 A bright spot emerged in August 1979 when Veeck replaced player-manager Don Kessinger with 34-year old coach Tony LaRussa, who embarked on a Hall of Fame career which lasted over three decades.Veeck began building a farm system that produced several noteworthy players including Harold Baines and Britt Burns.But Veeck could not compete in the free agent market or afford what he called "the high price of mediocrity."