After 33 years of managing, capping it off with an improbable run to a World Series title for the Cardinals, longtime manager Tony La Russa retired suddenly Monday.
La Russa spent a few years as a player, then had a somewhat mediocre stint with the White Sox before leading the Athletics to 3 straight World Series in the late 80s, winning in 1989 against the Giants. In 1995, he took the job for the Cardinals, reaching 3 more World Series and winning 2, in 2006 and 2011. He retires as the 3rd winningest manager in history with 2,728 wins, and is 1 of 2 managers ever to win a championship in both leagues (Sparky Anderson did it with the Reds and Tigers).
Although his reputation has been tarnished both by his perceived whining or placing blame where it's not due (such as claiming that the shadows in Miller Park helped the Cards lose a pivotal series against the Brewers, and the now-infamous bullpen mixup in Game 5 of the World Series this year), and by seemingly turning a blind eye to the rampant steroid usage in the Athletics clubhouse in the late 80s, often referenced to as the true birthplace of the widespread steroid usage that gripped the game for the past 2 decades, La Russa has often been hailed as a genius for his tactical managerial skills, often making calls and switches during games to either wear his opponent down or confuse and frustrate them, then capitalizing on their slip ups. At times, his methods seemed unorthodox, unfounded, or downright outrageous, but he was often vindicated by the results of the team he put on the field, and it's hard to argue with his success: he went to 6 World Series, 14 postseason appearances, and a .547 record in those playoff series. Very few managers have had the success La Russa enjoyed, and with good reason: it's an incredibly difficult task to make a team a perennial contender, regardless of payroll or talent. Mark McGwire, although heavily boosted by steroids, had a finely tuned swing that La Russa watched over and developed. Albert Pujols was a 13th round pick who was given a chance by La Russa and is now hailed as the best overall player of this generation. The White Sox hadn't even sniffed the postseason since 1959 when La Russa brought them to the ALCS in 1983. Say what you will about him, but make no mistake: these things didn't happen on accident, or due to luck. It was La Russa's involvement that helped drive these things.
Even though his days in the dugout are over, La Russa hasn't ruled out a return to the Cardinals or MLB, saying he might like to come back in the capacity of a special advisor to one of the organizations. Only time will tell. But for now, Tony La Russa's retirement marks the end of a great era in Cardinals history, topped off by one of the most unlikely World Series titles ever.
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