Tony La Russa tended to his many pets on the West Coast for a week or so, and made up his mind: He wanted to keep managing.

Now, he's hoping the St. Louis Cardinals can make an equally quick decision on hiring a general manager.

La Russa agreed Monday to a two-year contract to stay in St. Louis, confident that the Cardinals can still be contenders.

A year after winning the World Series, the Cardinals endured a disappointing 78-win season. General manager Walt Jocketty, who hired La Russa in 1995, was fired earlier this month.

World Series ticket sales suspended after "malicious attack": Colorado Rockies officials said their computer system for online-only World Series ticket sales was the target of an "external malicious attack" that required a temporary suspension of ticket sales.

The team said it had a backup plan that will allow online ticket sales to resume at 11 a.m. PDT today.

Red Sox are a 2-1 favorite: The Boston Red Sox are 2-1 favorites to win the World Series.

Las Vegas oddsmakers put the Red Sox at minus-$2, meaning every $2 bet will win $1 if Boston wins. Colorado is plus $1.70, meaning every $1 wins $1.70 if the Rockies take the series.

Mitchell denies leaking HGH information on Byrd: Baseball investigator George Mitchell, also a director for the Red Sox, denied providing information for a story that Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd used human growth hormone.

Before Game 7 on Sunday, Byrd acknowledged using HGH after the San Francisco Chronicle reported he spent nearly $25,000 on the drug and syringes from 2002 to 2005 — before HGH was banned by Major League Baseball.

Mitchell said his office was contacted by people accusing him of leaking information on Byrd to the media. The former Senate Majority Leader released a statement from his New York office to "correct that mistaken impression."

Mariners add well-known veterans to revamped coaching staff: The Mariners overhauled their coaching staff, hiring Mel Stottlemyre, Jim Riggleman and Norm Charlton.

Stottlemyre, a former pitching coach with the Yankees and Mets, took the same position in Seattle. Riggleman, an ex-manager in the majors, will be the bench coach. And Charlton, a former relief pitcher, will be the bullpen coach.

Also, Eddie Rodriguez took over as the Mariners' first-base coach.

Seattle manager John McLaren, who took the helm when Mike Hargrove abruptly resigned on July 2, has experience working with each of his new hires, including Yankees coach Larry Bowa, whom McLaren has asked to be Seattle's new third-base coach.