(from The Sporting News staff reports)


The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that Tony La Russa will return for a 15th season as Cardinals manager. Perhaps more intriguing, the Redbirds reportedly have hired Mark McGwire to be La Russa's new hitting coach.

McGwire would replace Hal McRae, who the Post-Dispatch says was fired Friday. The newspaper cites "multiple" sources saying McRae had been dismissed. It also says a club source has confirmed McGwire's hiring, which apparently would be formally announced Monday along with La Russa's return.

If McGwire returns to baseball, he no doubt will be asked to comment on allegations of steroid use as a player. He has been silent on the issue, including his noncommittal testimony at a congressional hearing in 2005.

McGwire also has resisted previous invitations to rejoin the Cardinals organization he left with his retirement after the 2001 season. McGwire has, however, worked with current and former Cardinals players during the past few offseasons in Southern California. Instructees have included Matt Holliday, Skip Schumaker and Chris Duncan.

La Russa's decision to return would come two weeks after the Cardinals were eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series. At the time, La Russa said he needed to time to make up his mind.

The move also would seem to mean that pitching coach Dave Duncan will return. Duncan indicated last week that he would again team up with La Russa if the manager returned.

Can't say that I'm too surprised. I may get flamed for this, but I've been strongly suspecting for awhile that Pujols is on the juice. MLB needs to keep a watchful eye on the Cardinal ball club, especially with a cheater like Mac hanging around.

I wonder if this is an attempt to get Mark out of the bunker he has been living in the past eight years & help his HOF campaign ???

This will be a controversial hire, to say the least!

If they will hire him then maybe they'll hire me one day too. I could tell anybody to roid up, only swing at pitches that you can pull down the line and don't ever ever ever worry about moving a runner.

I don't see how McGwire is going to be a hitting coach. I can see Rod Carew or Tony Gwynn, but this is almost like hiring Dave Kingman or Jose Canseco.

Agreed. I thhought it was kinda strange myself. Now, when the Cards batting average drops as a team by 40 points next year, maybe they'll reconsider.