Tony La Russa biography
Date of birth : 1944-10-04
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Tampa, Florida, United States
Nationality : American
Category : Sports
Last modified : 2011-10-23
Credited as : baseball manager MLB, St. Louis CArdinals, World Series
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Awards:
1983: AL Manager of the Year
1988: AL Manager of the Year
1992: AL Manager of the Year
2002: NL Manager of the Year
In 2004, he became the sixth manager in history to win pennants with both American League and National League teams; in 2006 he became the first manager ever to win multiple pennants in both leagues and became one of only two managers to win the World Series in both leagues. With a 2,552–2,217–4 (.535) record as a manager (through Oct. 4, 2009), he is ranked third all-time for total number of Baseball All-time Managerial Wins list, trailing only Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763). He is also second all-time for games managed (4,773), trailing only Mack who set the record at 7,755 (3,731–3,948–76), passing McGraw at 4,769 (2,763–1,948-58), on October 1, 2009. He is one of only four managers to be named Manager of the Year in both of baseball's major leagues.
La Russa has 1,232 wins and 1,034 losses (.544) with 1 tie as manager of the Cardinals. He was 522–510–3 (.506) with the Chicago White Sox 1979–1986, and 798–673 (.542) with the Oakland Athletics 1986–1995.
His 2,000th game managing the Cardinals came on May 31, 2008. Two of his wins from 1999 have been in dispute; Rene Lachemann is sometimes credited with the wins for the Cardinals while La Russa was hospitalized for a stomach ulcer. As baseball rules give the temporary acting manager no credit for a win or loss when standing in for the manager because of absence due to illness, La Russa gets the credit for the two wins.
On August 22, 2007, he passed Bucky Harris to become the third-highest manager of all-time in total games managed in baseball history in his 4,409th game; behind only Mack and McGraw. La Russa became the leader in wins by Cardinals' managers on August 31, 2007, when the Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8–5, passing Red Schoendienst (1,041–955) to take the title. He managed his 2,500th win against the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on June 21, 2009, becoming only the third manager to attain that win level after Mack and McGraw.
On October 1, 2009, he passed John McGraw for second-most games managed in baseball with his 4,770th game managed (2,552-2,214-4). La Russa had three more games (October 4) to extend his managed games to 4,773 (2,552-2,217-4) by the end of the 2009 season.
With the retirement of longtime Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox after his last game on October 11, 2010, La Russa became the longest tenured manager in Major League Baseball. With the resignation of longtime NBA head coach Jerry Sloan from the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, La Russa also became the longest tenured bench boss among all the Big Four sports leagues.
