Fla. When La Russa arrives today for a stay of about two weeks in Tigers camp, his primary mission will be to learn about front-office work from Dombrowski. "Tony and I go back a long time as very, very good friends," Dombrowski said Monday. "He's at a...

I don't want to look over my shoulder and regret the decisions I made. It was the best decision for me and my family. I want to help this organization get to the next level." Pujols, the three-time National League MVP, is gone, and so are manager Tony...

"But it was never on the scrap heap. It was never out of my thought process." Valentine is bright, inquisitive and assertive. His global interests go well beyond baseball, which he analyzes with aplomb. He is part Tony La Russa, part Howard Baker, the...

"I felt like everyone was asking, 'How are you guys going to go on?'" Mozeliak said. The truth is, they'll go on, but thanks for asking. In fact, the Cardinals still appear to be one of baseball's best teams even though manager Tony La Russa and first...

"It's definitely exciting to be back," he said. "The injury's in the past, and that's a good feeling, as if it never happened. There's no lingering effects or anything. I'm very pleased with everything." LAKELAND, Fla. The former Cardinals manager is...

And now the former 20-game winner is healthy again, ready to rejoin a rotation that was strong enough to win it all without him. That’s a major reason spring training opens with optimism for a team that lost three of its pillars — slugger Albert...

The St. Louis Cardinals will attempt to defend their World Series title without retired manager Tony La Russa and slugger Albert Pujols (who reported to the Los Angeles Angels' training facility in Arizona at the crack of dawn Monday). In New York, the...

And now the former 20-game winner is healthy again, ready to rejoin a rotation that was strong enough to win it all without him. Thats a major reason spring training opens with optimism for a team that lost three of its pillars slugger Albert Pujols,...

And now the former 20-game winner is healthy again, ready to rejoin a rotation that was strong enough to win it all without him. That's a major reason spring training opens with optimism for a team that lost three of its pillars -- slugger Albert...

And now the former 20-game winner is healthy again, ready to rejoin a rotation that was strong enough to win it all without him. That's a major reason spring training opens with optimism for a team that lost three of its pillars - slugger Albert...

And now the former 20-game winner is healthy again, ready to rejoin a rotation that was strong enough to win it all without him. That's a major reason spring training opens with optimism for a team that lost three of its pillars - slugger Albert...

And now the former 20-game winner is healthy again, ready to rejoin a rotation that was strong enough to win it all without him. That's a major reason spring training opens with optimism for a team that lost three of its pillars - slugger Albert...

Even if the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Wainwright throws fewer than 200 innings, the estimate the Cardinals have used in their desire to play it safe with a right-hander not yet a year removed from elbow reconstruction, they view it as a major plus. The...

Right? Wrong. Don't try to sell that to this team. Don't try to sell that to the 2012 Cardinals -- not on the day they finally headed back to the ballpark to begin defending their astonishing title. The manager of the champs has moved on to what...

Game 6 of the 2011 World Series was a masterpiece of doggedness, clutch performance and an almost divine bit of timing when viewed through the eyes of Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Jason Motte and, especially, David Freese. It’s another...

ROBERSONNew St. Louis Manager Mike Matheny talked to reporters for 18 minutes at the Cardinals’ spring training base in Jupiter, Fla. , on Saturday and the subject of Albert Pujols never came up. JUPITER, Fla. So long, Albert Pujols. Happy trails, Tony...

The ball flew over the 375-foot sign in left-center, over a street behind the fence and off a tree in the backyard of a house. "It had to be more than 500 feet," Kilgore said. "Their coach still talks about it today." It's tougher for Tony La Russa to...

Happy trails, Tony La Russa. Timeout, Dave Duncan. The World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, who eliminated the Phillies from the postseason by winning Game 5 of the National League division series at Citizens Bank Park, have had plenty of upheaval.

As usual, there will be some spring training spots hotter than others. Here they are: JUPITER, Fla. Between volatile new manager Ozzie Guillen, the ever-combustible new lefty starter Carlos Zambrano and the disgruntlement of former team icon Hanley...