La Russa doing homework for NL stars

Posted: Tuesday, June 26, 2012 6:05 am

SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — Tony La Russa is already thinking about which players he might add to the National League roster for next month’s All-Star game.
La Russa retired after leading St. Louis to the World Series title last year. But Commissioner Bud Selig announced in January that La Russa would become the second retired manager to lead a team in the Midsummer Classic.
La Russa, who attended the NASCAR Sprint Cup stop in Sonoma on Sunday, said he has had a lot of conversations with longtime pitching coach Dave Duncan about the NL roster for the July 10 game in Kansas City.
“It’s an important choice,” he said. “I know within a few days we’re going to get a roster and then you see what teams are not represented.
“I’ve enjoyed staying close (to it), trying to see who’s hot and who deserves to be on the team.”
When asked if Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey or Giants ace Matt Cain would get the start, La Russa also added Cardinals pitchers Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn into the mix.
“I don’t know yet for sure when their spot lines up,” he said. “If a guy is going to pitch on Saturday, you think about if he’s pitching Thursday or Friday then he’s fresher. You’d like to get off the first inning or two with the guy you start and dominate the other side. I’m dancing (around this) as hard as I can dance.”
La Russa spent 16 seasons in St. Louis and managed for 33 seasons overall. He is third on the career list with 2,728 wins, trailing second-place John McGraw by just 35 victories. This will be La Russa’s sixth time managing an All-Star team, three in each league.
He agreed to work for Selig after stepping away from the Cardinals, but he doesn’t see this as his last baseball job.
“I’m really fortunate that the commissioner has given me something to do,” he said. “He knows that at some point I want to be involved with a team, not just in the dugout but in the front office with some responsibility of win or lose.”
The 67-year-old La Russa also managed St. Louis to the title in 2006.

None