STILL THE WIZARD: OZZIE BEGINS RETIRED LIFE, BUT DOESN'T RULE OUT RETURN

Ozzie Smith has no doubt that he can still play major league baseball.

And if changes were to occur in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, Smith won't rule out the possibility of a return to the game.

Prior to his motivational speech Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center as part of Southeast Missouri Hospital's Family Fair, the former Cardinals great spoke to reporters.

Smith, a future Hall of Fame shortstop, announced his retirement last June and officially retired when the Cardinals' season ended after Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.

When asked if he still could play, Smith took no time in responding: "Man, I (could play) 'till I'm 60 years old."

Smith and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa "never really saw eye to eye" last season. La Russa chose new addition Royce Clayton as the team's primary shortstop, relegating Smith to the bench and only occasional starts.

"I don't fit into the Tony La Russa scheme of things, so that's just putting it plainly and clear. I have a 10-year contract with the team... but as far as being on the field with the major league team, that won't happen until this regime has moved on. Things will change, as it always does."

Although he said he was mentally ready to retire, Smith said that he would have played this year if circumstances were different.

"If I had had the opportunity to play a little bit more last year, I probably would have played another year," he said. "Last year was uncomfortable for a lot of people. I had to deal with it last year; I don't have to deal with that this year."

So would Smith return to the Cardinals if La Russa left and he were asked?

"I think that it would have to be something that I couldn't refuse," he said. "And I'm not going to say that I don't think that it's going to happen, but I'll tackle that when it comes, if it comes."

Smith said that he would only consider returning to the Cardinals.

"I probably could have gone somewhere else and played, but when you spend 14, 15 years with an organization, it was imperative for me to finish my career (in St. Louis)," he said. "I was a Cardinal as much as anybody."

As for this year's Cardinals team, Smith said that it will probably repeat as Central Division champions. And Smith said that the Cardinals' only notable addition for this season, second baseman Delino DeShields, could help this year's team if he can resist injury and return to the form he displayed a few seasons ago with Montreal.

Despite retiring, Smith said that he has been as busy as ever.

"I'm on a speaking tour, I've done a lot of (sports) card shows, I have three kids, I have a restaurant, I have a temporary employment agency," he said. "I've kept myself busy with a lot of things."

Smith is also staying close to baseball. He will follow the legendary Mel Allen as host of "This Week in Baseball." He will also do color commentary for a few of KPLR's broadcasts of Cardinals games.

And if Smith remains retired, in all likelihood he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after the mandatory five-year wait.

"When they announce it that day that I'm in the Hall of fame, then... you'll hear me scream."