"After winning the World Series for the third time, Tony La Russa retired as Cardinals' manager to cap a brilliant 35-season career in the dugout. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has asked La Russa to manage the National League squad in the 2012 All-Star Game. It was a classy and appropriate invitation by Selig. And TLR quickly accepted. La Russa is one of the greatest managers in MLB history, and his retirement came suddenly and rather unexpectedly. There was no "Farewell Tour," no send-off. The All-Star Game will at least give La Russa a chance to take a bow. Fans and baseball people will get a chance, if ever so briefly, to formally salute La Russa's career. And that's good.

La Russa, 67, has insisted that he's finished managing. He'll put on the uniform and run the NL in the All-Star Game, and that will be it. La Russa has said he wants to continue to work in baseball, but not as a manager. I'd like to believe that, but I have seen this movie too many times. One of La Russa's mentors, Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver, came out of retirement. That's just one baseball example. In the NFL we've seen Vince Lombardi, Bill Parcells, Dick Vermeil, Joe Gibbs (among others) all return to coaching after growing restless in retirement. It's happened a bunch of times in the NBA, with Don Nelson, Larry Brown, Hubie Brown and Phil Jackson on the list."