Tony La Russa Quotes

Losing sucks. I don't think most people understand how bad it feels.

We're all men, not machines. We make mistakes.

To me, there is no more conscientious umpire in the Major Leagues than Jim Joyce. He gives you a hellacious effort every time.

I think the guys that get to the All-Star Game deserve a lot of credit. They deserve their opportunity to get out there and let the baseball fandom see them.

I think each negotiation should be based on what's the best decision - taking everything into account, not taking one thing into account.

Even when you have three strikes, you're still not out. There is always something else you can do.

Being involved in competition is a privilege and an opportunity. Seek to make the most of that opportunity by pushing yourself to the limit of your abilities. When it is over, you will have earned the respect of your opponents, your coaches, and yourself.

I'm not going to manage again. I'm going to work for a team someday. But it won't be managing.

If you watch the history of baseball, teams come back, and sometimes they could have come back, but they give in or give up.

I'm not a big 'Moneyball' fan.

I'm ready to do something different.

The game has never seen a better catcher than YADIER MOLINA.

If you try to give them a scheme, most hitters will rebel.

The thing I learned when I was playing was that your best way of winning was to make it difficult for the other team to score in the last three innings.

In the end, as a manager or coach, you have to keep your heart pure and do your best as a manager or a coach.

The arc of Ken Griffey Jr.'s swing has gotten bigger than when he hit line drives. Juan Gonzalez is a terrific power hitter, too.

I'm careful not to give into theatrics when times are tough, I don't like it when somebody gives into outside pressure and puts on a show for others.

It's like most anything. If you want to be a loser, there's always a way to dwell on the negative. If you want to win, there's always a way to think positively.

I think there's a growing number of pitchers who want to have a plan going into a game about how they're going to go after that lineup. I'd say 75 percent want to have an idea, and they plan their attack. I know that 75 percent of hitters do not have that same type of plan against a pitcher.

I don't miss being in the dugout - I'll make that clear.

Anything that disturbs your comfort factor is good for you.

My mind is just a product of 50 years of being taught. I'm no smarter than anyone else, but I've been taught by some wonderful people.

There's a bigger difference now than when I first got into professional baseball because that was before guaranteed contracts, before there was a lot of money, so it was mostly survival. You had more competition.

Play the game right. If you play the game intelligently and execute the fundamentals, you can win.

You can't put a price on what Mark McGwire brings to the Cardinals organization. The responsibility he accepts is as great as any number of home runs.

I'm a great believer in the character of a club. To me, character has a lot to do with how you compete. That creates urgency and toughness. That elevates the talent that you have.

I've said this: If Jim Leyland had been in my place, he'd have the 2,000 wins and I'd have 1,000. Leyland is the greatest.

Just because you're down to your last strike, you're not out yet. You can always do more. You'll always have more at-bats to take. That's true in baseball, in rescuing animals, and in life, generally.

If you seriously aspire to be a manager in the big leagues, there is a baseball 'book' that one must learn. Alongside that book, you must practice Spanish. Of 25 players on each roster, sometimes there are between eight and 15 players who speak Spanish.