ST. LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 30: Manager Tony LaRussa of the St. Louis Cardinals acknowledges the celebrating crowd inside Busch Stadium on October 30, 2011 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Szczepanski/Getty Images)
NOAH TRISTER,AP Sports Writer
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Tony La Russa is back at spring training, visiting with the Detroit Tigers.
La Russa, who retired after managing the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series title last year, says he’s interested in learning more about the inner workings of a front office. He’s known Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski for over three decades, so he’s spending some time with the Tigers.
La Russa and Detroit manager Jim Leyland are also close. The two took the field together at the start of Tuesday’s workout. La Russa, dressed casually in jeans, seemed content to stay off to the side while Leyland addressed the team, but he did share a hug with Tigers reliever Octavio Dotel, who played for the Cardinals last year.
