La Russa on D&C: 'Won't be managing'

Tony La Russa, who retired this week after leading the Cardinals to a World Series title, joined the Dennis & Callahan show Friday morning and said he doesn't see any circumstances that would lead to his return to managing, be it in St. Louis, Boston or anywhere else.

"I don't think so," he said. "I had the perfect situation in St. Louis. You can't ask for a better place to work, better people to work with, a team that was terrific, fun. So, if that's not going to make it, bring you back -- I think it was just time to do something else. It won't be managing."

La Russa insisted he would have retired even if the Cardinals not won the championship.

"Absolutely," he said. "I had been playing around with it the last few years. At some point, you know it's going to end. I'm also aware that, a long time in one city, at some point, you've got to have a fresher voice and leader of the team on the field. So, it had been the last two or three years I had given it serious consideration. By mid-summer I said, 'Look, I think this is it.' To my great good fortune personally, it ended up with that historic run and winning the thing. But if we had lost, I would have been out, too."

When the discussion turned to how much easier it is to manage in the American League because of the designated hitter, La Russa again made it clear that he wouldn't take the bait.

"I think you probably underestimate what the American League managers go through," he said. "Handling pitching is tougher in the American League. Competing for 3 1/2 hours every time you take the field. Defensively, when you face a crooked number, that's really, really rough. I was in the American League 16 years. I know how hard it is.

"It's a moot question now, man, 'cause I ain't going to do it."

Following are more highlights from the conversation.

On the allure of the Red Sox' managerial opening: "I had those years in the American League, and you always looked forward to going to Boston because the fans are so close to the playing field and you can feel their passion. I mean, it was really intense there. The thing I would point out is: Boston had the big dream. For years they didn't have a World Series championship. Then in 2004 we accommodated them really nicely. So, I should be very popular in Boston."

On Red Sox pitchers drinking in the clubhouse and not supporting their teammates on the bench, and Terry Francona's culpability: "I don't know that we had that one. First of all, when you're managing a game, you're supposed to be concentrating on the game. And one of the worst things to do is have to be a policeman. We kind of require that our players police themselves to a certain extent. If you need the hammer, then we can come in there and do it. Over time, these guys sometimes they get a little careless about their responsibilities and maybe aren't in the dugout as much as they want to and you have to put the hammer down some.

"But I would not be nearly as harsh as I've heard people be about Terry's part in that, because I think he had the hammer down many, many times during his time there, and that's pat of why they won two World Series when he was the manager."

On the Cubs' title hopes now that Theo Epstein is running the team: "There's no doubt in my mind at some point they're going to win. Because it's a dream that's there to be had. If you put quality people in the right place, it will happen. What's the next great dream? That's the one right there. I think Theo and the group he's putting together, they have the opportunity and it's quite likely they'll make it happen."

On what La Russa demands from his players: "I think No. 1, it starts with effort. You have to be committed to giving your best effort. The second, behind it closely, you need to care about what's happening with the team as far as winning and losing games, and your teammates. The only place I'd distinguish that a little bit is you can be the most selfish guy around, and you give a great effort, but you [couldn't] care less about your teammates, you're just trying to get rich. You'd take that guy on your team if he's productive enough. But it starts with effort."

On his friendship with Patriots coach Bill Belichick and what they have in common: "I think we love to coach, more than anything. I just think we love to coach. And I know that if you see Bill at dinner like we do, his personality's off the chart, he's so much fun, so interesting to be around. But when he's doing his job as the coach, you don't give up bits of information just to try to make yourself look smart or cute or whatever. I just think we love to coach, and it's one of my neatest things in my professional life is a friendship like Bill's where we can talk with each other and share stuff. I think he's great, on and off the field. I treasure that."

For more highlights from the interview, including La Russa's thoughts on baseball's steroid era, what he would do to speed up the game and his animal rescue charity, check the Full Count blog. To hear the interview, go to the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page. For more Red Sox news, visit the team page at weei.com/redsox.