Before Game 5 of the National League Championship Series Friday, La Russa expressed excitement about the talent in place, especially about the right-handed depth in the bullpen.
The 67-year-old La Russa has dropped other hints recently that he wants a 17th season with the Cardinals, mentioning plans for his annual Animal Rescue Foundation event in January.
“Our focus is right now, we’re not talking about 2012 or anybody’s free agency,” La Russa said. “The nucleus of this club, I think it’s pretty well set. There are a lot of things that are for sure about next year’s club that I think make it literally an outstanding situation.”
But then he stopped.
“Baseball gods,” he said, “that is the last time I’m going to talk about 2012.”
A milestone is within range. La Russa’s 2,728 regular-season victories rank third on the career list behind Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763).
NO SMEAR CAMPAIGN RED SOX OWNER SAYS
Boston Red Sox owner John Henry popped in on a Boston radio show to deny that the club conducted a smear campaign against manager Terry Francona after letting him go.
Henry said he was driving in his car when he heard the hosts on 98.5 The Sports Hub accusing ownership of leaking information to the Boston Globe that reflected poorly on Francona. In a story this week, the paper cited team sources who said Francona was distracted by the breakup of his marriage and painkillers he took after knee surgery.
Henry denied ownership was trying to discredit the manager. He also said he was opposed signing outfielder Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million deal but left that decision to the baseball people.
Also, Henry said he had no idea the clubhouse culture had disintegrated, saying, “If Dustin Pedroia didn’t know, how are we supposed to know?”
EXTRA POINTS
Bob Geren has been hired by the Mets as bench coach, four months after he was fired as manager of the Oakland Athletics. ... Phillies left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels had loose bodies from his pitching elbow removed and a hernia repaired. ... Rockies pitcher Drew Pomeranz, traded this summer from Cleveland in the Ubaldo Jiminez deal, was arrested and accused of disturbing the peace in Oxford, Miss. Oxford police arrested Pomeranz at 1:25 a.m.; he was released on a cash bond at 4:40 a.m.
