La Russa as Hamlet - the St. Louis soap opera

The Cardinals may be in the midst of a five-game losing streak but the soap opera that stars the players and manager of the baseball team in St. Louis is still spinning out interesting episodes.

There are the cast members whose roles have been cut short this season -- Chris Carpenter, Scott Rolen, Juan Encarnacion, possibly Chris Duncan and others long since written out of the story line (Preston Wilson was the opening day right fielder).

There's the off-field behavior that's led to death (Josh Hancock), the restricted list (Scott Spiezio) and plenty of questions (Rick Ankiel).

Finally, there's the palace intrigue surrounding the leading man more torn about his fate than Hamlet.

O, woe is me

Tony La Russa has won more games than any manager in St. Louis Cardinals history. Less than a year after winning a World Series title, the manager is uncertain about his future and angry with his critics.

Specifically, the Cards skipper is still sore about suggestions that he was unwilling to confront pitcher Josh Hancock after his own drunk driving arrest.

"At some point you say, 'It ain't worth it. It's not fun.' " La Russa told USA Today's Bob Nightengale this week.

All is not well;

I doubt some foul play.

But there are other issues at play, as well. When considering whether or not he returns for next season, the manager says he will use the same formula that he used following the 2004 season when his contract had expired.

The difference between then and now? His relationship with his players.

"It's been a pretty nice run in the 2000s. The core group. The respect. The mutual respect. The relationships. But this year, we've had a lot of tests.

"That, to me, is the only difference between '04 and '07. That's why I think the 'player responding' part of that formula is important."

If the manager is openly expressing skepticism about his relationship with some of his players, it tells me the issue is fairly widespread. We're not talking about just one or two guys on the team.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

But off-stage, there are battles just as important and probably longer running. There have been stories all year about GM Walt Jocketty's unhappiness, the front office spats over the direction of the organization, the decisions to buy veterans or play untested rookies.

La Russa can mend relationships with players, can recharge the batteries in the offseason, and come back fired up for spring training. What he can't do is set the salaries, sign the paychecks, and set the philosophy for the organization.

For better or worse, the Cardinals have set a course to develop players from within and let veteran players walk when salary demands exceed value.

We can all debate it, or disagree with it (I think it's the right move), but at the end of the day, all of us, including La Russa, are just passengers. DeWitt and company are driving the bus.

With that philosophy in place, La Russa, whose instincts almost always lead him to chose a veteran player, is a poor choice to lead the team. The choir doesn't sound too good when everyone is not singing from the same page.

I said back in July that I thought it was time for La Russa to end his reign. I think the same thing today. And yes, even if the Cardinals pull off a miracle comeback (which probably says as much about the Cubs and Brewers as it does about the Redbirds), I still think it's time. The organization needs new blood and a new direction.

Over the last 10 months of regular season play, the Cardinals have had a winning record in just three of them.

In hindsight, the perfect time for La Russa to close the curtain on St. Louis would have been after last year's World Series title. He didn't and chose to comeback for a season full of angst and turmoil.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.