Mattingly, McGwire praise rivals' La Russa move

PHOENIX -- A familiar face entered the fray in the National League West on Saturday when the D-backs named Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa the team's chief baseball officer.

The four-time Manager of the Year will oversee all baseball operations for Arizona.

"Tony is a good man, a good baseball guy. If you are Arizona, you would be excited that Tony La Russa is part of the baseball operations," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "You saw what he did with the White Sox, what he did in Oakland, what he did in St. Louis. I don't know if he is going to end up on the field. It doesn't sound like that. I think you know the way Tony goes about his business and his knowledge of the game and the way he thinks it is supposed to be played, things like that, you feel like it's going to be a good sign."

La Russa managed Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire in Oakland and St. Louis. He also hired McGwire as the hitting coach in St. Louis before the 2010 season.

"I just know how good he was as a manager. Obviously it's like anything else, you've got to give it time," McGwire said. "I'm really happy for him. It will be the first time I'm competing against him. They've got a good one."