La Russa likely to stay with Cardinals

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said that unless something dramatic occurs in the near future he would likely remain with the National League team.

La Russa said that his ongoing talks with Cardinals' chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. are evidence he's seriously considering returning as the team's manager for a 13th season, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Saturday.

"The fact that we're talking pretty much daily and everything is progressing tells you where it's heading and where we'd like it to end up," LaRussa said Friday. "Obviously, that's assuming nothing falls through the cracks."

La Russa has been linked to the vacant New York Yankees managerial position.

The Post-Dispatch reported Friday that La Russa dropped a demand that the Cardinals hire a new general manager before he would sign a new contract.

"If you wait until someone is hired, a player or two we have interest in could have headed down another road," he said. "You take some of this on faith. But I'm glad Bill has confided in me."