World Series Champion Tony La Russa Retires on the Highest of Notes

It has been reported that Tony La Russa gave the St. Louis Cardinals' front office notice in August that he would be leaving his post as manager at season's end.

At that time, it was hard not to believe his tenure would come to a conclusion in a month. The Cardinals were 10-plus games behind in the Wild Card standings, with a minimal chance of making the postseason.

As it turned out, La Russa had to wait until the end of October to make his decision public.

That’s because his team was unbelievably the last one standing: They benefited from an Red Sox, Braves seasons are over" target="_blank">Atlanta Braves collapse, shocked the Philadelphia Phillies, outlasted the Milwaukee Brewers and remarkably prevailed in one of the best World Series ever played.

La Russa, who managed in the major leagues for 33 years, has ended his illustrious career on the highest of notes, as he rides off into the sunset with three rings, three-plus decades of memories and a spot saved in the Hall of Fame.

He had a brilliant mind and always put his team in a position to win.

Among his many successful ideas, he often hit his pitchers eighth in the lineup so his team could have a greater chance of getting runners on board for the bigger bats. He played small ball on offense. He used his pitchers at the right moments–excluding the phone gaffe in Game 5 of the World Series.

And, he brought in a slew of respectable coaches who meshed extremely well with his players and with him, notably longtime pitching coach Dave Duncan.

He always fielded a balanced team, with talent in every corner, and he knew how to utilize those strengths.

I once read a book that I highly recommend called Three Nights in August by Buzz Bissinger, detailing, among other things, how La Russa went about preparing for three games against the Chicago Cubs.

In short, he was meticulous. And, in getting a sense of his managerial style and approach, it comes as no shock that he concludes his career ranking second all-time in postseason wins, third in regular-season wins and third in playoff appearances.

He was a master at his profession.

"Tony leaves behind a legacy of success that will always be remembered as one of the most successful eras in Cardinals history," the team chairman, Bill DeWitt Jr., said, as documented by the New York Times.

"I knew this day would come. I just hoped that it wouldn’t," he said.

The day came at the perfect time.

His departure could have implications as to whether Albert Pujols, the face of the franchise and impending free agent, who has never known another major league manager, will stay or go.

But, La Russa left on his own terms.

“I’d like to congratulate Tony on his amazing Hall of Fame career,” Pujols said in a statement. “He’s been like a father to me and in my opinion, is one of the greatest managers in the history of the game. I’ve been blessed to be able to learn from Tony for the past 11 years and I wish him well on his retirement.”

La Russa could have tried to chase down the great John McGraw on the wins list and go after another title. Instead, what a fitting end.

“I’m aware of the history of the game,” he said in the New York Times piece. “But, I would not be happy with myself if the reason I came back was to move up one spot. That’s not why you manage.”

The point of managing is to put a winning team together year after year, make solid decisions, build team chemistry and turn regular season success into championships. La Russa did all of this, and his contributions to the Cardinals and the game itself will not be forgotten.

“I was in the same division with him, and he never made it easy for you,” ex-manager Bobby Valentine said. “He wasn’t always friendly, but you knew he was always ready to compete, and you respected and admired that about him.

"He goes out as one of the great ones of all time.”