Tony La Russa Will Not Go Into Hall Of Fame As A Cardinal

Dec 9, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Tony La Russa speaks after being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame during the MLB Winter Meetings at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa will not go into the Hall as a Cardinal. In fact he won’t go in with any team on his plaque. Here is what La Russa said in a  statement released by the Hall of Fame.

"“The Chicago White Sox gave me my start in the game as a big league manager for my first eight seasons in my 33-year managerial career. In Oakland, we recorded four first-place finishes in 10 years, winning three pennants and a World Series. And in St. Louis, our clubs won three pennants and two titles in 16 years. It’s the totality of the success of each of those three teams that led me to Cooperstown, so I am choosing to not feature a logo so that fans of all clubs can celebrate this honor with me.”"

My Take

While I understand the sentiment of La Russa not to offend any club but he had the most success with the St. Louis Cardinals. He should go into the Hall of Fame as a Cardinal. The Cardinals retired his number 10 in 2012 even before he was elected into the Hall of Fame. The Oakland A’s haven’t done that and neither did the Chicago White Sox. When La Russa got in trouble with his DUI and stood in steadfast support of a known steroid user Mark McGwire, the Cardinals stuck by him. The Cardinals deserve more than any other team to be on that plaque.

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