Juan Encarnacion

Mark McGwire is back in baseball, reunited with Tony La Russa as the St. Louis Cardinals' hitting coach. La Russa agreed to return for a 15th year as manager Monday with a one-year contract, the first time he hasn't had a multiyear deal with the team. All of his coaches will return except for Hal McRae, who will be replaced by the former star. "Mark is passionate about the game, passionate about the Cardinals," chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. "Tony thinks he'll be a great coach, and I think he's got a lot to offer." McGwire was not at the news conference at Busch ... Read Full Story

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa took a flight from his West Coast home to St. Louis on Sunday for further talks about his future. There was a report, too, Mark McGwire might join him as a coach. La Russa told the Associated Press in a telephone interview before boarding a plane that discussions were ongoing, and that he was planning to attend a Bruce Springsteen concert later that evening. The Cardinals scheduled a news conference for Monday morning but did specify why. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on its Web site that the news conference would announce that La Russa had agreed to a ... Read Full Story

Tony La Russa flew from his West Coast home to St. Louis on Sunday to continue discussions with the Cardinals about his future as manager. La Russa told the Associated Press in a telephone interview before boarding a plane that talks were ongoing, and that he was planning to attend a Bruce Springsteen concert Sunday night. The 65-year-old La Russa has been mulling his future since the NL Central champion Cardinals were swept in the division series by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 10. His two-year, $8.5 million contract expires at the end of the month. "We're getting closer," said La Russa, who ... Read Full Story

Matt Holliday is in no hurry to talk about the future. Neither are the St. Louis Cardinals, who want to sign him to a long-term contract. General manager John Mozeliak said Monday he expected talks with Holliday's agent, Scott Boras, at some point. Holliday is making $13.5 million in the final year of a three-year contract. "Right now, I want him to experience St. Louis and just see how he likes it," Mozeliak said. "Trying to push something at this point doesn't make sense." Chairman Bill DeWitt considers the recent acquisitions of Holliday, Mark DeRosa and Julio Lugo more than rentals to put the ... Read Full Story

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has quietly dropped his lawsuit against the social networking site Twitter Inc. A one-paragraph statement filed June 26 with the U.S. District Court in San Francisco says La Russa had dropped all claims — and that San Francisco-based Twitter did not compensate him in exchange. Calls and e-mails to La Russa's and Twitter's attorneys, and to Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, were not immediately returned Tuesday. La Russa's lawsuit alleged trademark infringement, "cybersquatting" and misappropriation of his name. It claimed an unauthorized page that used his name caused emotional distress by making light of his DUI charge and ... Read Full Story