A Sports Illustrated article profiling Tony La Russa reaches newsstands today, and in it the Cardinals manager refutes the notion that he is "embattled." La Russa brings up the word in response to questions linking his team's losing record and the other events of this season, including his spring training arrest on a DUI charge and the death of reliever Josh Hancock. "I don't feel embattled," he tells reporter S.L. Price. "The ups and downs? You're always trying to keep your wagons going, or you're circling them trying to stay alive." La Russa, in his 12th season as Cardinals manager, also repeats his stance that he doesn't "think I want to do it much longer."