In the world of Major League Baseball, what else is there to accomplish after winning 3 World Series championships, 6 pennants and securing a surefire bid for the Hall of Fame? For St. Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa, the answer is nothing.
The 67-year-old manager, who spent 33 years in baseball, announced on October 31, 2011 that his tenure in the game was complete. Though not a completely shocking announcement, the way in which La Russa has been known to keep things private has led to much speculation since St. Louis clinched the World Series over a gutsy Texas Rangers’ team, just days ago.
His final season with the Cardinals, number 16 with the club, will go down as one of the most intriguing and improbable runs that any team has ever had. For a team that defied the odds, being 8 ½ games out with 21 remaining in the regular season, the comeback and eventual championship was a run unlike anything they could have imagined. That, according to some, is precisely why La Russa has chosen this moment to ride into the sunset.
This year has been a prominent end-piece to a long, storied career. Now third on the all-time wins list, La Russa has solidified himself as one of the most successful and respected managers in the game’s history. He has helped in developing many of baseball’s most successful players, and has been witness to some of the greatest moments in baseball history. That, in itself, is enough to declare his career one for the books.
For now, whether he chooses to return to baseball in the future, in some form, is something only he will determine. For La Russa, that would be precisely the way he would want it. Regardless, his name will be forever enshrined in the history books as a winner, a champion and one of baseball’s most prestigious teachers .
From a Detroit Tigers’ fan who, disappointingly, lost to La Russa and the Cardinals in 2006, I give my utmost respect and admiration to a man who, through it all, never stopped being himself.
The author, D. Benjamin Satkowiak , is a successful entrepreneur and published, freelance author, who has tailored works on various sports, health and fitness topics. He currently serves as a Yahoo! Contributor Network “Featured Contributor” and writes on the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Great Lakes Loons and the University of Notre Dame.