belongs in the Hall, but it doesn’t look like he is going to get there unless he takes responsibility for change.

When I read that the Toronto Sun documents the Top 100 Most Influential Canadians in Baseball every year, I thought the same thing you likely did – “They probably don’t have enough people to fill out the list!”

Of course, that isn’t really the case. In fact, as I scanned the list, I saw a number of familiar names, with news included for several of them.

At number 17, down from number 11, is none other than former Cardinals outfielder Larry Walker. From the looks of it, the 42-year-old may be splitting his March time between two spring camps, that of the Cardinals as well as Team Canada as they prepare for the World Baseball Classic.

If they all suit up, players like Justin Morneau (#4 on the top 100), Ryan Dempster (#16), Russell Martin (#32), Jason Bay (#35), Matt Stairs (#36), Joey Votto (#54) and Jeff Francis (#56) should help make the Canadians be competitive at least.

Still, while Pool C games will be at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, Team USA is in the same bracket as the Canadians, making the team from the North a longshot to survive into the second round.

17. Larry Walker, former NL slugger, coach Team Canada (11).

He lives in Jupiter, Fla. and is a part-time coach with the Cardinals each spring. He will be north of the border: Jan. 24th for the Baseball Canada banquet; in March, with the WBC team and in July when he’ll be inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The Maple Ridge, B.C. product is the finest Canadian position player the country has produced.

Interestingly, Walker was already inducted into “Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame” in late 2007, so this one is undoubtedly for baseball only. Yet the website of the baseball Hall of the northland says inductees aren’t announced until February. Perhaps Walker is such a lock, the paper is counting it as a done deal. At any rate, good for him.

Long-time Cardinals first base coach Dave McKay is up 12 places this year to number 23. In case you missed it, for Boxing Day, MLB.com ran a nice feature about Cody’s Dad and La Russa’s confidant.

“23. Dave McKay, coach, St. Louis Cardinals (35).

The first base coach is in his 13th season with the Cards and his 23rd season with manager Tony La Russa. When McKay talks in organizational meetings, La Russa listens.”

I don’t know that the Canadian writer who typed this has ever actually been in a Cardinals organizational meeting, but his assertion is likely valid nonetheless. I would add that I honestly believe that McKay is one of the nicest guys around.

And what list of Canadian Cardinals would ever be complete without Stubby Clapp, the second baseman whose number 10 was the first ever retired by the Memphis Redbirds, the club for which he played from 1999 though 2002?

Despite turning 36 years old next month, the ever-popular veteran of numerous international competitions is going to play for Team Canada once again.

“43. Stubby Clapp, hitting coach, class-A Greenville (27).

Though the Windsor, Ont. native is coaching, the Astros were good enough to give him time off to play in the pre-Olympic qualifier in Taiwan, the Olympics and he’ll be around for the WBC in a back-up role.”

One other name caught my eye at #95, that of Hazel Mae (her real name), a personality for the new MLB Network. A former commentator on the Red Sox’ network NESN, the Philippine-born Toronto resident definitely seems up to her big new assignment.