Source: La Russa To Stay With Cardinals

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Tony La Russa will return for his 13th season with the St. Louis Cardinals, a team official told The Associated Press on Monday. <br/><br/>The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity

Monday, October 22nd 2007, 9:28 am

By: News On 6

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Tony La Russa will return for his 13th season with the St. Louis Cardinals, a team official told The Associated Press on Monday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made, did not know details of the contract. A news conference was scheduled for 1 p.m. CDT Monday at Busch Stadium.

La Russa, 63, had weighed leaving after a difficult season in which the defending world champions finished 78-84. The season got off to a rocky start even before it began when La Russa was arrested for drunken driving in March near the team's spring training complex in Jupiter, Fla. Cardinals reliever Josh Hancock died in May after a drunken-driving accident, and several players were lost for long stretches of the season due to injuries, including Chris Carpenter, the staff ace who pitched only in the season-opener.

Speculation that La Russa would leave was fueled further when the Cardinals fired general manager Walt Jocketty earlier this month. Jocketty hired La Russa after the 1995 season and the two have been close since the days when both were with Oakland. The Cardinals still have not hired Jocketty's replacement.

Jocketty said days after his firing that La Russa had been ``surprised'' and ``probably disappointed'' in the decision to replace him.

La Russa has led St. Louis to seven playoff appearances, six NL Central championships, two pennants and the 2006 World Series win over Detroit. His A's team won the 1989 World Series.

La Russa is 1,055-887 (.543) with the Cardinals. He is third on the all-time wins list with a lifetime record of 2,375-2,070 (.534) with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland A's and the Cardinals.

He was AL manger of the year in 1983, 1988 and 1992, and NL manager of the year in 2002.

La Russa's three-year contract expired after this season. His name came up as a possible replacement for Joe Torre, who left the Yankees after 12 seasons, though La Russa denied interest in the Yankees job. La Russa took over the Cardinals after Torre was fired midway through the 1995 season.