TONY LA RUSSA INTERVIEW AIRS TONIGHT ON FOX SPORTS MIDWEST PREGAME SHOW

Ø  Interview took place while watching yesterday's game in La Russa's office. FOX Sports Midwest contributor Jay Randolph conducts the interview.

Ø  He says he's never had to watch his team by television for a whole road trip before. (La Russa will reportedly return to the dugout tonight.)

Ø  He discusses communicating before and after games with Joe Pettini, how difficult it is to watch instead of being there and his progress with shingles.

Ø  Interview airs tonight during the Cardinals Live pregame show at 5:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Midwest.

Watch an excerpt from the interview here:

http://www.foxsportsmidwest.com/pages/video?PID=V2lJBYCBsAjd_YmdgA0FdFW3rYTGV9zk

(Radio stations using clips from the interview should courtesy Cardinals Live on FOX Sports Midwest)

Quotes from the interview:

LaRussa: "One of the conversations (with Pettini) was with a left-handed starter like (Travis) Wood, how do you get (Allen) Craig's bat in the lineup. The thing we did at Wrigley Field was we put him at second base. We decided not to, Carp's more of a ground ball pitcher and we want to play the best defense. But looking ahead, with Cliff Lee (Monday), the second base thing may resurface."

LaRussa: "I was kind of bullheaded about the pain medication. I wasn't about the virus, I took my pills. But I just didn't want to get drowsy. I thought I could just deal with it. I thought it would go away. After a month I should've been taking that pain medication all along and maybe I'd feel better right now...Just have to weather the storm now a little bit and I'm definitely improving."