Tag: Tony La Russa

7 times we told you Tony La Russa shouldn’t be managing the White Sox

A brief review of Tony La Russa’s second stint in Chicago

Tony La Russa’s second stint as manager of the Chicago White Sox came to an end on Monday.

The Hall of Fame manager announced he was retiring (again) following a heart procedure that his kept him out of the Sox’ dugout since late August. After compiling a 156-134 record over parts of two seasons, with one American League Central title and no playoff series victories to show for it, the White Sox are again on the market for a new skipper.

La Russa’s health obviously comes first  and getting him back to 100 percent should be his and the White Sox’ only priority.

Yet the Sox should have never hired Tony La Russa in the first place.

The ousting of manager Rick Renteria after the 2020 season was supposed to represent the next phase of Chicago’s rebuild. With a young core locked in for years to come, the Sox seemed likely to hire AJ Hinch before going in a completely opposite and dramatic direction.

And that was even after learning La Russa had been charged with a second DUI days before Chicago formally announced his hiring.

But you already knew La Russa’s return to the White Sox was never going to work out. Because we told you so many times. In fact, let us count the ways.

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7 times the White Sox players have made very clear they don’t want Tony La Russa back as manager

The not-so-quiet part is being said aloud

It’s been about two weeks since the White Sox announced manager Tony La Russa was taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal medical reasons. We now know the 77-year-old had a pacemaker inserted and his return to the dugout remains uncertain.

It’s no doubt an unnerving situation and to say the baseball world is hoping La Russa makes a speedy recovery pretty much goes without saying. There are things bigger than sports, after all.

But baseball marches on and the White Sox have games scheduled and it has since fallen to interim manager Miguel Cairo to take over La Russa’s duties. And it’s gone…surprisingly well. Like, really well. Under Cairo’s leadership, the Sox are 9-3 and still in the race for the American League Central division (the worst division in baseball, to be sure, but that’s a different story). Chicago is three games back of the Cleveland Guardians with about 20 games left to play.

Naturally, this has led to many Sox players being asked about what has changed over the last two weeks. No one wants to come out and say it, but in giving Cairo his much-deserved props, they’ve also seemingly pointed to ways in which La Russa was failing them.

Cairo, to his credit, continues to praise La Russa and his influence not only on the interim manager’s success, but the team as a whole. But it’s increasingly hard to look at the quotes coming out of the clubhouse and think anyone wants to see La Russa retake control:

  • “[Cairo is] not trying to be the manager, he’s just being himself,” Elvis Andrus told James Fegan of The Athletic. “Players, we always appreciate that. The last thing you want to do is change your personality and try to act like a manager or something like that. Everybody else I feel they’ve kind of taken the next step also in doing their duties.”
  • “Let’s put it this way, you can tell your kids something, and they don’t listen,” Josh Harrison told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “Someone else tells them the same thing, and they get the message. It’s put up or shut up time. Miggy has done a great job bringing energy to the team.”
  • Pitcher Lance Lynn told Nightengale: “Sometimes, it’s just good to hear the truth. [Cairo] pretty much told us that it’s time to do this, and if you’re not ready, you got to figure it out.”
  • Closer Liam Hendriks gave perhaps the most revealing quotes in the past few days. Here’s what he told Nightengale, “We battled through a lot of things this year and going through all of those obstacles, fighting and grinding, is only going to help us. It’s made us hungrier and more apt to find that next level.

    “We didn’t have that fight earlier. We didn’t have that drive. We didn’t have that hunger. Now, that has all changed. Destiny is in our hands.’’

Players have often been reminding reporters that “the vibe is different”. Is that a byproduct of winning? Sure. It could also just be September baseball and the reality of a playoff race setting in.

But those vibes and team culture starts with the guy filling out the lineup card each day. Cairo might not be the complete reason why things are turning around in Chicago. The offense has been incredible lately and has finally started hitting home runs at a reasonable clip. Those are all major factors.

Yet there’s not much reading between the lines necessary in the comments coming out of the clubhouse. No one wants to admit La Russa was a problem, which is fair given the circumstances and the fact that these players are all professionals.

It just seems abundantly clear he wasn’t the solution, either.

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Tony La Russa had the most bleak response to White Sox fans booing them off their home field

Everything is a struggle for the White Sox right now

It’s been all bad for the Chicago White Sox so far this season. Their 63-63 record doesn’t really quite explain it.

They haven’t been the worst team in Major League Baseball, but they’re definitely a lot closer to being the worst than being the best. There’s been nothing interesting or inspiring about their season.

It feels pretty safe to say the most fun thing that’s happened for them all season has been an 11-year-old fan running onto the field without being tackled by security. That’s how bland it’s been.

Fans haven’t enjoyed this season at all and how could they? It’s been absolute torture to watch.

Look at how many times they’ve been at .500.

That’s why this is so torturous. Because there’s a good team in there somewhere. They just might be the most inconsistent team in baseball. Fans are fed up. And they let the team know about it, too. They booed them off the field after their 7-2 loss against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Tony La Russa was asked about the fans’ reactions to the team’s poor play and he offered up one of the bleakest responses you’ll see.

“But I’m just saying, the fact that they were here and they did say ‘Let’s go White Sox’ is amazing. It’s amazing fan support here, and I’ve got plenty of experience. But there ain’t no free lunch. It’s a two-way relationship. They support you and you’ve got to give it back. So we’ve got to do more about giving back.” 

There’s something about that quote that just feels extremely sad. He’s basically saying “at least they still care,” and he’s not wrong! They do. But there’s also the admission that the Sox ain’t playing up to par.

It’s just all bad in Chicago right now. There’s still time to get it together — they’re only 4 games back on the Guardians for the AL Central division lead.

But they’ve got to move fast. Otherwise? Their season is cooked.

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MLB fans crushed Tony La Russa after he inexplicably called for yet another intentional walk on a 1-2 count

He did it again?!

What can else you say about the job Tony La Russa’s done as White Sox manager to this point without beating a dead horse?

For example, Chicago entered the year as World Series contenders and yet is just two games above .500 in mid-August. Not all of that is due to the managing, but hoo boy does La Russa often seem determined to make it seem like it is.

Of all the poor decisions La Russa has made this year, his multiple strange calls for intentional walks might take the cake. And guess what? On Friday against the Guardians (-135) — with the White Sox already down 5-2 — La Russa called for another intentional walk of Oscar Gonzalez on a 1-2 count!

“Let’s see how it works out this time.”

(Narrator): It did not work out. After La Russa’s head-scratcher of a decision, the White Sox still lost to Cleveland 5-2.

Video shows Tony La Russa may have listened to fan in stands before putting pinch runner in

Did a fan in the stands really convince La Russa to make a move?

Let’s recap Tony La Russa’s very weird 2022 season as the Chicago White Sox manager: He may have fallen asleep in the dugout. He called for some weird intentional walks, more than once.

And now … did he listen to a fan in the stands to tell him to put in a pinch runner in the eighth inning on Monday night?

Here’s the situation: With the White Sox and Houston Astros tied 2-2 after a Eloy Jimenez double, video shows a fan in the stands near the Chicago dugout yelling at La Russa to put in Adam Engel as a pinch-runner, which would make sense given Engel’s speed.

Suddenly, there’s La Russa making THAT EXACT MOVE.

Now: This could be coincidence. Maybe La Russa was considering that very move.

Or … WHOA. Check it out:

Did Tony La Russa get caught on camera falling asleep in the dugout?

Tony La Russa … may have fallen asleep in the dugout?

OK, let’s start with this: Tony La Russa is 77 years old. This might happen to anyone that age, and whatever, it happens.

But La Russa is still managing the Chicago White Sox. This probably can’t happen, Hall of Famer or not.

A camera that was on La Russa in the middle of Chicago’s 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals showed the manager’s eyes fluttering closed before he did that thing where you realize it and get yourself awake.

No word on what happened after that, but everyone noticed and definitely thought he was falling asleep on the job (which would add on to some of the weird things that we’ve seen from La Russa this year).

Ozzie Guillen challenging an MLB reporter to a boxing match is the most fight the White Sox have shown all year

Very normal baseball things happening on the South Side

The 2022 Chicago White Sox remain ghastly underachievers.

Just in the last week they’ve dropped must-win matchups to the three division rivals and continue to watch manager Tony La Russa make baffling in-game decisions.

Not only has that led to some much-deserved criticism from fans and media alike, it’s also spilled over to the usually friendly pre-and post-game shows on NBC Sports Chicago, where former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen provides insight as an analyst.

Well, that insight appears to have rubbed MLB insider Jon Heyman the wrong way, because after Guillen chastised La Russa’s management, Heyman accused Ozzie of trying to insult his was back into the dugout.

Guillen responded by challenging Heyman to a boxing fight—for charity, of course—insisting that their feud was now personal.

Well then!

It doesn’t seem like this fight will actually happen, but let’s check out the tale of the tape anyways:

Jon Heyman Vs. Ozzie Guillen
61 Age 58
N/A Ht 5-11
N/A Wt 150+ lbs.

Hmm. Ok, not a ton to go off of there. Let’s set the line at Ozzie Guillen (-450), Jon Heyman (+550). Ozzie gets the significant edge considering A) he’s a former pro athlete and B) he clearly just wants a reason to throw a punch at a reporter without consequences.

Who ya got?

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Tony La Russa called for another weird intentional walk after Jose Ramirez already fouled off a pitch

It happened AGAIN.

Coming off a division title in 2021, it would have been reasonable to rank the White Sox among the World Series contenders for 2022. Well, as we near the All-Star break, the White Sox stand out as one of the more disappointing teams in baseball.

And all eyes are on the manager for that.

Tony La Russa’s struggles with the modern game have seemed to catch up with him this season, and worst of all, he continues to inexplicably make the same mistakes.

Earlier this season, La Russa called for a two-strike intentional walk of Trea Turner only to see Max Muncy hit a three-run home run in the ensuing at-bat. See: La Russa loves lefty-lefty/righty-righty matchups. And while we see intentional walks deployed to set up these matchups around baseball, you rarely see them happen mid-AB in pitcher friendly counts. La Russa doesn’t care, though.

During the fifth inning of Tuesday’s Game 1 doubleheader against the Guardians, La Russa had right-hander Davis Martin walk switch-hitting Jose Ramirez after Ramirez had already fouled off a pitch. After seeing that swing, La Russa opted to have Martin pitch to the right-handed Franmil Reyes instead. Ramirez was visibly confused at the plate, and for good reason — this kind of thing only happens with La Russa.

While Muncy made La Russa pay for the decision back in June, Reyes would strike out to end the inning this time around. But the White Sox still lost, 4-1, and fans could not get over that managerial decision.

An ump very casually ejected Tony La Russa from the Twins-White Sox game and MLB had jokes

This very casual ejection was absolutely hilarious.

Chicago White Sox fans have grown pretty tired with the team’s manager, Tony La Russa. On Monday night the ump behind home plate apparently felt the same way and sent the 77 year old to the showers early with one of the most casual ejections you’ll ever see in a MLB game.

La Russa wasn’t happy with a pitch that was called a ball (which was obviously a ball) and had something to say to umpire David Rackley. La Russa then made his way out of the dugout to have some more words with the ump and then was tossed before he even made it to the plate.

Here’s the whole scene:

This ejection motion by Rackley was tremendous:

Twitter had jokes.

White Sox fans chant ‘Fire Tony’ after multiple blown leads in Saturday’s loss to Rangers

La Russa’s seat keeps getting hotter and hotter.

There are few in baseball under more scrutiny than Tony La Russa right now. As the once-darling White Sox continue to muck about in mediocrity this season, La Russa’s management of the squad has come under fire.

One of La Russa’s more recent unforced errors was walking Trea Turner with a 1-2 count (???). The White Sox players aren’t holding up their end of the bargain, but this sort of flawed process has been par for the course for La Russa as Chicago’s manager.

On Saturday afternoon, White Sox fans finally had enough of their favorite team’s manager. After Chicago surrendered multiple leads in an eventual 11-9 extra innings loss to the Rangers (+130), fans at Guaranteed Rate Field broke out in unison with a completely warranted chant:

“Fire Tony.” “Fire Tony.” “Fire Tony.”

At this point, it’s hard to disagree with these vocal, passionate White Sox fans. In reaction, Chicago fans on Twitter echoed similar sentiments about La Russa’s job security.