This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 31, 2011 - The jubilation of a Sunday parade in October turned somber Monday morning when Cardinal manager Tony La Russa, who in his 16 years in the Gateway City brought two World Series championships in three appearances, announced his retirement.
The announcement came as both expected and surprising. With the Redbirds winning another World Series, this time in historic fashion, hopes were high that La Russa would stay, despite his previous flirtations with retirement and his repeated statements about managers overstaying their tenure.
The St. Louis Cardinals managerial position is a coveted one. The Cardinals are the winningest team in the National League, second only to the 27-time champion New York Yankees in World Series victories, and, with its dependable, faithful, and energetic fan base, it would be a dream position for many in baseball.
The Cardinals should be able to take their pick. The next Redbird skipper will inherit a roster that, for the most part, is returning most of its essential, championship-caliber players. This includes comeback player of the year Lance Berkman, stalwart ace Chris Carpenter, hometown hero and World Series MVP David Freese, not to mention the return of Adam Wainwright, an ace without whom the Cardinals still won a championship, as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
One question mark is at first base, of course. More on that later.
Conventional wisdom would tell you that the Cardinals could promote third base coach and former Cardinal Jose Oquendo. Insiders believe that he has been groomed for the position for some time now, and he has a comfortable, respectful rapport with the players. The players know Oquendo. Oquendo knows the Cardinal way. It could be a great fit.
However, the Cardinal front office likely would do its due diligence and look at all available candidates. It's safe to say very few managers in baseball have La Russa's Hall of Fame-pedigree, but some available are worth a look.
Erstwhile Boston manager Terry Francona left the Red Sox after his team's epic collapse in the AL East, eventually succumbing to the not-so-vaunted Baltimore Orioles and losing the wild card spot to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They were the AL's version of this year's Atlanta Braves, from whom the Cards so greatly benefited.
While getting out of town as Red Sox GM, Theo Epstein bolted for Chicago, the getting could be good for the Cardinals to swoop in and take a manager whose players love playing for him, who knows how to win big games and could be looking to make a big splash in the NL.
Tampa Bay's Joe Maddon would also be a popular consideration. Maddon has been a hot manager, leading the 2008 Rays to a World Series berth and making them perennial contenders in the vaunted American League East. Maddon has always had an affection for St. Louis and an admiration for Cardinals greats like Bob Gibson and Lou Brock.
Wooing Maddon away from Tampa Bay, which, like most Florida teams, struggle to maintain relevancy, could be as easy as showing him a photo of Mike Shannon's bar as the Cardinals won the World Series on Friday.
Consideration, it would seem, would likely need to be given to No. 5, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. Anything to sweeten a deal to keep Pujols in St. Louis, one would think, guess or hope, would be exercised.
If Pujols wants a big name candidate like Maddon or Francona, and that increases his chances of staying, GM John Mozeliak, the architect of the 2011 trades that gave St. Louis its 11th title, would be remiss not to consider it. Or if Pujols were comfortable with the man who's been signaling him to take home or hold at third base, Oquendo would be the way to go.
How improbable would it be to have the first player-manager in 25 years in St. Louis? All-time hits leader Pete Rose was a player-manager for the Reds in '84-'86. Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams toyed with the idea of making veteran Paul Konerko a player-manager to replace Ozzie Guillen.
With Pujols having all the physical tools and even more baseball smarts and instincts, if anyone could do it, you could see No. 5 doing it.
Expectations, no matter who steps up to step in Tony La Russa's cleats, will be very high. Now, in the early hours of the off season, re-signing Pujols isn't the only concern going forward in St. Louis.
Zack Stovall is the strategic development manager for the St. Louis Beacon.