Tributes paid to St. Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa – MLB News
As news of Tony La Russa’s retirement announcement spread, praises and tributes started pouring in on the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, October 31. Being the third highest winning manager of baseball’s history, La Russa commanded huge
influence and respect from everyone related to the game.
For the Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, La Russa’s brilliance will remain a legacy of his, while leaving an indelible mark on baseball’s history with his passionate and accomplished leadership qualities.
"Tony La Russa certainly left his mark on the game of baseball," White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. "His brilliance is his legacy. One of two managers to win a World Series in each league, six pennants, it says a lot about the man that he wasn't just
going to stick around to break records."
In his managerial ranks, Tony La Russa maintained distinction throughout his serving career. In post-season wins, the former St. Louis Cardinals’ manager stood second (having won 70), a total of 5,097 games to win to rank second once again, having served
as manager for over three decades, remaining second.
He stood third in playoffs with 14 wins while winning three World Series titles as his rank as manager remains sixth. During the 16 seasons in which he led the Cardinals since he joined the team in 1996, the Cardinals finished the first seven times and got
into the post-season a total of nine times.
"We're grateful for what he's done for the Cardinals all these years," Cardinals’ chairman and chief executive officer Bill DeWitt Jr. said.
His first biggest win as a manager came in 1989 when he led the Oakland Athletics to the winning stand as he joined the team in 1986. He moved to the Cardinals then to help the team win two World Series titles in the following years, becoming an inspirational
factor for them.
He is a favourite for the Hall of Fame where he is among the top 10 all time successful manager of baseball with 33 years of experience, having won 2,728 wins under his guidance for every team that he led.
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