Tony La Russa faced significant challenges during the 2002 season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite these difficulties, he guided the team to the postseason, earning recognition for his efforts.
On November 6, 2002, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America named La Russa the National League Manager of the Year. This marked his fourth time receiving the award, making him the first manager to achieve this milestone, surpassing Dusty Baker, who had three awards. The Manager of the Year award was first given by the BBWAA in 1983.
“This is a shared achievement,” La Russa said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after winning the award. “With everything we faced, winning 90 games is usually not possible.”
The Cardinals finished the season with 97 wins, their highest total since 1985. The year was particularly difficult for La Russa. His father passed away early in the season, and longtime team broadcaster Jack Buck died on June 18. Just days later, pitcher Darryl Kile was found dead in his hotel room due to coronary artery disease.
“After a tough break, I would think we might not make it,” La Russa recalled. “But we stood strong during the hardest times. It was a special year in terms of resilience.”
Following Kile’s death, the Cardinals won 57 games, even with only one pitcher, Matt Morris, reaching at least 150 innings. St. Louis captured the NL Central title by 13 games over the Houston Astros and swept the favored Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series. However, their remarkable run ended when they lost to the San Francisco Giants in five games in the National League Championship Series.
“I thought the challenges were too much and it felt unfair,” La Russa admitted. “But our players kept rising to the occasion.”
With this award, La Russa joined Bobby Cox as the only managers to have won the honor in both leagues. He previously won with the Chicago White Sox in 1983 and with the Oakland Athletics in 1988 and 1992. Along with Cox and Buck Showalter, La Russa is one of the few managers in history to win the award four times.
La Russa managed the Cardinals until the end of the 2011 season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 and later returned as the White Sox manager for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He concluded his career with 2,884 wins, ranking second only to Connie Mack in all-time victories.
“I know we passed the test even if it wasn’t about the wins,” La Russa reflected after the 2002 season. “No one complained. I felt the strength to endure was always within me, and it was tested this season.”
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