"Former Redbirds manager Tony La Russa unofficially kicked off weekend festivities surrounding the club's Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up Friday night with a extended review of the '11 season before an enthusiastic crowd at the Peabody Opera House.

La Russa and Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Bob Costas moderated the 2 1/2-hour presentation before answering about an hour's worth of audience questions.

Offering insight between extended replays of the team's wild-card run and World Series push, La Russa acknowledged his role in orchestrating retaliation against the Milwaukee Brewers and at least one other club last season. He also appealed to fans' sensibilities in respecting first baseman Albert Pujols' decision to leave via free agency for the Los Angeles Angels.

"Don't blame Albert. Blame the system," implored La Russa, repeating his mantra of a month ago. "The system created this kind of stupid situation."

Pujols featured prominently in the review, which chronicled the team's comeback from 10 1/2 games out of the NL wild card race and its unlikely advance against the Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers to the franchise's 11th World Series title. Though Costas described the presentation as "a movie where people know the ending," a crowd of more than 2,000 cheered wildly at highlights culminatiing in David Freese's Game 6 heroics and the team's Game 7 clincher over the Rangers."