La Russa says McGwire is already talking to St. Louis hitters and watching tape. La Russa also said Tuesday he thought McGwire's introductory news conference might be held in the next couple of weeks.
A day earlier, former Cardinals manager and newly elected Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog said he thought McGwire might change his mind and decide against taking the job. Herzog wondered whether McGwire would want to deal with all the inevitable questions about steroids.
But La Russa says he's been talking to McGwire and gets no indication that Big Mac wants to back out.