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CHICAGO -- The Cubs placed infielder Tommy La Stella on the inactive list Tuesday as he contemplates retirement if he cant play for the big league team.In fact, La Stella, who was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on July 29, said the Cubs are the only team he wants to play for as his priorities have changed over the last year.Im a baseball player by profession. My identity is not tied up in that, La Stella said in a phone interview on Tuesday afternoon.Thats not who I am as a person. I dont need to make every life move centered around my profession, because thats not who I am. I kind of disassociated with that identity. It felt a lot better to me going out there playing because thats what I felt in me, not because I felt obligated to do it. It was a lot more enjoyable this year.La Stella, 27, went home to New Jersey instead of reporting to Iowa after being optioned. A valuable role player, he was caught in a numbers game but was likely to return.La Stella stressed there is no animosity with the Cubs and that his decision was just what he felt was best for himself.Its a reflection of where I am in my life and my career, La Stella said. I told them, I know you have a business decision to make. I completely understand where theyre coming from. I dont fault them for making that choice one bit. Theyre doing whats in the best interest of the team. I understand that 100 percent.La Stella even contemplated retirement last offseason but returned to the Cubs because he wanted to be with his teammates who have backed him.Everybody that walks through those doors, were happy to have them, right fielder Jason Heyward said. Especially someone like La Stella, who contributes so much even when he isnt playing. Hes a guy that spoke up during the game, rooting us on and things like that. Stuff like that is missed. If you see someone like that, who brings that every day, when he comes into the clubhouse, you welcome him back with open arms every time.La Stella spoke publicly about his situation for the first time Tuesday in order to take some pressure off his teammates, who have had to answer questions about him over the last several days. He also said he expressed his thoughts to the team in the spring.Going into this season, it was a shift in how I looked at it, he said. I said if Im going to do this Im going to do it the right way. Im going to be here because I want to be here. That was pretty much what I told them in spring training when we had that sit down meeting. I thought that went well.La Stella also said he thinks his conversations he has had with the front office since being sent down have gone well. The team is trying to be understanding of his situation.The perspective weve chosen to take is, were dealing with 25 different human beings in that clubhouse and everyone has different backgrounds, and we try to be understanding of that, general manager Jed Hoyer said. I know his teammates like him I know he can help his teammates win. Right now were trying to give him time to clear his head.As a left-handed bat off the bench, La Stella has given the Cubs plenty of value, compiling a .388 on-base percentage in 122 plate appearances. He repeatedly stressed that his decision to go home after being optioned wasnt a response to being sent down. He said he simply doesnt want to be anywhere else but Chicago.There wasnt much more that went into it than this is where I want to be, La Stella said. It was as simple as that. It didnt feel right to me to go be somewhere else just to continue playing. Thats not what my thoughts center around, being a ballplayer and making it happen anyway possible. We all have a right to dictate what we do to some extent.It had nothing to do with trying to leverage anything. It was just where I was in my life and my career. It was an obvious decision for me. There was no other consideration.La Stella even said he would rather step away from the game then play for another team meaning a trade was out of the question. He doesnt want to go anywhere.That would have been it, he said. Im not going to go play for someone else. Thats not something I have any interest in doing. Im here for a reason. This is where I want to be...Im just waiting to hear back from the team and keeping up with all the workouts and training and hitting.So for the moment hell stay in shape with his private trainers as he waits for what the Cubs will do next. He understands not all fans will understand his decision but is hopeful hes not looked at in a selfish manner.Im not going to fault anyone for what they say or assume about the situation, La Stella said. Im ok to step away. Its something Ive been preparing for, for a while. Its an accumulation of things. With injuries and stuff like that. Its a bunch of stuff thats personal to me.Though the Cubs were hopeful La Stella would report to Triple-A they were at least aware of his mindset.To say we were completely shocked would be the wrong thing to say, Hoyer stated. We were surprised and hopeful to get him back helping this team.La Stella says if the Cubs bring him back hell give his 100 percent to help the team win and thinks he and team executive Theo Epstein at least understand each other.(Epstein) understood where I was coming from, La Stella said. Or else I felt like he did. The conversations were great. I got off the phone feeling really good about it.La Stella has stayed in contact with Dr. Ken Ravizza, who the Cubs employ as a sports psychologist, as well some of his teammates. Some didnt know he hadnt reported to Triple-A but all publicly support him. He would still love to return.Im just trying to get people to hear where Im coming from and whatever conclusions they draw are up to them, La Stella said. If that day does come that they decide they want me back hopefully we can make that happen. Cheap Authentic Shoes Sale . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Authentic Shoes For Sale . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. http://www.cheapauthenticshoes.com/ . The return match will take place next Wednesday. 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CHICAGO -- Ashton Millender scored 19 points, Amarah Coleman had 16, and No. 21 DePaul raced to a 45-point halftime lead en route to a 99-58 season-opening win over Appalachian State on Friday night.DePaul led 30-5 after the first quarter, forcing the Mountaineers into 14 turnovers in that span and 20 in the first 15 minutes. For the game, the Blue Demons converted 32 turnovers into 35 points.Brooke Schulte scored six straight in the second quarter as part of a 14-0 rrun to boost DePauls lead to 47-9.dddddddddddd Schulte finished with 10 points, one of five Demons in double figures. Deja Cage had 13 points and Jessica January 14 to go with seven assists and five steals.DePaul led by as many as 51 points by the middle of the third quarter.Q. Murray and Madi Story each had 11 points for Appalachian State. ' ' '