Tony LaRussa is retiring from managing baseball teams, leaving with an improbable, well, really unbelievable, championship with the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, his second with the team and third overall.

He should have leaked somehow that he wants to go where Albert Pujhols will be playing....and add a touch about calling his friend Theo. Blaahhh.

But if he stays retired, he's going down as one of the best ever. This season proved all the praise tossed his way as being true, starting with the 10.5 half game deficit to the Atlanta Braves in September in the American League East. The Braves didn't make it to the post season. The Cards first beat tv's favorite NL team, the Phillies of the East Coast, and they also reeked new havoc on the team they bested in 1982 - the Brewers.

Then they played the game for the ages, making up for their blown call at first in 1985 to the Royals, making this 2011 model of game 6 bigger than both the '85 and '86 versions.

So let's hear it for the old coach. He may not have won as many as he could have with the Bash Brothers in the 1980s, winning only one title. But the two in St. Louis give him three championships and with one in each league, too.

But nothing tops leaving on the top. Let's just hope he stays gone. But if he pops up in a Cubs uniform, it will make for some great stories.