Tony LaRussa retires

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7173381/tony-la-russa-st-louis-cardinals-says-retiring

I know Cards fans have wanted this for a while, but this most likely means that Dave Duncan will leave and it will probably reduce Pujols' chances of signing with St. Louis. Gonna be an interesting offseason...

HoF?

expect NL time-of-game average to drop by 5 minutes.

Even given the bullshittier way pennants are won these days, I can't see any precedent for keeping someone with that record out of the HOF. Shoo-in... unless there are further Canseco-McGwire steroid revelations? Still doubtful; writers didn't blame Chuck Tanner for presiding over a coke den.

Bill James did, but he's the only one I can think of.

writers didn't blame Chuck Tanner for presiding over a coke den

being personable goes a long way with writers

absolutely belongs in the HoF (i'm not really a fan either)

Favorite LaRussa moment: Him calling into the Jim Rome show from his car and getting spotted by a fan who was listening to the interview live on the radio.

Least favorite LaRussa moment: “… T, U, V, V, Z, T, U, V, X, Y, X, Z.”

I saw him in a movie theater lobby on the way to see Gladiator. We bonded.

i love the fact that he was on a game show 30 years ago

i love the fact that his hair still looks like it did 30 years ago.

If it's true that he'd basically made up his mind mid-season, I'm surprised that he was able to keep this under wraps for so long. What a way to go out, can't blame him for wanting to go out on top.

alberts gonna be able to handpick whoever he wants to manage if he re-signs, right?

Third most wins ever, so surely HOF. (Unless managerial wins are just a counting stat.)

depends on his wins-over-replacement-manager.

(i just made that up)

(someone go figure that out tho please)

He'll definitely get in. He probably deserves it even though I don't like him.

Actually, James used to have a stat that measured manager wins over (or under) expected wins. I think expected wins was (3 x last season) + (2 x two seasons ago) + (1 x 3 seasons ago)/6. Unless I'm mixing that up with a pitcher stat he used to keep track of.

good riddance to bad garbage

wonder if dave duncan will take his magic pixie dust home too

i'm shocked at this news. good for him going out on top.

xp hes under contract for one more year IIRC, but he's getting old and is likely to be gone soon as well

Third most wins ever, so surely HOF. (Unless managerial wins are just a counting stat.)

― clemenza, Monday, October 31, 2011 2:30 PM (4 hours ago)

lol well they are, but if any manager is going to be in the hall of fame, why not him?

good riddance to bad garbage

it's not like he beat his wife or anything

http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/01/1/5/2/02907652371278526.png

depends on his wins-over-replacement-manager.

You just, but baseball needs a stat called WORM.

Err, "you jest."

James wrote a managers book, but I don't have it handy.

(I'm thinking that was a Bobby Cox joke, mook?)

The guy on the radio this morning said that La Russa was the first manager to hang it up after winning a World Series. My first thought was, "What about Dick Williams in '72?", but double-checking, Williams just quit the A's, he didn't retire. (And was immediately--and ultimately abortively--hired by Steinbrenner, which I don't recall at all.)

'73, I mean.

TLR had a good run but it was time for him to go. Wonder if they'll go internal or external for a replacement? Was Oquendo ever in line for the job?

I do remember it, and it's part of why I think there's a 1% chance LaRussa ends up in Fenway next spring.

xp

Oquendo will get an interview for sure. people are already saddling him with "Albert will stay if they pick Oquendo" which isn't fair to the guy at all.

Neyer on the man and the myths:

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/11/1/2530308/tony-larussa-cardinals-manager-retires-genius

I think Tony La Russa was definitely ahead of the game back in the days with the A's in how he looked at match-ups and all. That said, he would at points outsmart himself.

He's a pretty iconic baseball figure. I'm 41, the guy has been a baseball manager since I was 9 years old. La Russa's been there the whole time I have really deeply followed baseball. The dude has also tried odd ball stuff at points the whole time. Big thing I remember as a kid when he was with the White Sox was occasionally playing the left handed Mike Squires at third base. I saw that '83 White Sox team play a ton and I loved the guy at that point.

That all said, the dude is really bitchy. Shouldn't be a surprise for a guy who counts both Bob Knight and Bill Parcells as good friends.

One thing to keep in mind, the guy lost in 88 and 90 to probably two of the most out-matched on paper teams ever in the World Series. I loved watching the Reds smack those A's around in their sweep. That was probably ultimately the peak of my baseball fandom.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltyhxoht4e1qzniimo1_500.jpg

now chief baseball officer for Arizona

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/5/17/5727298/tony-larussa-diamondbacks-front-office-kevin-towers-kirk-gibson

Chief Baseball Analyst Tony La Russa will depart the #Dbacks organization at the end of the month. We thank Tony for his contributions. pic.twitter.com/bbGdBYRmJA

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 18, 2017