We're back up at Busch Stadium this afternoon, trying to dodge the raindrops.  Assuming the Cards can take care of the Bucs today, it will mark a special, albeit wet, day here at the ballyard for Tony Larussa.

The skipper is on the verge of picking up his 2400th career win as a manager.  That's third all-time. 

It's pretty amazing to look back and see that he's been managing every year since 1979.  Not many guys can say that.  In fact, no one in the majors right now can.  He's the only one. 

Connie Mack is the all-time winningest manager and he went 49 straight years in Philadelphia in the early 1900's.  I don't know if Tony will be in St. Louis another 36 years to match Mack, but you know he'll be joining Connie in Cooperstown when he does decide to hang it up, which might not be for sometime.

Larussa is one of three active managers that grace the top ten list of managerial wins.  He joins Atlanta's Bobby Cox and former 'Bird Joe Torre.  Cox and Torre have both began managing around the same time as Larussa in the late 70's, but both were out of the manager's spot for a few years in the late 80's.  

It was Larussa who took over the Redbirds in '96 after Torre led them from '90-'95.

Many want to point to Torre and call him the best in the game for what he did with the Yankees, but let's be honest.  Winning with that lineup in the late 90's wasn't all that difficult.  Bugs Bunny could have squeezed a couple of world titles with that lineup.

In Torre's six years in St. Louis, he never made the playoffs. 

In Larussa's 11 years after, he's taken the Cards to the postseason seven times. 

You tell me who's better?

Whether you're a Larussa fan or not, it's hard to not to respect the work he's done in the big leagues the past 29 years as a manager.  Especially in this "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" age where the Yanks chased Torre out of town after 12 straight playoff seasons.

We'll have more on Larussa's big day tonight at NewsChannel 6 at 6pm (assuming this game doesn't get delayed by mother nature.  The rain seems to have subsided a bit and we're in the fifth inning, so it's looking good.)