When it comes to a long view of the sport, the name Tony La Russa will forever be found atop a list of the best managers in baseball history.For that reason, it makes poetic sense that the St. Louis Cardinals skipper announced his retirement on Monday morning after 16 seasons with the team and just days after reaching the pinnacle of his profession for a third time. It's rare that any athlete, manager or coach can choose to retire as a champion, but La Russa is doing exactly that. He certainly earned the right to make the decision, having won 2,728 games — the third-highest total in history behind Connie Mack and John McGraw— over 33 seasons with the Cardinals, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. He won six pennants and three World Series titles and will soon find himself in the Hall of Fame.
While La Russa leaving the game might come as a surprise because we saw so few signs leading up to it, it can't come as a complete shock. La Russa always preferred to manage on one-year contracts so he could evaluate his position after each season. It's also worth noting that three of the 67-year-old's closest contemporaries — Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Lou Piniella — hung 'em up last season. Though it often seemed like the only way TLR would leave the dugout was in a pine box, he's going ahead and making the call himself. - http://sports.yahoo.com
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