THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: What does your gut tell you as far as whether or not Tony La Russa will return with the Cardinals next season?

JOE STRAUSS
There are more reasons to believe TLR will return than not. It’s been 10 days since the Cardinals’ inglorious exit from the postseason. No one needs to tell the manager how much the organization invested into this season. He is soul-searching to examine what went wrong, whether he still commands his players’ attention and, at 65, to determine if he still wants to put himself through the annual 8-month grind. The Cardinals may be prepared to make him the game’s highest-paid skipper, status he briefly enjoyed before the LA Dodgers hired Joe Torre two years ago. TLR says he is not interested in managing elsewhere should he step away. However, there is some intrigue given than Torre and the Atlanta Braves’ Bobby Cox have both indicated next year will be their last in the dugout. The Dodgers job especially may be appealing. That strikes me as a longshot scenario, though.

RICK HUMMEL
Tony is back. One of his biggest concerns is that he is wearing thin with the media, which probably is exaggerated. His popularity with the fans, even though the Cardinals had an abrupt exit from postseason play, rarely has been higher. He is getting along nicely with general manager John Mozeliak and he has the best hitter and the top two starting pitchers in the National League.

DERRICK GOOLD
He’ll be back. The reasons to return far outnumber the niggling little hangups he really has to search to find. If La Russa is going to manage somewhere in 2010, the only somewhere he is ready to consider is the Cardinals. He either just wants to hear how much the team appreciates him and would like him to return, or he’s waiting for the results of Albert Pujols’ surgery to know for sure about the team’s chances to contend …

BRYAN BURWELL
To me, it’s hard to imagine that La Russa would walk away from the Cardinals with Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright at his disposal.

DAN O’NEILL:
My favorite moment and lasting impression will have to do with Joe Torre. As always, Torre was genuinely tickled to be back in St. Louis. I covered the team when Torre was here as the manager and had not seen him in several years. It was great to catch up with one of the truly delightful people in the game.

And what I will remember is Torre’s wonderful gesture during the pregame ceremonies. Many people in St. Louis were disappointed that the All-Stars did not surround Stan Musial and embrace him in the manner they embraced Ted Williams 10 years ago. But the one All-Star who did was Torre. After President Barack Obama threw out his pitch and left the field, Torre made a point to leave the NL dugout and go over to Musialand giving him a big hug.

Torre was grossly underappreciated when he was in St. Louis. He managed teams that were built around players like Todd Zeile, Felix Jose and Mark Whiten, and he was provided a pitching staff that leaned on Bob Tewksbury as its “ace.” And in the three full seasons he had here, he averaged almost 85 wins. Yeah, what an awful manager he was.

There aren’t many people I might mention in the same breath with Stan The Man, but, at least for me, Joe Torre is one of them.

DERRICK GOOLD:

The All-Star Game has been — and likely always will be — a national holiday around my family. My father and I would watch them, tape them and then I’d watch them again until the tape wore out. The personal high point for me was seeing my father attend his first All-Star Game in person and on his lap was his 3-year-old grandson, my son, also taking in his first All-Star Game in person. The little man lasted the whole game and told me the next day that he liked the Game more than the Home Run Derby. Must be the genes. I got to share the Game with them, just as St. Louis got to share it’s love of the game with the world. While we all would have liked to see Stan Musial get a bigger moment — highlights of his career, anyone? — we shouldn’t discount all of the moments the All-Star Game allowed Musial to enjoy. He had the long chat with Albert Pujols, as deftly relayed by Rick Hummel. He attended the owners’ party. He exchanged handshakes with President Obama, saw fellow Hall of Famers and exchanged a point with friend Joe Torre. In St. Louis, it’s popular to say that we appreciate Musial as much as baseball should, and maybe the opposite is true, too. Maybe Musial appreciates St. Louis as much as baseball should. The All-Star Game gave him reason to get out and enjoy that part of the city. It was great to see him and hear about him everywhere. Like it was for my family, the best memories of the Game being here cannot be captured in a moment or in a video. It’s about sharing the Game with family, with fans, and wanting to do so again. It’s best summed up by the sentiment Musial expressed leaving the Cardinals clubhouse and photo shoot with Pujols: “I’m coming back every Sunday home game.”

KATHLEEN NELSON:
I was mystified at the contrast in fan response in the stadium to the words of Barack Obama and George W. Bush during the taped segment about the community heroes. For the current president, the crowd interspersed mild boos with mild cheers but gave a rousing hurrah to “W.” Their reaction when Obama took the field was surprisingly tepid, considering the cheers for Roy Halladay. It seemed a bit disrespectful to the president. It was a baseball game, not a political rally. I thought that people with the reputation as the classiest fans in baseball would have responded with more class, regardless of politics.

BRYAN BURWELL:
The streets of downtown bustling like a major city. That was the absolute best thing, even better than the parade.

REID LAYMANCE:
The best thing for me was something out of the spotlight that I only read about in the Seattle Times newspaper. Ichiro took time on Monday to visit the grave of George Sisler, the former St. Louis Browns star. Ichiro had broken Sisler’s single-season record for hits in 2004 and met the Sisler family then.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Things may change depending on what the team does in free agency, but if you were drafting for the Rams today whom would you take with the No. 2 overall pick?

JIM THOMAS
Orlando Pace is nearing the end of his great career. Alex Barron has been an underachiever and is entering the last year of his contract. You’ve got to go tackle. Of the top three prospects, Eugene Monroe of Virginia is the safest pick.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Wow, this is a tough one, and the circumstances will change many times between now and the draft. But as we sit here today, my thought would be to spend money on a good free-agent offensive tackle instead of drafting one. And with the 2nd pick, I would take Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree. Torry Holt has slowed down. And the kids, Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton, aren’t big, physical receivers. The Rams have a real need in that area, a receiver who can win the tough battles for the football down in the red zone. Crabtree has that ability. I reserve the right to change my mind, but right now I’d go with Crabtree.

BILL COATS
The Rams have plenty of needs, with the offensive line at the top of the list. So, my pick is Virginia tackle Eugene Monroe. He would give new coach Steve Spagnuolo some nice flexibility in a most vital area.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia: OK, so he lost the Outland Trophy to Andre Smith. Scouts seem to think Monroe’s a bit more seasoned. Smith is skipping his senior year, so I wonder about his maturity, especially since he or his people had improper contact with an agent. The Rams need a lot of help on the offensive line, and they won’t want to wait for a tackle to grow up. Monroe seems likely to be ready sooner.

JEFF GORDON
Perhaps the best strategy is trading down to take a tackle later in the first round — perhaps Eugene Monroe of Virginia. Of course, many teams are looking to deal down in this draft. Other teams are looking to sacrifice quality for quantity of picks because the top of this draft looks iffy. If a trade-down is impossible, then Alabama tackle Andre Smith looks like a nice building block for a power running game.

GERRY FRALEY
In the NFL, the name of the game is get to the other guy’s quarterback. Of the top 12 teams for sacks during the regular season, nine reached the playoffs. The Super Bowl teams, Arizona and Pittsburgh, each have seven sacks in the post-season. Arizona did it in three games, one more than Pittsburgh.

New Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo learned that approach when he worked with Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jim Johnson and took it with him to the New York Giants. In the last two seasons, with Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator, the Giants had the second-highest sacks total in the NFL with 95. Dallas led with 105. The Giants’ sacks total does not reflect the mind-sapping beating Spagnoalo’s defense put on quarterbacks. (The Rams had 61 sacks in that span and rarely made life difficult on an opposing quarterback.)

There are several defensive front-seven players with strong pass-rushing skills: Florida State’s Everette Brown, Georgia Tech’s Michael Johnson and Texas’ Brian Orakpo. The Rams will be tempted to go with an offensive lineman such as Alabama tackle Andre Smith, but they would be better served with a pass rusher.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

THINKING OUT LOUD: Last season the St. Louis Cardinals were able to pick up starting pitcher Kyle Lohse on the cheap late in the spring, and the gamble paid off as Lohse went on to post career bests in wins (15) and ERA (3.78), while also logging 200 innings pitched (second-highest innings in his career.) Lohse now is cited as a prime example for why the Cardinals should wait on this year’s free agent market, with the assumption being the team can find a similar arm later.

What hasn’t been discussed is this: With so many teams this year (teams not named Yankees, Red Sox or Angels) saying they are going to wait a while for the free agent market to establish itself, doesn’t that mean there is likely going to be more competition to gobble up free agent pitchers come springtime? And if you’ve got the vast majority of teams sitting and waiting, isn’t that going to push the prices up for these pitchers once the feedy frenzy starts? Who’s going to be caught without a chair when the music stops? Just seems like a gamble.

Perhaps now is the ideal time to strike … the eye of the storm so to speak. Big dollars have been ponied-up for the top-tier guys and a couple of quality arms like Brad Penny and John Smoltz have been claimed on the cheap. It seems the first wave has passed. Why wait until there’s blood in the water in March as team’s scramble to fill out rotations … move now while prices for guys like Penny and Smoltz have been suppressed … don’t wait until the dollars start jumping again.

That’s my two cents.

TROUBLE IN PARADISE: Say it ain’t so, Joe? Apparently it is. According to the New York Daily News, former Yankees manager Joe Torre takes a number of his former colleagues and players with the Yankees to task in a new book to be released next month. This from the Daily News: “Torre describes general manager Brian Cashman as a less than supportive ally who betrayed him on several fronts, and says that his star player, Alex Rodriguez, was often referred to by his teammates as “A-Fraud” and was obsessed with his perceived rival, shortstop Derek Jeter.”

Ouch. I guess Torre is still irked about the “incentives-laden” deal the Yanks offered him to return as manager last year. I can’t wait until Torre’s tenure as Dodgers manager comes to an end so we can hear what he has to say about Manny Ramirez.

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THINGS TO PONDER

GETTING THE WARNER TREATMENT: Prior to this season, Chargers’ RB LaDainian Tomlinson had been the best RB in the game the last three or four years, hands down. This season, at age 29, Tomlinson battled injuries and put up the lowest numbers since his rookie season — rushing for 1,135 yards and 12 TDs (he tacked on another 426 yards receiving with 1 TD).

I know that LT will turn 30 in June and that’s a flashpoint for many RBs, but we’re talking about a guy that just put up 1,500 total yards and 13 TDs … while playing through injuries. And now there is a major rift between Tomlinson and Chargers’ GM A.J. Smith concerning Tomlinson’s future in San Diego. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, players have expressed consternation over comments made by Smith in which he was interpreted as mocking the star running back.

Sound familiar St. Louis? Let’s see if the Chargers end up running LT out of town … and how much they regret it later if they do.

IS IT SAFE ANYWHERE? It was tragic news Friday night when a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed outside a girls’ basketball game at Cahokia High School. “I think it should be a wake-up call for people in the area who have children in high school that this is not a game,” Maj. John Lakin of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department told the Post-Dispatch. “Kids are losing their lives over senseless things, and we need to warn our children.”

The city of Chicago is dealing with such dangers in a drastic way. New rules will keep the doors to the gyms shut for many in an effort to reduce violence within the Chicago Public League. Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Tribune writes, “It’s hard to be hopeful about the future when fights break out in the stands or a player gets shot after a game. … But emptying the gyms is not the answer, unless we’d prefer to teach kids that the only way to deal with problems is by running from them.”

Senseless violence leaves us all scratching our heads. If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where high school sports are still all popcorn and pom-poms, consider yourself lucky. Imagine having to worrry about your child competing in, or attending, a high school sporting event where by merely showing up they are put in harm’s way.

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STAT OF THE DAY

551 — Most consecutive games played by an NHL goalie (including playoffs). The feat was accomplished by Blachawks netminder Glenn Hall from the 1955-56 season through the 1962-63 season. More astounding, Hall accomplished the feat in an era when goalies did not wear masks. Many consider this to be hockey’s most unbreakable record. (SOURCE: Hockey’s Top 100: The game’s greatest records)

* Hall was left unprotected for the 1967 NHL expansion draft, despite the fact he had won the Vezina Trophy earlier that season. He was snatched up by the St. Louis Blues and led them to the Stanley Cup finals in their expansion season, where they were swept 4-0 by the Montreal Canadiens. Despite being swept, Hall’s play still led to him being selected as the Stanley Cup MVP for the series. (The Blues returned to the Finals the following two seasons, losing 4-0 to Montreal in 1969 and 4-0 to Boston in 1970.)

THE WATERCOOLER
(Post-Dispatch columnists and beat writers share their thoughts on a question of the day.)

Question: What personnel area do you think the Rams most need to address this offseason?

JIM THOMAS
The Rams are set at punter and place-kicker. Everything else should be subject to review. But it all begins in the trenches, and with the exception of some decent pass blocking, the Rams showed nothing in the Arizona desert to change their major overriding need: Help on the offensive line. An offensive tackle — preferably one who can show up on time to team meetings — and a center should be a minimum requirement.

BILL COATS
Offensive tackle. Orlando Pace, 34, has been solid on the left side this season, but he’s showing signs of wear and tear. Alex Barron, the team’s first-round draft choice in 2005, is just an average right tackle. His contract is up after next season, and he probably won’t be back. The Rams need quality as well as quantity to shore up this vital position.

JEFF GORDON
I would start with offensive tackle, since elite prospects loom at that position at the top of the ’09 draft. Orlando Pace offers great risk with his age and injury history. As we saw this week, Alex Barron cannot be counted on. John Greco is better playing inside. Adam Goldberg is a fine back-up, but not a bulwark to build around. This is a difficult position to fill, so the Rams should make it the top priority.

BRYAN BURWELL
Anyone who has watched this sad offense bog down every week knows that the most glaring weakness is on the offensive line. Until they can put together a unit that can control the line of scrimmage, this team will continue to struggle.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Those guys are the experts, so who am I to argue? I know it all starts up front, but there’s just nothing sexy about an offensive lineman. Where are the “skill” position players? The Rams need those, too. I’d start with a young QB to build around … Georgia’s Matt Stafford or Florida’s Tim Tebow, anyone? Or maybe Sam Bradford, he looked pretty good last week against Mizzou — though I guess having 10 seconds or so in the pocket every snap helped. (By the way, my call for the “skill” positions probably shows why I’d be about as successful as Matt Millen as a GM.)

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

MADDUX HANGS THEM UP: Pitcher Greg Maddux announced his retirement Monday after 23 seasons and 355 victories (one more than Roger Clemens, by the way.) In his illustrious career, Maddux won four consecutive Cy Young awards from 1992-95 and made 8 All-Star appearances. Known more for his pinpoint precision than his power, Maddux also collected 18 Gold Gloves in his career. No surprise here, but Derrick Goold says, “There is a place in Cooperstown already reserved for Maddux. He’ll be in almost the moment he’s eligible.”

IT AIN’T SO FOR JOE: Fan favorites Joe Torre and Ron Santo did not receive the votes necessary from the Veterans Committee to be included in this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame class. There were two different committees voting this year, one charged with voting on players that played pre-1943 and another on players who played post-1942. Joe Gordon, a nine-time All-Star second baseman for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians and an American League MVP (pre-1943), was the only candidate elected.

A look at the voting for those players who played post-1942 (48 votes needed):
Ron Santo - 39
Jim Kaat - 38
Tony Oliva - 33
Gil Hodges - 28
Joe Torre - 19
Maury Wills - 15
Luis Tiant - 13
Vada Pinson - 12
Al Oliver - 9
Dick Allen - 7

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A FEW THINGS TO PONDER

PLAXICO SHOULD’VE USED ANOTHER WEAPON … HIS BRAIN: Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp points out that NFL players are justifiably fearful for their safety because they are targets. He cites a number of incidents in the last year alone, including: the murder of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, Jacksonville offensive lineman Richard Collier losing a leg and being paralyzed after being shot 14 times, Oakland receiver Javon Walker beaten senseless in a robbery. And there are other examples. Sharp points out that athletes have the same right of self-defense as the general public, but he says the strongest defense rests with what lies between their ears rather than what they’re possibly packing in their pants.

THAT’S A BUMMER: I was hoping to get my first live glimpse of the Baby Blues playing together at tonight’s game vs. Nashville. But Tom Timmermann is reporting this morning that T.J. Oshie will not play. The exact nature of Oshie’s latest injury has not yet been disclosed, but he was injured during Saturday night’s game vs. Phoenix. Stay tuned for details.

TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES: The Associated Press has put out its annual ballot for newspaper editors to vote on the top male athletes of the year. Following is the list of candidates for 2008:
• Michael Phelps
• Eli Manning
• Kobe Bryant
• Padraig Harrington
• Lewis Hamilton
• Jimmie Johnson
• Rafael Nadal
• Usain Bolt
• Francisco Rodriguez
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Bode Miller

Is Michael Phelps the runaway winner here? I was pretty captivated by Usain Bolt during the Olympics, too. And, man, what a year K-Rod had. Who would you cast your vote for?

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STAT OF THE DAY

21 — Seasons Jerry Sloan has been the head coach of the Utah Jazz. The other 29 NBA franchises have made 222 coaching changes since Sloan became coach. Sloan is the longest-tenured coach with one team in the four major sports, according to the Associated Press. Leaders in the other sports include Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves who has completed 19 seasons, Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans who is in his 15th and Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres who is in his 12th.

Amazing feat … living 21 years in Utah, that is. (I jest. I jest.)