He was much more than just a coach and manager to everybody that is apart of this sacred family that we call Cardinal Nation. He was a brother to everybody in the front office management, a father to many players, and an icon and hero to many, many fans.
That man, Tony La Russa, is one of the all-time greats to ever manage not only the Saint Louis Cardinals, but also one of the all-time greats to ever manage the game of baseball.
In sixteen seasons as apart of the Cardinals, tonight will be a very special night for him—and for the players and fans. Before the first pitch of the Braves game, the team will conduct a special ceremony to honor him, and number 10 will be retired and officially forever remembered and seen when going into Busch Stadium, also known as “Baseball Heaven”.
During his decade and a half-long tenure sporting’ the Birds on the Bat, La Russa brought home three National League championship pennants, as well as two World Series titles (2006 and 2011).
In them sixteen seasons, Tony carried an overall amount of 1,408 wins through a total of 2,591 games—and did it with a lot of passion. He may not have always had a smile on his face, but he certainly was smiling on the inside at all times, twenty-four-seven.
He was the manager that I myself grew up watching—and for that, I am very blessed. Not many fans in my era of baseball can say they got to grow up watching such a previliedged manager that knew how to get the job done like Tony, but us Cardinals fans do—and that is one thing that WE do not take for granted.
He took over the Cardinals in 1996, following an eighteen year tenure in the American League in which he managed both the Chicago White Sox (8 years) and the Oakland Athletics (10 years). Before coming to the Lou, he won three pennants with Oakland, which included one World Series title over there as well.
He is still to this date the only manager in MLB history to win a World Series title in both leagues of the American League and National League. In thirty-three seasons managing, he totaled with 2,728 wins, six pennants, and three World Series championships.
Pretty impressive huh? I would most certainly have to say so—and I would have to say that the record books for MLB history would most certainly have to agree with me on this as well.
From 1996 to 2011, La Russa finished with seven National League Central division titles, three second-place finishes, and just six times in which he finished in third or worse—with fourth place being the worst that he had ever finished in the division with the team.
He had his own attitude and coaching style, and it will never be forgotten in Saint Louis. Although it certainly did sadden everybody that he decided to retire from the team and the sport, he left a lot of memories and history in ‘Baseball Heaven’ throughout his career. He was the one manager that no matter who was on his team, he somehow always got the best out of them.
He could take a team that had very little confidence heading into the postseason, and within minutes he could have everybody feeling confident enough to win it all (2006 and 2011 teams were perfect examples).
For a manager that will go down as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and a guy that the opponents didn’t like much but every player that played for him loved (aside from a few), there was no better way for him to go out than he did. If there is one word to describe Tony as a manager and as a Saint Louis Cardinal forever, it would most certainly be the word; CHAMPION. Thank you for every Mr. La Russa. You may be retired now, but you will always be a very special part of this sacred family here in Saint Louis.
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