Just so you know, La Russa is not universally loved, even here in St Louis. A lot of Cardinal fans disagree with his "over" managerial style. Nonetheless, the record speaks for itself. Soon to be the 2nd winningest manager in the history of baseball; five pennants, three World Series championships.
As for McGwire, it's a little more complicated. Not a single team in baseball can claim they were steroid-free. That's not to excuse McGwire, but to provide context and perspective. After the '94 strike, MLB was reeling. McGwire and Sosa brought the fans back in that 1998 Home Run Derby. It wasn't just La Russa who looked the other way, it was everyone in baseball.
As for the 2011 World Series, it was simply one of the best series ever. Sure, there were errors, pitching mistakes, and epic failures. But that's the case in every series. Baseball is hardly a precision game. The Rangers are a top notch group of players, and they will be back in the WS.
Neither Mark McGuire nor Tony LaRussa threw a single pitch, fielded any ball, nor swung a bat in this series. The Cardinal players, however, were as mentally tough a team as I have seen play. There were any number of times in this series and in the last two months when they could have thrown in the towel and called it quits. But that mental toughness was enough for them to overcome a more talented opponent. The Rangers should have won but they didn't despite all their chances.
John, your rant reminds me of Al Gore in 2000.