This team finished first in the central. Not 2nd, 3rd or last. This staff deserves another chance because it was predicted to finish 4th yet they hung around all year until the FO came through with additional talent.
Bring ‘em back IMHO.

There has been a lot of Tony bashing lately. Thats pretty stupid if you ask me. The next guy will be Jose Oquendo and, while I like the guy, if he was such a gret prospect he would have gotten hired already so Im not in a hurry to see him take over. Tony IS the face of the Cardinal management and seeing how he is a sure HOF manager and will win more games than anyone in modern history all the players that come here respect him and play hard or else. I bet even Milton Bradly would be a good guy working for Tony, and that is saying a mouthful.

I’m sure a number of Tony’s critics will be chiming in soon, and they’re dislike is strongly rooted in his stonefaced and sometime stern personality. Some call him stubborn and say he plays favorites. I say he’s competitive and will always take a struggling team player - C.Duncan and Ankiel - over a whiny “it’s all about me” type of player - Rolen and Kennedy. So who cares if he appears grumpy at times? It’s a natural outcome of his competitive spirit. The man has led the Cards to 7 division titles, 2 pennants, and one world championship in 14 years. The results speak for themself, and should be more than enough for the vast majority of the even the blogbase to call for his return. If you don’t agree, then name a better alternative that’s available. If you can’t, then you you shouldn’t criticize.

I would like to see Tony back. However, I don’t know how his performance would justify a raise. Not that he didn’t sweat the details or grind through every decision, but the incremental differences to this year’s team were, arguably, front office decisions and player changes.

Don’t stiff the guy and create a Joe Torre / Yankees climate, but $4 large is the right salary for next year.

I HOPE Tony and his staff comes back for the next 2 years.
CARDINALS 2010 World Champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tony, whatever you do, I’ll support you. Sometimes you make me scratch my head, but you produce results. The Cardinals are once again a premier team in the National League. You and Duncan take pitchers like Jeff Weaver, Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan, Matt Morris and turn them around. Thank you. I hope you return. If not, please stay involved in the St. Louis community.

Dear Tony,

Please use this formula:

if (true) return;

kthxbye

I think the 3 game sweep by the Dodgers gave Tony a shocking dose of reality into how good his team wasn’t. Ownership got him the players HE wanted, and he couldn’t do anything with them. You could make a pretty good arguement that the team wasn’t any better after the trades than before, especially if you consider that they only did well when they played the easiest part of their schedule. There are also issues of “hustle” that need to get worked out with Yadi and Pujols. If Tony can’t address that then I would hope that he moves on, because the team won’t prosper with that kind of leadership.

Since when is Scott Rolen a “whiny it’s all about me” player?? Just because he and TLR didn’t see eye to eye, doesn’t make him a bad team-mate or “whiny”. Ask #5 what type of teammate Rolen was and I’ll think you’ll take your comment back. Bottomline…the Cardinals don’t even win the division in ‘06 without Rolen, let along the World Series!

Bring Tony back.

Make O the manager and save $4,ooo,ooo. Need $s for player contracts!

BNC4477-wth? Ridiculous post-the argument can be made that the team did not improve at all and Tony can move on? You’re either waiting for Whitey Herzog to come back(ain’t gonna happen,ok) or you believe that Jose Oquendo is gonna come in and do his best John McGraw impression for us.
Bottom line is this-14 years here,7 Division Titles,2 NL championships,1 World Championship and even when we don’t make it to the playoffs it is kept interesting.Tony is a winner,Tony is the best manager in baseball and we are lucky to have him as long as he will have us.

I love Tony as a manager and the cardinals would be so different without him
I hope he comes back

Please go Tony and take your puppy dog Dave Duncan with you. The embarrassment that was the Chris Duncan episode most likely hit the players wrong. These guys aren’t stupid. They know Chris Duncan sucks, and he was given more than ample time to prove his worth. Then to make statements that Chris was treated unfairly? That was embarrassing and insulting to everyone.
I’m just tired of the same pompous, arrogant attitude of Tony. The scowls and irritated tone he brings to the table is old. Yes, thanks for the good years, but obviously, it looks like the players have tuned him out.

I think with 2 potential Cy Young winners, a perennial MVP performer, and an All-Star closer, a MONKEY could have managed this team past the likes of the Reds, Pirates, Brewers, and Cubs. Instead, they are managed by a DONKEY!! Let’s quit the drama and get a manager that wants to be here, doesn’t have to be the center of attention, and who could have recognized Matt Holliday as an upgrade over Chris Duncan!

I want Tony for as long as he wants to manage. Sure, he does a number of things I don’t agree with but there is one thing I cannot disagree with: Tony consistently produces winners. For those nay-sayers that want Tony to leave, let me ask you this: with Tony, do we expect to go to the post-season? A definite YES, and despite the horrible playoff showing, we were there weren’t we? Without Tony, do you have the same expectations of returning to the playoffs or will next year be a “rebuilding” year? Yeah, that works…just ask the Rams.

The Cardinals finished first in NLC because the Cubs and Brewers collapsed and not so much of how they played. Pujols great first half and several mid season deals also helped. Don’t look for Cubs and Brewers to repeat 2009 anytime soon. Therefore the Cradinals will have to improve starting pitching, relief pitching, and a productive hitter. I would like for STL to get rid of some of their marginal players: Dennis Reyes, and John Smoltz, and possibly Thurston. A good off season trade would be Joel Pinerio, Thurston, and Reyes to Cincinnati for Aaron Haarang and Brandon Phillips.
A good starting lineup for next season would be; Holiday, Ramus, DeRose in outfield; Glaus, Ryan, Phillips, Pujols infield; Molina and Larue catching.
Pitching rotation; Carpenter, Wainwright, Aaron Haarang, Wellemeyer. Haarang can pitch 200 inning a season.

There is no doubt TLR is the best manager in baseball and it would be devastating if he did not retire a Cardinal manager.

Tony benched Scott ONE game late in 2006 vs. Oswalt, and Scott went crying to the media saying he was effectively “benched”. Here’s LaRussa’s quote on the matter… “The last time in Houston I sat him down for 10 minutes and explained it to him. My explanation was worthless, so what am I going to say?” La Russa told the Post-Dispatch. “The last time I talked to him it was a worthless exercise. He didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t believe it. He didn’t understand it. I ‘benched’ him, which is so opposite what that conversation was about.” … I know he was a big part of the 2006 team, even critical at times. My point is not about his contributions, but about being a “team player”. Team players don’t spin a private conversation and go to the media with it. Rather, they take their setbacks in stride and bust their butt to regain their form.

Could be tough to trade Pinero. He’s a FA.
Yadi’s lack of hustle - even in the Dadgers series - still smolders. The drama of the Duncan family and Tony’s response to that was weird. I hope B Wallace doesn’t become more thatn an average to good player cuz he and the rest were a lot to give up for a Holliday rental (Wallace could probably play left as well as Matty Ho). Cards were better after MO made a couple of good moves (good for ‘09). And yet, the team essentially tanked the last 3 - 4 weeks of play. Who is at fault there? Tony is a good manager. Not sure who you’d get to replace him but he’s not the best manager in baseball. Look west and see what Jim Tracy did with the Rocks. No major moves by that org other than replacing Hurdle with Tracy. He made the difference there.

The birds rock, they just rock harder with Tony, c’mon back T-Man!!

Rolen was named in several Toronto artciles this season as one of the clubhouse guys trying to skewer Jays manager Cito Gaston. Helluva player at one time and a huge part of the cards mid - 00s success but not a guy you’d like to have working for you for long.

Tony is indeed the best manager going today. He and his staff get more out of the players they have each and every year. It’ll be a sad day when they leave because we’ll find out what Cardinals baseball will be like without them–average.

Well said Mike Boresi and I have to disagree with you BNC4477. The (4) guys TLR got to shore up this team was only part of the puzzle and even some of those guys did not produce the way they have against the Cardinals for other teams. The bullpen was PATHETIC down the stretch and in the POSTSEASON. Franklin is not a closer and that will be a problem next season now that they have signed him. McClellan & Thompson are also a problem in that they give up runs by pushing it to the limit EVERY TIME they come in to relieve. Ludwick lost his mojo in the (5) and (6) hole and that could be another problem to address next season. If you look at the lineup that each team in the 2009 Post season has, each team possesses a juggernaut up and down the lineup. In the Cardinals case, if Shu or Lugo didn’t set the table at the beginning of the game, the opposing team still pitched around Albert fearlessly by taking a chance that Holliday and Ludwick will not get the clutch hit to drive AP in. I don’t know the stats but I would bet by watching them all this time that the opposing team was right in that decision (ie. Torre). The bench has also been a significant problem with Ankiel and Thurston all year long. No longer do the Redbirds possess a Speizio type guy to come in and get a clutch pitch hit as was the case in 2006. So to say that TLR got players he wanted and couldn’t do anything with this team despite that is totally absurd. If anybody should front the blame is Mozeliak by not addressing all of the problems TLR and Dunc had. Tony, as he and Duncan have done in the past, have made the best out of what they got (i.e. Wellemeyer, Pinerio, and Weaver). All of those guys were picked off the “nobody wanted junk heap” and at times contributed in a positive way. As for Rolen, he was good no doubt, but he was a whinny player and still is. After all isn’t that the reason Philly got rid of him because he couldn’t get along with another tough manager Larry Bowa? I say good ridence to him and the cancerous attitude he brought to the clubhouse. When are the anti-LaRussa fans going to realize that TLR was hired to manage not to be baby sitter. It should be his way or the highway, not the way Pinella does it where his team is totally out of control!!!

Tony is history. I see him and Duncan going to either Cincinati or san Francisco. Ankiel is gone, Glaus is gone, Smoltz is gone, Pinero is gone, Wellmeyer is gone. Derosa stays, Puhols stays if they sign Holiday. If not.. look for Puhols to play out his contract next year and move on. Molina is a great catcher, just needs to get the lead out of his butt.
Dave Duncan is a great pitching coach, but definetly a crybaby.
Cardinals have a great core of players right now. Sign the good ones and let’s move on.

Like it or not, he’ll be back. will be interesting to see what happens if Duncan gets some serious consideration for a managers spot elsewhere.

don’t let TLR go…if you want to see what happens when people start leaving after a good year look at the Rams. Their decline started after losing to Pats in Super Bowl and they never recovered. Bernie’s reasons # 1 & 3 are the right ones. Don’t overestimate the “rich tradition” of St Louis baseball. It means more to the fans than it does to players/managers. It’s a job to them and other cities are big league towns too.

I say keep Tony. But I do think it looks terrible for Yadi and Pujols not to run out ground balls. That’s not baseball. Why do they get away with it, and am I right that ALL of the St. Louis PD writers have been silent on this issue. Why?

I sure hope he comes back. He is a HOF manager with a lot of mileage left. I hope Dave D. coms back too!

Will D. Duncan come back? Is he over the Chris d. midseason episode? Will Larussa stay without him? Does the front office, Larussa and Duncan see eye to eye regarding the minor league players? There seems to be a lot of in decision here. It’ll be an interesting off season.

c jackson:
Don’t you think going 33 and 11 down the stretch had anything to do with it?
That is hard for anybody to keep up with!

I told TLR in Jupiter this year that I was pulling for him! TLR looked at me and smiled and I quote.. said ” Oh yea, Wait and see how you feel about me in October”. Well Skipper I still appreciate what you do there. As a coach of my two young boy’s, I know how hard it is to win and win consistantly as you have! Congrats on a job well done to you and your staff. I am already looking forward in seeing you guys getting ready in Jupiter in 2010.

WHERE IS WHITEY? THEY WOULDN’T QUIT ON HIM.

Where will he go? I believe the only place he would like to go is Oakland. He has proven that he is a winner. TLR is loyal to his players that showed in the playoffs and during the regular season. He is a player’s manager. He should be back in St. Louis and have another winning team.

I liked Whitey. Thought he was a good manager. Under TLR there has been more sustained winning. Remebmer that great team in 86 or how about 88,89 or that great year in 1990 when Whitey quit. During the Whitey years the Cards either won big or lost big. With TRL the team seams to stay close most of the year. Yes I think TRL over manages ( see Wainright coming out in game 2) but I’ll take 7 divisions 2 wild cards and a WS over 14 years any day.

This is from FoxSports webpage Ben Maller’s MLB Rumors: “Dusty Baker may not be as safe in Cincinnati as the Reds’ strong finish would suggest. Owner Bob Castellini reportedly has his eye on the Cardinals tandem of manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.” — Chicago Tribune
Can you imagine the Bean Ball that would be played if Baker managed the
Cardinals against Tony’s Reds. Would be a real kick in Baker’s arse if Castellini did this move. Afterall, he wasn’t hiring Jocketty as a GM, remember. Reds, Castellini, Jocketty (LaRussa & A’s), LaRussa/Duncan. Wow, this sounds like the real thing after Tony’s meditation. I kinda like this scenario.

What Manager has the record that Tony has on his resume’ ?….Cox, Torre,
Scioscia, Francona, all very good, but Tony consistantly has turned out good teams for 30 years….a future Hall of Famer, you don’t let walk with a promising club.

There is nobody who knows this club better than TLR. Under his direction this team should be wired from start to finish to accomplish greater things in 2010. TLR and this club had to swallow a huge bitter pill in the 09 post season. I’m sure they will do all they can to keep from taking that pill again. I think they will be picked higher than fourth going out the gate also. Expectations will be a little larger than just winning the division. This team did not know what to expect going into the season after retooling 2008. They now have more pieces that have been molded to the core to generate some real heat in 2010. Of course some of those pieces need to be inked to a new contract. Yeah, I think TLR will be back. He’s got a lot to shoot for and he has some good weapons to shoot with.

Only guy you need to get rid of is McRae.

All you Tony bashers can take a flying leap. TLP is THE best manager the cards have ever had. Who else can match his record? For you Whitey fans, Tony would have had the Cardinals ready for Game 7 after the Denkinger call. He will also never bail on the team mid season like Whitey did. TLP has tenure for as long as he wants to stay in my book.

BRING HIM BACK!!!! T-L-R! T-L-R! T-L-R!

c Jackson-
YOU ARE A MORON!!!!!!
Please explain how in the world the Brewers will be near the top of the divison when they have no pitching. Then explain how the Cubs will fill the massive holes they have. Then explain why in the world you have Todd Wellemeyer in the 2010 starting rotation. Wellemeyer does not get enough credit for how poorly he pitched and how much he truly blows. The best player in baseball catches more crap on these boards than the WORST, literally the worst (check the stats), starting pitcher in MLB. Then explain to me why Ryan Ludwick is not the starting right fielder and troy glaus is the starting 3B. When youre done explaining all the absurd ideas you just polluted the world with, jam a bat up your ass.

c. Jackson: You said the reason the Cardinals won was because of the collapse of the other teams in our division, bull! What are you talking about? The Cardinals won the division because they played as a team. Those teams that you said collapse, well we helped in their collapsed season! As far as as the players you would like to see back, well I have to disagree with you! Glaus and Wellemeyer need to go! Glaus was a waste this year. he spent most of the season on the DL and in the minors rehabbing! Wellemeyer, he stunk as a starter and as a reliever! I’m guessing you are one of these so-called Cards fan, I’m basing this on your post! So, in closing, I hope that TLR stays and a we are able to get some pitching to help Carp and Wainwright!

Great comment BNC4477…the issue of hustle on this team was truly disturbing and it showed in the t-ball-like baserunning and in the field…Yadi batting 6th was a joke…Ted Simmons he is not. The fellas might want to listen to Lou Brock on base running next spring training and stop thinking he’s some old guy the game has passed by.

Cards went 14 - 16 from sept 1 on (not including 0 - 3 in NLDS. that would make them 14 - 19 from Sept 1 to the end). Their last 20 games of the regular season, they were 7 - 13. Hardly a way to go into the playoffs. After their August surge, it seemed like a lapse was inevtiable. Who knew it would last a full month.
Don’t expect DeRosa or Holliday back next year. Hopefully they ink Pinero. wouldn’t mind seeing Ludwick go for someone who can pitch and / or at elast make consistent contact at the plate. (He should have been moved last off-season when his value was highest.)

CJackson–What a tool you are! You write about this trade all the time–only the players you mention are either free agents or worthless! Who would want Thurston? Piniero is a free agent! Phillips is a bigger dog than Yadi and Pujols put together! And Harang makes as much as Carpenter–and produces like Wellemeyer! Go back to trading baseball cards, you moron.

Not another job out there that would tempt him? Why wouldn’t he want to reunite with his old buddy Walt Jocketty in Cincy? I doubt Walt would not hire TLR & Dave Duncan–who apparently wants out of St. Louis–simply because of Scott Rolen. Dusty would be gone in a New York minute if TLR says he’d manage the Reds. What if the San Diego job came open, or Arizona–closer to home in Californ-i-a. I have to believe Walt and other GMs and/or owners are trying to talk to TLR or his agent to gauge his interest before he re-ups for another season in St. Louis. Personally, i’m very appreciative for all TLR and company have done for this organization. However, I’m ambivalent on whether or not he returns. Fine if he does as he’s one of the best; fine if he doesn’t as a change in dugout leadership and a new perspective may not be a bad thing. His handling of Molina late in the season followed by batting him No. 6 in the playoffs still leaves me shaking my head in disagreement. I have other issues with him as well, as any fan would with any manager, but bottom line is TLR is a winner.

St. Louis has never had trouble attracting top dugout management, that’s been the case in the last 14 years and all the way back to 1926 when they planted the 1st pole. Whether TLR stays or goes we will again have top management in the dugout, the skipper in ‘10 won’t get the job unless he has a clear vision how to plant pole #11.

When we took 5-2 from the Dodgers this season season we seems we got over confident, I recall reading blogs how TLR may have acually open the door for them in game #4 in St. Louis which was winnable. We may have also lost sight of how important home field is in a 5 game set and please go back and look at dugout decisions in game #160, 2001 8th inning vs. Houston which helped punch our tickets to Phoenix to face Schiling and Johnson. ( could have exact inning wrong)

Torre and his bunch on the other hand got the wake up call, they kept signing talent up till Sept 1 when they reeled in the NLDS Game #3 winning pitcher.

Now as for TLR how to get him to manage the game going on in that instant, their are at least 7 previous Cardinal managers who would have won game #2 behind Waino by making the right moves right there and then such that we play game #4 and maybe start game #5 again with Waino. Our best defensive left fielder should have been on the field in the 9th and after watching him struggle the last 4 weeks of the season you cannot stay with Franklin after the odds were turned against him, there were better dugout choices and it will happen again unless something is done on the accountability front.

I’m ready for TLR to move on. He allowed his personal relationship with a player (Chris Duncan) to over ride his professional duties during much of the season. On any other team Chris would have been shipped back to the minors early in the season. However, do to his personal relationship with the player and his dad, TLR failed to use any common sense in the matter to the determent of the team. It’s probably that same relationship that keep the Card’s from trading Chris after the series win when he had value even though he had no position on the Card’s big team. Till this year I’ve been a TLR supporter but now time for him to go

Did you see how Jim Tracy was with the media after the Phillys stunned the Rockys? Can you imagine TLR with his eyebrow cocked and the tension that would have been in the air? Then Dennis Eckersley picks them to beat L.A. Why? I quote “they put the same lineup on the field every night” Ir’s called consistency. TLR never does that!! He’s too double minded and over analyzes the game. Howard should get the MVP too!! So MO are you listening? LET HIM GO!! Don’t keep him just so he can get the record. I mean come on!! There are a lot of managers out there that can equal or beat his mark if the stick around for 30 years. Prediction” The Cardinals will not win another World Series with TLR at the helm. They’ll hit and miss the playoffs but I doubt they will even make it to the W.S.

The Cardinals could have never come back like the Phillys did tonight. They lack the moxie. They played thru Rollins error like it didn’t phase them. We would have folded and iimped into the locker room.

TLR— Bye…

Tony, despite what the naysayers on here say, for the good of the St. Louis Cardinals, we NEED for you to stay a couple or perhaps a few more years as manager. Although I don’t understand your moves when you make them, they are always better moves than what I would’ve made. Please overlook the naysayers as they be talking purely out of spite. They don’t want to let go of our horrible playoff series against Joe Torre’s Dodgers. Which in my book only proves that they have the maturity of a little child.

To Tony and the Tony-bashers: Think about this. Tony only has the power to control things to a certain extent. Then guess who controls the rest? It’s the Almighty God above. That’s right, God. My point is this: God is the one who didn’t want the Cardinals to go any farther then they did this post season. He has a plan for Tony and our beloved Cardinals. If it was in God’s plan for the 2009 St. Louis Cardinals to go all the way and win the World Series, then we would’ve done so. And if any of you Tony-bashers out there don’t believe me just ask Albert Pujols. And just because the Cards didn’t win this post season doesn’t mean that God was mad at Tony and the Cardinals. God loves this team of ours. It just wasn’t in His plan. Now I know you Tony-bashers are gonna call me “crazy” and/or an idiot. So be it. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me.”

So to finish my comment, Tony, you have some unfinished work here with the Cardinals. Please follow God’s plan that He has for you and stay. Thank you and may God always bless you.

bring back TLR and Dave Duncan! nuff said!

I think it’s pretty obvious with all the positive comments on here about TLR that the Card fans want him back next year. We don’t love all his ways, but who do you know that is perfect? Overall he is a damn good manager, perhaps a great one and his ability to put ballplayers on the field who are competetive and “real” ballplayers, not prima donnas is amazing and is certainly part of our Cardinal tradition. Just the success with Skip Shumaker makes this past season notable. So…come on back Tony and maybe the front office will give you what you want to see so you can have another year of fun.

Of course they wouldn’t quit on Whitey, because he would have quit on them first, just like he did in 1990. As for K-Mac’s question about Dunc getting a manager offer temptation, Dave Dunc has said numerous times he has no desire to be a manager so that’s not an option. The real concern is how personally scarred is he over the Chris issue. I love them both, and realized long ago TLR and Dunc are the best two minds I’ll ever see running my favorite team in my lifetime.

I support Tony LaRussa as manager of the Cardinals. He is a winner and sure Hall of Famer.

Every manager makes questionable decisions. When you go with your gut or statistics, you’re going to hear it from fans. But, time has shown that Tony is right most of the time. And, he has the good sense and thick skin to take it from fans and ignore us. He’s probably the best active manager in baseball. For him NOT to retire as a Cardinal, would make StL look silly to the rest of the country.

Hey BB you either have a memory that creates revisionist history or you don’t remember the game 7 blowout against the Royals in the 1985 World Series. They most definitely quit on him. Obviously they quit on Whitey in 1990 when he resigned in mid season and they ended up finishing last, the only time in my lifetime the Cardinals finished last. Whitey was a great manager but he is not the messiah people think he is. Think about it, 81 and 82 winning records and won the series in 82 over a Brewers team that did not have their hall of fame closer, Rollie Fingers. 83, trades Hernandez and is under .500. 84 finishes third. 85 Wins NL Championship but team can’t hit in World Series, blows 6th game and gets embarrassed in the 7th game. 86 finishes under .500 third. 87 Wins NL Championship. Loses game 6 after having a lead. Starts rookie in game 7 in Minnesota (Joe Magrane Jeez what if LaRussa did that? What would be said?). Loses. Cardinals are never in the playoffs after that and have only one winning season, 1989, before Herzog quits.

La Russa has been manager since 1996. His playoff teams, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 (swept in World Series), 2005, 2006 (wins World Series), 2009. Tony has been in the playoffs more frequently. His under .500 seasons, 1997, 1999, 2007.

You all may think what you want of LaRussa personally or question his moves, that’s okay. He’s been in the playoffs more than Whitey, he has had to go through a layer of playoffs that Whitey didn’t. He’s been in the playoff hunt or finished first more than Whitey did. He’s won exactly the same amount of World Series championships as Whitey.

If there is a manager (don’t tell me Torre, Pinella or Cox because they’re not available) that you are CERTAIN can do as good or better job then show me the name. Otherwise LaRussa needs to come back for this team to be in contention.

“WHERE IS WHITEY? THEY WOULDN’T QUIT ON HIM.”
— BB
4:56 pm October 12th, 2009

I, for one, hope Tony is back in 2010. He’s the only Cardinal manager I’ve known, and I think he does well with what he’s given. Besides, if he leaves, we’ll have to replace the entire coaching staff because I can’t imagine most of them staying without him.

JoPa, I don’t see money in this equation at all. La Russa comming back for another year will not be on a raise or not. However, for you to say he didn’t earn a raise is is most questionable to me. Had it not been for La Russa and his managing in the first half of the season, I doubt DeWitt would have allowed the team additions let alone getting the Divison win. I really don’t see anybody matching La Russa in his efforts to keep this team in the first half mix and because he did keep them there, it kept the fans comming and because of that, the club use the unexpected income to improve for the second half. La Russa has taken other teams to higher levels than expected before and just because he does it again shouldn’t take away from him having done it again. In today’s baseball economics, La Russa earned his four mil and in fact since its DeWitts money and not yours or mine, lets give him a good raise for another job well done. He earned it and the thanks of all Cardinal fans.

c.Jackson….What about Luddy? A premium player that’s apparently underrated by you and several others. Do you really think that Cincy would part with Haarang for the package you mentioned? Glaus, Thurston and Reyes might make better sense. Luddy’s a star on this team, always hustling, never giving up on a play, a true ballplayer. Welcome Tony back…not his fault the offense could’nt deliver timely hits the last 3/4 weeks of the season…think about re-signing Ankiel also…I prefer him over Rasmus, but would like to see both on the team for a long time…need to think about getting Yadi and Albert some hustle training from Bob Kersey.

La Russa does not know anything and if we had any other manager we would be in the championship series

I think he should be welcomed back as long as he wants to manage the Cardinals. He is a HOF manager. a winner and all those posters who think they are smarter and could do a better job need to get back on their medicine as soon as possible.

Does he do things that are head scratchers? Yes, of course. Every manager does! We here out in la la land don’t ever know the whole story so to say that what a manager does is wrong just because we think it’s wrong without knowing all the facts……….. is wrong.

Welcome back in 2010 TLR!

LaRussa will be back but not Dunc. They get rid of Hal McRea. Holliday walks. Ankiel, Greene, Thurston, Glaus and others go to free up money for Jason Bay. Smoltz returns with an incentive laden contract and he also helps young pitchers grow with Dunc gone. Bullpen is overhauled. Cardinals compete.

The view from Chicago: You guys are out of your mind if you let him go. Pay whatever it takes to get him to stay. St. Louis fans have no idea how great they have it. Tony La Russa continues to take teams with major deficiencies and make them into winners. If Lou Piniella makes $5 large, Tony should get $10.

Hopefully LaGenius will not be back but I am sure he will. I often am amazed at how all the LaGenius lovers credit him with all the wins the Cardinals have. If that were the case why then could Joe Torre not win here but as soon as he went to New York and now to Los Angeles can win. I have a news flash for you so called baseball experts the players win or lose the games not the manager. Although a manager can cause a game to be lost by making the wrong moves. Torre won at new York and is winning at Los Angeles because he had and now has good players. That is the reason he will be back because the Cardinals will continue to give him good players and he can take the credit for the success at the expense of the players. I wonder how many more games we would have won if he had not insisted on using Duncan, Wellemeyer, Green, Isringhausen and other players who proved they could not play but were on his good list.

Oh C. Jackson how you don’t see things the way as I. First off, you said not to expect the cubs and brew-crew to collapse again. Why in the world would you not expect that? That’s what they have been doing for a century, why would that change for 2010. Number two, I think you might want to put skip in your line up, or at least I would. I do agree that I would love to see some marginal players go and some better come in, but I don’t feel that winning the central division will be to difficult again next year. It’s weak and we should expect to win. We need to be more concerned with winning a WS, and as for as I know Joel P. is going to be a free agent, so the whole trade thing with the Reds probably won’t work.

Well, if La Russa isn’t the manager next year, I’d like to see Mark McGwire get the job.

Actually, the 85 cardinals didn’t quit on whitey herzog in game 7, because HE quit too, as early as the last inning of game 6. they all quit. as did the 96 cardinals against atlanta in the last three games of that series.

tlr is the guy that lost whatever they call those games that are played after the real season ends. he is the one that pulled his best pitcher in game two and replaced him with a couple of stiffs that promply lost the game. tlr is the guy that prior to the season opener said his bullpen would be ok. tlr should be fired along with his overrated pitching guru that got in a snit when his kid (that couldn’t hit or catch the ball) was traded. yeah, he won the division. that divison was plain awful, as is the rest of the national league. he will likely be back since he invented the game, (at least he thinks he did). get rid of him.

Keep Tony. He is the greatest manager in baseball. I get very tired of hearing how great Whitey Herzog is. Has everyone forgotten he walked out on his team in the middle of the season? His players probably would not quit on him nor did they quit on Tony - but Whitey would sure quit on his players and on the fans. The Cardinals did not quit on Tony - they just had a losing streak at the wrong time - not to mention a lot of bad calls from umpires - walks on Pujols - and some tacky LA fans with white towels in the sun. That does a lot to bring down the morale of the players. I keep hearing about how great the St. Louis fans are but you are only a great fan if you support your team when they lose as well as when they win. This was just not our year. BRING TONY AND DUNCAN BACK

I enjoy reading the baseball oriented comments here. All good. But most are focused on winning. The owners? Maybe not as much.

But in a business sense, it doesn’t matter who’s on the team if they generate cash flow. So maybe Albert is paid too much but if the team recoups that in extra attendance and souvenir sales, they’re happy. You can bet the front office has a spreadsheet that estimates such things.

The owners want to win but they might also be looking for a profit. The days of family dynasties keeping money losing franchises seem to have faded. Winning is the bonus that ups revenue even more.

I have also seen my limit on other prices. Had one beer this year and usually eat before getting near the park. That way I can afford to see more games.

La Russa had a great year and took 1st in the Central. He should never ever be bashed. Any team can lose 3 in a row - anytime! The Cardinals just did it at a bad time - the playoffs. I remember when Mike Marz (spell?) was bashed for little things, and he was gone, and the Rams have never done well since we lost him. He was so excellent. The same was true for our great quarterback - Kurt Werner. Look what he went on to do after he left us. If we’d been patient! The same could be true for LaRussa. It’s amazing that teams don’t always know when they have someone who is excellent. The chances of getting another person so excellent is very small.

In my less then expert opinion the Central Division was the the weakest division this year so winning it was not that big a deal. I don’t like station to station baseball, crazy line-ups with pitchers batting eight and slow footed catchers batting fifth or sixth instead of eighth. The failure to use John Smoltz as a closer was a hugh mistake from my Monday morning arm-chair after seeing Franklin self-distruct in mid September. I believe TLR meeting with top brass was not as smooth as everyone thinks so TLR return to me is no sure thing. Who would be better don’t ask me ask Bill DeWitt.

I don’t think he will be back, though I would like him to. I think he’s tired. The last few years have been rough. And he’s won his championship with the Cardinals, so there isn’t that gnawing in the gut about his time in St. Louis being a waste.