Tony La Russa is taking his time deciding whether he'll return for a 13th season as St. Louis manager. The Cardinals won't wait forever.
Team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for Tuesday's editions that whatever La Russa intends to do, the club wants "to know something relatively soon."
"It's not open-ended," DeWitt told the newspaper. "If Tony's not coming back, we need to look for other candidates."
DeWitt did not give a deadline for La Russa to make his decision, nor did he say if he knew how La Russa would be leaning. And DeWitt also must hire a general manager -- the person usually charged with hiring a manager. Walt Jocketty was ousted last week after a 13-year run as St. Louis' head of baseball operations.
"I don't think Tony needs to hear more from me," DeWitt told the Post-Dispatch. "I informed him we were going about the GM search. I didn't tell him he needed to let me know today or tomorrow, but it needs to be a reasonably short period of time. I think he understands that."
La Russa, 63, has ndicated that he would make a decision sometime this week. He's been a manager for 30 seasons and has expressed a desire to continue working in that capacity -- somewhere -- in 2008.
La Russa's name already has surfaced as a possible replacement in New York if the Yankees decide not to renew Joe Torre's contract. The Yankees were eliminated from the postseason by the Cleveland Indians in four Division Series games.
According to the New York Daily News, the Yankees have not reached out to La Russa. Citing unnamed "insiders," the newspaper said La Russa wants the Yankees job and has not committed yet to the Cardinals until New York's situation gets settled.
Source: ESPN.com
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