ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Was President Barack Obama too busy watching the “Operation Repo” marathon or something else last Friday night? When KMOX host Charlie Brennan asked now-retired St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa how the traditional call of congratulations from the White House went, La Russa suddenly realized that…it never happened.
“That’s a good point, I hadn’t really even thought about that,” replied a surprised-sounding La Russa, who can be forgiven for having a few other things on his mind over the past week. “As we were getting into the World Series we had a call from the White House to make sure they had the correct number for my office.”
But as the wild, champagne-drenched celebration of the team’s 11th World Series title was going on in the locker room, that phone never rang.
“We never did get a call,” La Russa said.
And all this despite the fact that the First Lady, Michelle Obama, was in town for Game 1 of the World Series.
“Very impressive, too.” La Russa recalled of his meeting with the First Lady.
Obama didn’t immediately phone last year’s World Series champions, either. But the San Francisco Giants did hear from him eventually:
And the President also hosted the Giants at the White House this summer, where he congratulated them personally.
Whether or not President Obama picks up the phone, or invites him and his team to Washington, TLR doesn’t seem too worried about the apparent slip in postgame protocol.
He’s packing up his things and getting ready to “head west” for the next phase of his life.
La Russa will vacate his office at Busch Stadium as of Friday.
He’s contemplating his next step, which could be buying a minor league ballclub, writing his memoirs, or simply pursuing one of his passions…reading.
He’s currently checking out “The Affair” by Lee Child.
La Russa also said that if asked, he would come back to manage the National League squad during next summer’s All-Star Game, which he earned by guiding the Cardinals to the NL pennant.
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