Former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa sat down at a table, a microphone in front of him, to field questions from the media. He'd done this nearly every day for 33 years but seemed nervous.

"I'm out of shape. I haven't been doing the two-a-day thing that you had to do for all those years," La Russa said. "It was interesting to watch [Cardinals manager] Mike [Matheny] work his way through it. It looked to me as the year went on he enjoyed it less and less. He's right on time."

La Russa, who retired as the Cardinals manager after the team won the 2011 World Series, spoke Thursday night at the Show Me Center as part of Southeast Missouri State University's Speaker Series.

"This is a night I've looked forward to because it's been awhile since I've been around Cardinal fans," La Russa said.

"I hate disrespecting Oakland A's fans and Chicago White Sox fans, but the Cardinals fans are a breed to themselves. They are different. They are with you win or lose, not just win or tie. And there's no doubt in my mind that the successful years, they contributed too, because the guys feel that support and when the adrenaline gets pumping they play better."

La Russa said he will never manage again but is glad he still is able to be involved with baseball by working in the commissioner's office. He watched about 125 games this season.

"From the first day of spring training to the end of the season, I never once missed being in the dugout," La Russa said. "I mean I had my time, passed the baton, had not one issue with it. But when it got to October, that is such a fun, all-or-nothing experience."

As part of his job in the commissioner's office, La Russa was involved in the decision to implement a new playoff format that gives two Wild Card teams from each league the opportunity to play a one-game playoff to move on to the division series.

"I know the Braves had a better record than the Cardinals, and they lost a game and they complained," La Russa said. "That's part of what you have to do as a Wild Card. You have to win an extra game, and you have to use up the rest of your club.

"Well, what'd the Cardinals do? They went out and won the next round, so I thought it added a lot of excitement, and I just happened to be there when that thing was decided and discussed."