Tony La Russa has managed the St. Louis Cardinals since 1996. He has made seven postseason appearances as a Cardinals skipper and 12 overall. La Russa is just the seventh major league manager to win 2,000 career games, has the third most wins among managers all-time. He is the career leader in wins among active managers and the all-time most winning manager for the Cardinals. La Russa is one of nine managers - and one of just four in the last 50 years - to have skippered the Cardinals for more than four seasons. In 2006 he joined Sparky Anderson as the only managers in Major League history to have won World Series with both American League and National League teams.
The 2004 Cardinals' 105 victories were the most by a La Russa-managed Redbirds club and the most by any team he's managed. The 105 wins tied for the second most in Cardinals' franchise history with the 1943 and 1944 clubs and the 105-57 record was tops in the Majors in 2004. He was honored with the Negro League Hall of Fame's C.I. Taylor Award as Manager of the Year for his efforts in 2004. His 2002 Cardinals won 97 games and Tony was named the N.L. Manager of the Year by the BBWAA after guiding the team to the N.L. Central title in an emotion-filled season. He guided the team to an N.L.-leading 93 wins and a third N.L. Central co-title in 2001, and in 2000 he managed the club to 95 wins. He and Leo Durocher are the only managers in major league history to have 500 or more wins with three different teams.
La Russa was hired by the Cardinals on October 23, 1995, after managing for 17 years in the American League with Oakland and Chicago. In his first N.L. season, La Russa guided the Cardinals to the 1996 Central Division title and was named Major League Manager of the Year by the Associated Press.
Regarded by his peers as one of the game's top managers, La Russa's honors include Manager of the Year recognition in five seasons, five N.L. Central Division titles, one N.L. pennant, five A.L. Western Division titles, three A.L. pennants and one World Series championship. He served as a coach for the N.L. All-Star team in 2003 and will be the manager of this year's National League All-Star Team in Detroit.
La Russa began his professional managing career in 1978 with Knoxville of the Class- AA Southern League before taking his first major league managing job on August 2, 1979, with the Chicago White Sox. In seven-plus seasons (1979-86) with the White Sox, La Russa quickly established his managerial acumen. In 1983, he guided Chicago to the A.L. West title and the best record in the major leagues, 99-63. He was rewarded with Manager of the Year accolades from the Sporting News, the Associated Press and the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
In 1984, La Russa's White Sox were tied for first place at the All-Star break before finishing fifth with a 74-88 record. He was relieved of his duties on June 19, 1986, and took over as the Oakland manager on July 7. In just his second full year with the A's, La Russa managed the club to an A.L. West-record 104 wins, the A.L. pennant and into the 1988 World Series. He again earned Manager of the Year honors from the BBWAA and the Sporting News. For three straight years, 1988-90, the A's led the major leagues in victories, only the 11th time in history that a team had accomplished such a feat. During that span, La Russa's A's became the first team to win three consecutive A.L. pennants since the 1976-78 New York Yankees.
In 1989, La Russa guided the Athletics to their fourth World Championship since the club moved to Oakland, sweeping the Giants in four straight games during the earthquake-interrupted Bay Bridge Series. On July 14, 1991, La Russa became the 40th manager in major league history to win 1,000 career games. He earned a third Manager of the Year award in 1992 after steering the A's to their fourth A.L. West title in five years. He is Oakland's all-time leader in games managed (1,471) and victories (798).
The former infielder signed his first pro contract with the Kansas City Athletics on the night he graduated from high school in 1962. He made his major league debut with Kansas City just one year later. La Russa didn't return to the majors again until 1968, this time with the A's of Oakland. He went on to play parts of four seasons in Oakland before concluding his big-league playing career with Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs. Overall, his professional career spanned 16 seasons.
La Russa, the 48th manager in Cardinals history, actually was a member of the organization once previously, when he was a player-coach for the Cardinals' Triple-A New Orleans affiliate in 1977.
A graduate of Florida State University's School of Law in 1978, La Russa passed the bar exam in December 1979, making him one of only five lawyer/managers in baseball history. The other four are Monte Ward (New York Giants, Brooklyn and Providence, late 1800s), Hughie Jennings (Detroit, 1907-20, New York Giants, 1924), Miller Huggins (St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees, 1913-29) and Branch Rickey (St. Louis Browns, 1913-15, St. Louis Cardinals, 1919-25). All of La Russa's predecessors are in the Hall of Fame.
La Russa makes his off-season home in Danville, Calif., with his wife, Elaine, and their two daughters, Bianca Tai (9/14/79) and Devon Kai (8/17/82). La Russa was born 10/4/44 in Tampa, Fla., and graduated from Jefferson High School in Tampa. He also holds a degree in industrial management from The University of South Florida in Tampa. He is the founder and chairperson of Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) and is an active member in the Cardinals' community foundation, Cardinals Care. He teamed with author H.G. Bissinger ("Friday Night Lights") on a 2005 book titled "Three Nights in August."
Additional info:
The Animal Rescue Foundation
The Animal Rescue Foundation was created in 1991 by Tony and Elaine La Russa to address the needs of companion animals. Their vision for ARF is an organization that can not only aid abandoned and homeless animals, but also promote the concept that people’s lives can be enhanced by strengthening the bonds between humans and animals. With these intertwined goals as the guiding principles, and an intention to become a national as well as local leader, ARF has designed progressive programs for many populations including abused children, the elderly, victims of violence and others who can benefit from the healing contact of animals.
link: http://www.arf.net/