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 La Russa to assist Tigers during spring camp

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PostSubject: La Russa to assist Tigers during spring camp   La Russa to assist Tigers during spring camp Icon_minitimeThu Feb 16, 2012 11:04 pm

La Russa to assist Tigers during spring camp
Former Cardinals manager will help in a non-official capacity
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 02/16/12 7:15 PM EST

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Twelve years after Tony La Russa and the Cardinals helped give Jim Leyland a chance to stay involved in the game after Leyland's retirement as a manager, the Tigers are returning the nod.

La Russa, the longtime manager who retired after leading St. Louis to another World Series title last fall, will spend this Spring Training in camp with the Tigers in a non-uniform, non-official capacity. Leyland made the announcement while talking with reporters on Thursday after arriving at Joker Marchant Stadium.

"Tony's going to be down for a couple weeks," Leyland said. "He's going to work with Dave [Dombrowski] in the front office, and he's going over to Jupiter for a few days and then go out to Arizona for a few days. He will not be in uniform."

The friendship between Leyland and La Russa is well-known. La Russa hired Leyland out of the Tigers' farm system, where he had managed for more than a decade, to join La Russa's coaching staff with the White Sox in 1982. The experience helped Leyland earn his long-awaited chance to manage in the big leagues with the Pirates in 1986.

While La Russa went on to win a World Series title with Oakland in 1989, Leyland built a previously dormant Pirates club into perennial contenders, leading them to three straight National League East titles from 1990-92. Leyland went on to win a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997.

After Leyland resigned from the Rockies' managerial job following the 1999 season, citing burnout, he joined the Cardinals as a special assistant. Leyland regained his passion for managing, rejoined the ranks with the Tigers in 2006, and led Detroit to a World Series matchup against his former employers in St. Louis. The Cardinals won, earning La Russa his second title, then did it again this past season.

La Russa announced his retirement the day after the Cardinals held their championship parade, becoming the first manager to retire immediately after winning the World Series. He said he'd be open to another position in baseball, leading to speculation he'd join a front office, possibly back with the White Sox.

Once Joe Torre stepped down from his position with Major League Baseball to join a group bidding to purchase the Dodgers, speculation included La Russa possibly becoming Torre's successor.

One member of the White Sox front office during La Russa's time in Chicago was Dombrowski, then an assistant under general manager Roland Hemond. La Russa and Dombrowski were both let go around the same time by Hemond's successor, Ken Harrelson, and both went on to success elsewhere.

Now, more than a quarter-century later, the time with Dombrowski could give La Russa the experience to decide whether he wants to try an executive role somewhere.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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PostSubject: Re: La Russa to assist Tigers during spring camp   La Russa to assist Tigers during spring camp Icon_minitimeWed Feb 22, 2012 2:31 am

La Russa gets first taste of front-office work
Former manager at Tigers camp, in talks for role with MLB
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 02/21/12 10:53 AM EST

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tony La Russa began his front-office apprenticeship with the Tigers on Tuesday, taking in Spring Training workouts with longtime friend and former White Sox colleague Dave Dombrowski. He also laid out what the end goal of his stint will be, confirming that he has had discussions with Major League Baseball about an executive position.

La Russa said he will not be replacing Joe Torre, who served as executive vice president for baseball operations before stepping down this offseason to join a prospective Dodgers ownership group.

"I've talked to the Commissioner about doing some things for MLB," La Russa said Tuesday morning, "but not that job. I mean, I'm not sure exactly how official [it is] and when it'll be announced, but we have talked. And at some point, they'll release something or say something."

La Russa, who retired last fall after winning a World Series managing the Cardinals, will spend about two weeks in camp with the Tigers to learn and ins and outs of front-office work. He will not be in uniform, instead spending most of his time alongside Dombrowski, the Tigers' general manager who was an assistant in the White Sox organization in the early and mid 1980s, when La Russa managed them.

La Russa is not getting paid by the Tigers, and he does not appear to be in preparation for a full-time position with the organization. His role appears to be educational to prepare him for the next phase of his career.

"I was so excited about doing this part of it," La Russa said. "You know, you don't have any idea about what goes on upstairs [when you're managing]. You think you know what guys do, what their titles are. But I'm excited to find out how an organization runs off the field."

La Russa said he will spend part of March in Arizona, rotating around with several clubs.

After 33 years of managing, La Russa said he is not missing the "baseball side" of it yet.

"I'm just excited about what's next," he said.

The opportunity to work with Major League Baseball, at this point, is appealing to La Russa. But he still sounded open to working with a club in the front office.

"Fifty years [in baseball], and all I've known of being with a team is winning and losing," he said. "I mean, I understand what MLB needs and what they provide for all of us. I like winning and losing with a team, but I really respect what they do up there. I've learned a lot, especially with that Commissioner's committee I've been on for three years. It's been a really good learning experience from the ownership level, front-office level, what goes on, the issues.

"I definitely don't want to disrespect the MLB opportunity. Whatever the Commissioner wants me to do, I'll do. But it's still mostly about winning and losing."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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