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Anthony LaRussa, Jr. (born October 4, 1944, in Manhasset, New York) is a manager in Major League Baseball, currently with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is one of six managers in history to win pennants with both American and National League teams; through the 2004 season, he ranks sixth in major league history with 2114 career victories. He is one of only two managers to be named Manager of the Year in both of baseball's major leagues.
LaRussa was signed by the Kansas City Athletics as a middle infielder prior to the start of the 1962 season. He came up to the A's the next season, making his debut on May 10, 1963.
Over the next six seasons, LaRussa spent most of his time in the minor leagues, making it to the now-Oakland A's roster in 1968 and 1969. He spent the entire 1970 season with the big club, and then late in 1971 the A's traded him to the Atlanta Braves. His final big league playing stop was with the Chicago Cubs, where he appeared as a pinch-runner in one game, on April 6, 1973. He also spent time in the organizations of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals. Before becoming a manager, he earned a law degree, but never entered the legal profession.
The White Sox hired LaRussa as their manager two-thirds of the way through the 1979 season. He was named American League Manager of the Year in 1983, when his club won the AL West but fell to the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series. The White Sox fired LaRussa after the club got off to a 26-38 start in 1986.
LaRussa had a vacation of less than three weeks before his old club, the Athletics, called him to take over as manager. With the A's, he led the club to three consecutive World Series, from 1988 to 1990, sweeping an earthquake-delayed series from the San Francisco Giants in 1989. He earned two additional Manager of the Year awards with the A's, in 1988 and 1992.
After the 1995 season, in which the A's finished 67-77, LaRussa left to take over the helm of the Cardinals. The team promptly won the National League's Central Division crown in 1996, a feat his club repeated in 2000, 2001, and 2002 (his fourth Manager of the Year award).
However, it was not until 2004 that the Cardinals finally won the pennant under LaRussa. The team had the best record in the majors at 105-57, and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3 games to 1, in the National League Division Series, and the Houston Astros, 4 games to 3, in the 2004 National League Championship Series. That put the club in the 2004 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, the Cards' first Series appearance since 1987. However, they were swept by the Red Sox, losing four games to none.
As of 2004, LaRussa's regular season managerial record is 2114-1846 (.534), including 794-663 (.545) with the Cardinals.
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