Post by cardsfan643 on Oct 20, 2007 14:02:24 GMT -5
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Tony expects to be back with Cards
By Joe Strauss
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Tony's back ... almost.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa confirmed Friday that he is prepared to return for a 13th season in his current post, barring unforeseen complications in his ongoing talks with team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.
"The fact that we're talking pretty much daily and everything is progressing tells you where it's heading and where we'd like it to end up," La Russa said after speaking with DeWitt. "Obviously, that's assuming nothing falls through the cracks."
La Russa emphasized his desire to return while backhanding suggestions that he has prolonged his deliberations to gauge any possible interest from the New York Yankees, who dismissed manager Joe Torre Thursday.
"I'm talking to Bill because that's where I want to be," La Russa said. "Frankly, I'm offended the question is even being asked."
In recent days, many within the organization have assessed La Russa's return as increasingly likely. DeWitt attended this week's meetings with major-league scouts and has involved the manager in all elements of the club's postseason planning, including the 17-day-old search for a successor to ousted general manager Walt Jocketty.
"I think there isn't a whole lot left to talk about," La Russa said.
Citing a need for urgency as free agency approaches, La Russa on Friday eased his previous demand that the club find a general manager before he commits to a new contract.
"If you wait until someone is hired, a player or two we have interest in could have headed down another road," La Russa said. "You take some of this on faith. But I'm glad Bill has confided in me."
La Russa and DeWitt insist contract negotiations have not yet begun, but it is believed those talks will focus on a three-year framework worth significantly more than the three-year package worth about $8 million that La Russa signed before the 2005 season.
Since signing his last deal, La Russa has steered the Cardinals to their first World Series championship since 1982, became the franchise's winningest manager and moved into third place on the game's managerial win list. He would return after being "completely ambushed" by Jocketty's firing, according to one associate. Recent talks with DeWitt apparently have satisfied La Russa, who also made clear in August that his career was independent of Jocketty's.
La Russa's renown and his résumé made him a rumored possibility to succeed Torre in a star-conscious market. However, the Yankees had not contacted him by late Friday, and La Russa insisted he is not interested if details are worked out in St. Louis.
"I'm not waiting for anybody," said La Russa, hired as Cardinals manager only months after previous ownership fired Torre. "I've made it clear all along how I was going to make my decision. And it's independent of that situation."
DeWitt stated earlier this week that the club might wait until after the World Series to name its next general manager. Major League Baseball's general managers meetings begin Nov. 6 in Orlando. The meetings frequently serve as a starting point for winter trades and free-agent acquisitions, leaving Jocketty's successor little time to organize his front office before priming negotiations.
"There are some practicalities that he's dealing with," La Russa said about DeWitt's need for more time.
Cleveland Indians assistant general manager Chris Antonetti is among the team's known candidates but, according to a source familiar with the situation, has requested that he interview after the Indians' American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Cardinals interim general manager John Mozeliak, meanwhile, remains the choice of team employees who believe organizational continuity worth preserving. Mozeliak served as Jocketty's assistant for five seasons and has previously interviewed for GM jobs with the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros.
Mozeliak also enjoys a working relationship with vice-president of amateur scouting and player development Jeff Luhnow, something Jocketty never achieved.
La Russa, 63, refused to speculate on when he might give a formal acceptance but said, "I don't think we have that much more to go through. Bill has other issues to deal with."
Among the other issues confronting the organization is hiring a minor-league field coordinator to replace former Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres manager Jim Riggleman, who officially resigned his position with the Cardinals on Friday to become Seattle Mariners bench coach.
Riggleman accepted the Mariners' job primarily to become a more visible managerial candidate. Considered the most likely in-house successor if Cardinals manager had La Russa left, Riggleman accepted the Mariners' offer after being contacted last Saturday.
"I felt after being out of the big leagues for a few years, I better not pass on this opportunity," said Riggleman, who turned down similar offers following the 2006 season. "You sometimes feel if you're out of sight, you're out of mind. The visibility aspect of this played an important role for me."
Riggleman attested to the toxic atmosphere that developed after DeWitt transferred player development from former minor-league director Bruce Manno to Luhnow. Manno was transferred to director of professional scouting and then was dismissed on Oct. 4, a day after Jocketty.
"There are always going to be divisions and differences of opinions on how things are done," Riggleman said. "But ultimately something had to be done. I feel terrible with what happened with Walt and Bruce. I legitimately enjoyed working for Bruce and for Jeff. Neither guy hampered me. But I saw the divisions that were going on. I just felt something was going to change because of how people were on such different pages."
La Russa played a large role in Riggleman's hiring in December 2004. Riggleman served as bench coach for Los Angeles Dodgers manager Jim Tracy before coordinating the Cardinals' field operations for then-director of player development Manno.
Emphasizing a desire to manage again, Riggleman acknowledged that is unlikely to happen in St. Louis any time soon.
"My feeling is he's coming back," Riggleman said about La Russa, who has deliberated almost three weeks on whether to return for a 13th season. "I don't know what he's going to do, but that's my strong suspicion. Tony is certainly not going to retire from managing. I really believe he's coming back to St. Louis."
Riggleman said he had not spoken directly to La Russa since the end of the season. He thought it inappropriate to quiz the manager about his intention to return. That said, Riggleman did not deny his interest in the job.
"I would hope Mr. DeWitt and the new general manager would consider me a candidate if, and when, Tony leaves," said Riggleman, one-time first base coach to Whitey Herzog. "But I can't wait around for one position I may or may not have a chance to get."
Tony expects to be back with Cards
By Joe Strauss
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Tony's back ... almost.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa confirmed Friday that he is prepared to return for a 13th season in his current post, barring unforeseen complications in his ongoing talks with team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.
"The fact that we're talking pretty much daily and everything is progressing tells you where it's heading and where we'd like it to end up," La Russa said after speaking with DeWitt. "Obviously, that's assuming nothing falls through the cracks."
La Russa emphasized his desire to return while backhanding suggestions that he has prolonged his deliberations to gauge any possible interest from the New York Yankees, who dismissed manager Joe Torre Thursday.
"I'm talking to Bill because that's where I want to be," La Russa said. "Frankly, I'm offended the question is even being asked."
In recent days, many within the organization have assessed La Russa's return as increasingly likely. DeWitt attended this week's meetings with major-league scouts and has involved the manager in all elements of the club's postseason planning, including the 17-day-old search for a successor to ousted general manager Walt Jocketty.
"I think there isn't a whole lot left to talk about," La Russa said.
Citing a need for urgency as free agency approaches, La Russa on Friday eased his previous demand that the club find a general manager before he commits to a new contract.
"If you wait until someone is hired, a player or two we have interest in could have headed down another road," La Russa said. "You take some of this on faith. But I'm glad Bill has confided in me."
La Russa and DeWitt insist contract negotiations have not yet begun, but it is believed those talks will focus on a three-year framework worth significantly more than the three-year package worth about $8 million that La Russa signed before the 2005 season.
Since signing his last deal, La Russa has steered the Cardinals to their first World Series championship since 1982, became the franchise's winningest manager and moved into third place on the game's managerial win list. He would return after being "completely ambushed" by Jocketty's firing, according to one associate. Recent talks with DeWitt apparently have satisfied La Russa, who also made clear in August that his career was independent of Jocketty's.
La Russa's renown and his résumé made him a rumored possibility to succeed Torre in a star-conscious market. However, the Yankees had not contacted him by late Friday, and La Russa insisted he is not interested if details are worked out in St. Louis.
"I'm not waiting for anybody," said La Russa, hired as Cardinals manager only months after previous ownership fired Torre. "I've made it clear all along how I was going to make my decision. And it's independent of that situation."
DeWitt stated earlier this week that the club might wait until after the World Series to name its next general manager. Major League Baseball's general managers meetings begin Nov. 6 in Orlando. The meetings frequently serve as a starting point for winter trades and free-agent acquisitions, leaving Jocketty's successor little time to organize his front office before priming negotiations.
"There are some practicalities that he's dealing with," La Russa said about DeWitt's need for more time.
Cleveland Indians assistant general manager Chris Antonetti is among the team's known candidates but, according to a source familiar with the situation, has requested that he interview after the Indians' American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Cardinals interim general manager John Mozeliak, meanwhile, remains the choice of team employees who believe organizational continuity worth preserving. Mozeliak served as Jocketty's assistant for five seasons and has previously interviewed for GM jobs with the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros.
Mozeliak also enjoys a working relationship with vice-president of amateur scouting and player development Jeff Luhnow, something Jocketty never achieved.
La Russa, 63, refused to speculate on when he might give a formal acceptance but said, "I don't think we have that much more to go through. Bill has other issues to deal with."
Among the other issues confronting the organization is hiring a minor-league field coordinator to replace former Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres manager Jim Riggleman, who officially resigned his position with the Cardinals on Friday to become Seattle Mariners bench coach.
Riggleman accepted the Mariners' job primarily to become a more visible managerial candidate. Considered the most likely in-house successor if Cardinals manager had La Russa left, Riggleman accepted the Mariners' offer after being contacted last Saturday.
"I felt after being out of the big leagues for a few years, I better not pass on this opportunity," said Riggleman, who turned down similar offers following the 2006 season. "You sometimes feel if you're out of sight, you're out of mind. The visibility aspect of this played an important role for me."
Riggleman attested to the toxic atmosphere that developed after DeWitt transferred player development from former minor-league director Bruce Manno to Luhnow. Manno was transferred to director of professional scouting and then was dismissed on Oct. 4, a day after Jocketty.
"There are always going to be divisions and differences of opinions on how things are done," Riggleman said. "But ultimately something had to be done. I feel terrible with what happened with Walt and Bruce. I legitimately enjoyed working for Bruce and for Jeff. Neither guy hampered me. But I saw the divisions that were going on. I just felt something was going to change because of how people were on such different pages."
La Russa played a large role in Riggleman's hiring in December 2004. Riggleman served as bench coach for Los Angeles Dodgers manager Jim Tracy before coordinating the Cardinals' field operations for then-director of player development Manno.
Emphasizing a desire to manage again, Riggleman acknowledged that is unlikely to happen in St. Louis any time soon.
"My feeling is he's coming back," Riggleman said about La Russa, who has deliberated almost three weeks on whether to return for a 13th season. "I don't know what he's going to do, but that's my strong suspicion. Tony is certainly not going to retire from managing. I really believe he's coming back to St. Louis."
Riggleman said he had not spoken directly to La Russa since the end of the season. He thought it inappropriate to quiz the manager about his intention to return. That said, Riggleman did not deny his interest in the job.
"I would hope Mr. DeWitt and the new general manager would consider me a candidate if, and when, Tony leaves," said Riggleman, one-time first base coach to Whitey Herzog. "But I can't wait around for one position I may or may not have a chance to get."
