Star-studded event hosted by La Russa will take place on November 21-24 in Phoenix and feature insightful leadership sessions and entertainment a national 501(c)3 founded by PenFed Credit Union announced today that it has been named a beneficiary of baseball icon Tony La Russa's 13th annual Leaders and Legends event The PenFed Foundation champions our military through investment advocacy and outreach and has provided more than $55 million in financial support to veterans active-duty service members and military families The star-studded event hosted by La Russa will take place November 21-24 in Phoenix and features insightful leadership sessions and entertainment The event will also benefit the La Russa family's future nonprofit that is being created to champion the human-animal connection "The PenFed Foundation does more for veterans than anyone else in the country This is a partnership that Leaders and Legends is fortunate to extend because the more we do You can't do enough for veterans," said La Russa so what you'll see at this event is that you'll walk out of there with friendships with legends and they will walk out of there with friendships with you." Among the leaders and sports legends scheduled to participate alongside La Russa: Gail Becker "The PenFed Foundation is extremely honored to be named a beneficiary of this extraordinary gathering Tony and I bonded years ago over our shared love of veterans and animals," said Andrea McCarren "Not only is he a legend in the world of baseball but he's also made a profound impact on military families across the United States by connecting them to shelter animals saving countless lives on both ends of the leash a national nonprofit organization that supports veterans in their transition from service to success in the civilian world,.. Banking & Financial Services Not For Profit Veterans Do not sell or share my personal information: by | Oct 10 Watching the frantic 2024 MLB postseason has me thinking about Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa and the way he altered the foundation of the competition with his hyper aggressive use of the bullpen La Russa’s masterpiece was the 2011 postseason Despite the infamous bullpen-phone screw up at Texas in World Series Game 5 that led to considerable chaos confusion and the wrong relief pitcher (Lance Lynn) walking to the mound to enter the contest La Russa gave the Cardinals a meaningful advantage that October Covering for a postseason starting rotation that had a very good/great starter (Chris Carpenter) a decent starter (Jaime Garcia) and a couple of question marks in Edwin Jackson and Kyle Lohse La Russa reconstructed baseball’s traditional world order by front-loading his strong set of relievers into the pressure-packed environment TLR wasn’t hung up on the standard formula of getting six or seven innings out of a starter then summon a couple of relievers to finish it off During the 2011 postseason La Russa made a record 45 pitching changes in STL’s 18-game run through Philadelphia but I’m pretty sure La Russa won the 11th World Series in franchise history with his bold bullpen plan Without TLR’s relentless maneuvering with his relievers I don’t think the Cardinals survive the three postseason rounds yeah … there was also that David Freese fellow In the three preceding postseasons from 2008 through 2010 postseason managers used their starting pitchers to cover 64.5 percent of the innings The guys in the bullpen had time to sit around and not worry about warming up until relatively late in the game He got his bullpen crew busy in his final postseason as the Cards manager In the five-game NLDS win over the Phillies Louis starting pitchers handled 69 percent of the innings Having two days off slotted into the days in a five-game showdown made it more doable Garcia and Jackson combined for a 3.24 ERA in their four starts (Even though Carpenter lasted only three innings in the Game 1 loss to Philadelphia.) La Russa went heavy with the bullpen in the remaining two rounds If we combine the innings allotment in the NLCS and World Series La Russa stayed with his starters for 53 percent of the innings over 13 games The bullpen’s workload increased to 47 percent of the innings over the final two rounds With the Cardinals knocking off the Brewers in six games to win the National League pennant La Russa’s relievers chewed up 55 percent of the innings in that series Louis starters were terrible against Milwaukee seven walks and 19 earned runs in 24 and ⅓ innings The relievers sculpted a 1.88 ERA in 28 and ⅔ innings over six games In the six games Cardinals starting pitchers averaged 4 innings per outing Carpenter had the deepest start (only 5 innings) in Game 3 La Russa made 28 pitching changes in the six games Marc Rzepcynski and Lance Lynn each made five appearances against the Brewers Jason Motte and Octavio Dotel worked in four games Louis relievers had a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings the relievers recorded 58 outs compared to the 48 outs collected by the starters with that revamped bullpen,” Cards utility man Skip Schumaker said after the Cardinals clinched the NLCS “We’ve got a pretty damned good bullpen with an extra guy on the roster] out there If he thinks a game is getting away from us “He’s not afraid to do the uncommon thing And that’s why he’s so successful — because he’s not afraid to do stuff like that.” The innings ratio was more normal in the seven-game World Series La Russa could lean on his starters for a couple of reasons Because of a rainout that pushed Game 6 back a day the weather interruption made it possible for La Russa to start Carpenter in Game 7 Carpenter had thrown seven innings in Game 5 Carpenter would have had only two days of rest before the scheduled Game 7 Carp may have been used in that game but wouldn’t have started it And any work for Carpenter in Game 7 would have been limited But the rains came … and that made Carpenter available to start Game 7 on three days rest pitching five scoreless innings after Texas jumped him for two runs in the first Carpenter was able to start three of the Cardinals’ seven games in the 2011 World Series And he pitched 19 total innings in the three starts And Garcia gave the Cardinals seven innings in Game 2 Louis bullpen wasn’t required to work as many innings Garcia lasted only three innings in that classic Game 6 La Russa turned to his bullpen to plow through the final eight innings of an 11-inning brawl Motte and (winning pitcher) Jake Westbrook The bullpen wasn’t perfect that night; Lynn and Motte were ripped for five earned runs between them in 3 and ⅔ combined innings and the Cardinals made it through with the heroic moments filed into St * In the 2006 postseason that ended with the first World Series conquest by the Cardinals since 1982 La Russa’s starting pitchers logged 70 percent of the innings over 16 games against the Padres * When Whitey Herzog managed the Cardinals to the World Series championship in 1982 the team’s starting pitchers were entrusted with 76.5 percent of the innings in the 10-game postseason This stat made me smile: the STL bullpen was called on for 20 and ⅔ innings during the ‘82 postseason but future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter handled 58 percent of those innings and Dave LaPoint – worked only 8⅔ innings collectively in 10 games But LaPoint also made one start that postseason helping out the top three starters John Stuper * When the 1967 Cardinals won the World Series in a tense Redbirds manager manager Red Schoendienst deployed seven different relievers who combined for 13 appearances and 10 innings of work and Steve Carlton and Nellie Briles each made one start Here’s another stat that made me smile: Gibson pitched 27 innings against the Red Sox – leaving only 34 innings of work Gibson was on the mound for 44 percent of the innings in that ‘67 series And 40 percent of the Boston hitters that came to the plate over seven games took their at-bats against one man Participants are going bullpen-crazy during the 2024 postseason Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went with an all-reliever menu bypassing a starting pitcher to place a must-win game into the custody of his bullpen The result was an 8-0 win that got the Dodgers to the winner-take-all Game 5 Friday in Los Angeles In the 8-0 shutout LA’s bullpen scattered seven hits and two walks while getting all 27 outs in the nine innings Roberts utilized eight relief pitchers to smother the Padres With his bullpen getting rested during Thursday’s off day Roberts may run it back again Friday night the abysmal Dodger starting pitchers 10.13 ERA in the first three games before Roberts went into the all-bullpen mode And the only damage against the Roberts bullpen came against two low-leverage LA relievers in a 10-2 blowout loss in Game 2 Of the 21 runs scored by the Padres in the first four games 15 were punched in against LA starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto So why gamble with dreadful starters when you have a fresh and firm bullpen ready to go for Game 5 postseason managers have used their bullpens to supply virtually the same amount of innings as their starting pitchers Managers used the bullpens for 48 percent of the innings in the 2023 postseason 45 percent of the innings in the 2022 postseason and a whopping 55.4 percent of the innings in the 2021 playoffs If you hate watching these October parades featuring relievers you’re disregarding the most important point to this: the bullpen procession works when a manager has the proper personnel to make it go And it’s a smart strategy when a manager is stuck with a mediocre rotation and can work around it by giving the baseball to a cast of superior relievers OK … so I guess that means you were yawning and nodding off during the Cardinals’ 2011 postseason And it was always entertaining to watch La Russa doing La Russa expressed his admiration for La Russa’s bullpen scripting “He’s on a whole different level,” Oliver told the New York Times “He thinks about stuff nobody else is thinking about Please pardon my typos … it’s been one of those days A 2023 inductee into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Bernie has provided informed opinions and perspective on St Please check out the new Bernie Miklasz Show channel on YouTube. And thank you for subscribing. Here’s the link: @TheBernieShow Please follow Bernie on X @b_miklasz and Threads @miklaszb Stats used in my baseball columns are sourced from FanGraphs and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise noted For the last 36 years Bernie Miklasz has entertained While best known for his voice as the lead sports columnist at the Post-Dispatch for 26 years Dallas Morning News and Baltimore News American his wife Kirsten and their cats reside in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood of St 2025 at 4:28 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Tony La Russa sits in the Oakland Athletics' dugout before the team's Hall of Fame ceremony Sunday Devon and Tony La Russa are launching a new nonprofit organization The family's commitment to the cause began in 1986 when they arrived in the Bay Area and continues today on a personal level and through the new organization The new endeavor makes its public introduction as part of its Champions to the Rescue benefit event set for Jan 25 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek features musical acts Adam Duritz of Counting Crows and Marc Russo & Karl Perazzo’s All-Star band; a comedy act from Sarah Tiana; and an Oakland A's Hall Panel and Tribute to Rickey Henderson: Jose Canseco La Russa Rescue Champions will support and elevate animal rescue organizations by raising and distributing funds to help them carry out their life-saving work The organization will also connect individuals and families who want to help with the groups who need it LaRussa Rescue Champions is buildling a website to serve as a platform where animal rescue champions can choose how they want to champion the cause—both locally and nationally "We’re excited to begin this new chapter," said Tony La Russa the former manager of the Oakland Athletics "Companion animals have a seemingly magical effect through their unconditional love to improve the quality of lives they touch Our goal is to reactivate the community’s confidence and support of our efforts to strengthen the animal and human bond Historically we have earned credibility through a family-like culture of mutual respect and caring for the mission and each other." The event and new nonprofit organization have partnered with the PenFed Foundation a national leader in programs to assist veterans The La Russa family will work with other organizations to highlight successful rescue efforts and offer grants to regional and national organizations PenFed is the fiscal sponsor for this event La Russa Rescue Champions and the Champions to the Rescue event received a meaningful endorsement from the companion animal welfare organization Maddie's Fund which will be the title sponsor for the event "Maddie’s support is especially appreciated because our family’s rescue efforts have emulated their focus on the rescue 'basics' while always searching for innovative improvements," La Russa said In March 2023, La Russa and his family split from the Animal Rescue Foundation policies and attitudes" that no longer aligned with the passional for animals with which he and his family originally founded ARF In February 2024, the former Animal Rescue Foundation became Joybound People & Pets Tickets for the Jan. 25 event for La Russa's new organization cost $75-$150 and can be purchased online at Lesherartscenter.org or by calling the Ticket Office at 925-943-7469 "We encourage all our friends to join us to support this effort," La Russa said Additional sponsorship opportunities are available; for more information Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. It seemed logical to fans to retire after achieving the ultimate goal with the team for a second time after piloting the 2006 team to a championship La Russa discussed the main reason for his departure from St One of the most successful managers in major league history, Tony La Russa called it a career with the St. Louis Cardinals after leading the team to a championship in 2011 but I was taught as a Double-A manager to protect your players," said La Russa And that is such a weighty responsibility when you see young guys pitch inside La Russa said that he is of the belief that if a team hits your batter in an attempt to take your offense away but the gray area of the situation took its toll on the Hall of Fame skipper "I don't care if it's basketball or football; you have to find a way to retaliate," he said "But trying to make that decision of whether it was intentional or unintentional were they careless...if you're watching every inning 162 times and you're worried about an inside pitch Major League Baseball appears to be trying to stamp out retaliatory actions from pitchers. In 2023, Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas was ejected after hitting Ian Happ in the backside with a pitch Happ had just injured catcher Willson Contreras on a backswing and Mikolas felt the need to protect his battery mate Mikolas was subsequently suspended for five games La Russa despised this increasingly common disciplinary action toward players performing what La Russa believes is a necessary part of the game Despite the less-than-ideal conclusion to his managing career La Russa was proud of the fact that his leadership and willingness to stand up for his team was reflected in the clubhouse while with St "We never had a fight in our clubhouse because the players knew that if they didn't think they were protected "They never went to a pitcher and said 'You've got to protect me.' .. The Cardinals' winningest manager will be present at the Opening Day festivities and though he may not be in lockstep with today's brand of baseball © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Major League Baseball appears to be trying to stamp out retaliatory actions from pitchers. In 2023, Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas was ejected after hitting Ian Happ in the backside with a pitch Tony La Russa provided an eye-opening explanation on his decision to quit managing after the St Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInST (First Alert 4) - Former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is starting a new non-profit combining his passion for helping animals and veterans La Russa and his family are partnering with the PenFed Foundation to provide vital support for rescue animals and veterans “They come back to the world dealing with a lot...it’s amazing coming into their life quality of life can really improve,” La Russa said The La Russa family has long been involved in rescuing dogs and cats The PedFed Foundation helps raise service dogs and with La Russa it will match veterans with dogs to help them thrive after their military service business leaders and military heroes will come together at the annual Leaders and Legends event to raise money for La Russa’s new non-profit The comprehensive strategic partnership between Beijing and Rome "is always growing and I believe it will have a significant development" today concluded a five-day mission in China opening up to collaboration with Beijing to help resolve the most sensitive issues on the international scene The President of the Senate began his first visit to the country on March 23 with the aim of consolidating the process of rebalancing bilateral relations initiated by the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after Italy's withdrawal from the New Silk Road (Belt and Road Initiative La Russa met with the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC with whom he discussed the latest developments in Ukraine and the Middle East described as “good and cordial” by both parties he said that Rome and Beijing will be able to be “builders of peace overcoming “the difficulties that may exist in international relations to consolidate a time of peace and prosperity” La Russa reiterated the shared responsibility of the two countries to contribute to international stability also in the interview granted to the press service of the National People's Assembly to which he said that China and Italy "must play a very important role in this delicate moment of international politics" "They can be links between different visions help resolve delicate issues such as Ukraine and the Middle East" and be "fundamental in providing opportunities for meeting between different positions that must go in the same direction" A contribution from Italy is possible and functional also to the development of relations between China and the European Union marked by strong trade disputes especially in the electric vehicle segment “Sino-European relations have existed for fifty years now and Italy wants to play a role also because our trade relations still see us in deficit: from a commercial point of view are in themselves useful and sufficient to facilitate this increasingly close relationship between the European Union and China,” said the President of the Senate at a press briefing in Beijing Optimism was also expressed in relation to the future of the all-encompassing strategic partnership between China and Italy which “is always growing and I believe will have significant development.” All this on the basis of the intense exchanges between universities and students of the two countries which last year celebrated the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo with a busy calendar of cultural events The propensity to advance the partnership with Italy was also underlined by Zhao Lei according to which Rome and Beijing “have always practiced mutual respect” and “sought common ground by putting aside differences” China wants to strengthen “healthy and stable relations” by exploiting the potential for cooperation in various sectors – above all shipbuilding new energy and aerospace – and by intensifying “friendly exchanges” at the legislative level to “provide legal guarantees for bilateral exchanges and jointly respond to global issues” The Chinese government also hopes that Italy will play an “active role” in the “sustained stable and healthy” development of relations between Beijing and Brussels whose 50th anniversary will be celebrated with a summit in Brussels in the coming months (and in which the president Xi Jinping would have refused to participate) La Russa also met with the vice president Han Zhen who expressed his willingness to work with Italy towards a relationship that is “more mature mutually beneficial and with a long-term strategic perspective” he called for strengthened exchanges and “more tangible results” in a number of sectors The Senate president left the Chinese capital on March 25 for Shanghai where he met with the secretary of the local branch of the Communist Party Chen Jining and the president of the local People's Assembly Huang Lixin The apparently distant visions between China and Italy “are not only getting closer but are coming together to help give our countries and the world a future of ever greater peace and civilization,” La Russa said in his meeting with Huang “It was a very interesting experience to be able to exchange opinions from positions that were apparently distant but that made us understand how necessary a link between our visions of the world between our political histories is,” he added the President of the Senate also had the opportunity to visit “Casa Ferrari” where he was welcomed by Giuseppe Cattaneo designated head of the company in Mainland China It is “a place that perfectly embodies the elegance and tradition of the Ferrari brand The wonderful history of the Prancing Horse continues to fascinate and be told throughout the world with the same passion and determination that have made Ferrari a global icon bringing the Italian tradition to every corner of the planet,” La Russa wrote on Facebook the President of the Senate also spoke about the future of another Italian company in relation to the composition of its shareholder base and the US regulations that place limits on the types of companies linked to China and Russia “Pirelli has put forward a concrete proposal to its Chinese partner (Sinochem) aimed at finding a common path to safeguard the interests and future of the company I hope that this path will lead to positive solutions for everyone and allow Pirelli to continue its commercial relations,” said La Russa The mission to China concluded with a visit to the Shanghai city hall which the President of the Senate said he was “honored” to be able to visit Read also other news on Nova News Click here and receive updates on WhatsApp Follow us on the social channels of Nova News on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Telegram Former White Sox manager Tony La Russa has refuted reports that suggest owner Jerry Reinsdorf is in “active discussions” to sell the team. The Hall of Famer’s comments came while he was promoting his family’s new animal non-profit and aired on WBBM Newsradio “Jerry’s not selling that team,” La Russa said “He wants to improve it to where the Chicago White Sox fans come to the ballpark excited for a chance to win.” The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli was the first to share that the White Sox chairman was talking with a group led by former All-Star pitcher Dave Stewart who has been a long-time friend of Reinsdorf believes the conversation with Stewart was centered around baseball ownership in general and not tied specifically to the White Sox that he has known very well … Jerry’s one of them … and they had a conversation about Stew’s pursuit of an ownership,” LaRussa told WBBM Newsradio “I think the speculation that they were talking about doing it in Chicago somehow the three-time World Series champion seems to have shifted his focus to bringing a National Women’s Soccer League team to Nashville for now a move to Nashville was referenced and appeared to be on the table MLB commissioner Rob Manfred was also asked about the White Sox’s long-term future in Chicago during a Wednesday appearance on FS1’s Breakfast Ball I think that the White Sox are in a difficult situation I think the location of the stadium is tough but I have confidence that things are going to work out in Chicago and that we’re going to continue to have two teams in Chicago.” It’s difficult to predict what may ultimately happen with the White Sox. Reinsdorf has indicated in the past that his family should sell the team and keep the Bulls after his death inevitably leading to a change in ownership at some point his focus remains on getting public funding for a new stadium in the South Loop which these rumors may have been released to help him achieve just that For more White Sox news and updates, follow us on social media @SoxOn35th Featured Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" and I am originally from South Central Pennsylvania Thanks to the name of my little league team along with the 2005 World Series run I have been a diehard White Sox fan from an early age I graduated from Seton Hall University in 2020 with a degree in Visual and Sound Media and a Sports Media minor It was during my freshman year when I founded Sox On 35th and I now have the pleasure of overseeing all operations while working with our 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staffs — is regularly seen around the team and ballparks home and away, as he was over the weekend in Detroit where the Sox (21-58 entering their home game Monday against the Dodgers) fell to 0-10-1 in their last 11 series and — aside from snagging the occasional doughnut from the visitors’ clubhouse kitchen as he did Sunday morning in Detroit (“I can do that on Sunday,’’ he said) — he keeps his distance from players The Hall of Fame manager’s baseball opinions and knowledge are held in high regard by general manager Chris Getz manager Pedro Grifol and other members of the Sox’ hierarchy but La Russa made it clear again in a conversation with the Sun-Times that he’s not a decision-maker With Getz the lone decision-maker after the Ken Williams-Rick Hahn vice president/GM team was fired last August the notion that he’s filling a void left by Williams is off base “My job description has absolutely zero in common with the [vice] president of the team.” La Russa didn’t know when he arrived at the clubhouse Sunday that Eloy Jimenez was coming off the injured list “He’s in the lineup,” a media-relations person told him which means I can advise throughout the organization “I’m about how we should come together as a winning team what the effort is like and how the game is being executed If you don’t like how we’re running the bases or taking at-bats or making good pitches and plays you can point the finger at me for having a relevance to that.” La Russa ranks second in major-league history with 2,884 wins over 35 seasons his last in 2022 with the Sox in his second tour on the South Side where he started his managerial career in 1979 After working for the commissioner’s office and in executive roles with the Red Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf brought La Russa out of retirement at 76 in October 2020 he guided the Sox to the American League Central title in 2021 La Russa stepped down before the end of the 2022 season for health reasons His improved health allows him to make many And he has scouted teams at Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham but you don’t go out there [pushing them on anyone] so people in the organization know they can trust me.” but he sits in the baseball-operations suite during games La Russa said he listens more than he speaks But I’ve been around advisers [as a manager] and the worst thing you can do is be a bull in a china shop La Russa has conversations with Grifol and his coaches and offers views on player development how you play the game and how you execute it I have a lot of experience understanding how you can make that happen.” Terms of Use • Privacy Notice • Cookie Policy • Terms of Sale Tony La Russa was a madman. That's likely what teams in the 1980s thought of the upstart manager of the Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics who eschewed traditional baseball wisdom at the time and marched to the beat of his own drum. La Russa's radical managerial decisions would lead to three World Series titles, including two with the St. Louis Cardinals, and he would win the Manager of the Year Award four times The brilliant baseball mind began his career as most major league managers do playing professionally for several seasons including parts of six seasons where he received cups of coffee at the big league level La Russa was not a successful player in the majors holding a career .199 batting average in 176 at-bats and failing to swat a single home run La Russa received the call to manage the White Sox about two-thirds of the way through the season he was the youngest manager in the major leagues and he steered the 46-60 White Sox to a 27-27 record for the remainder of the season La Russa was well acquainted with Dave Duncan who had played with La Russa on the Athletics in the late 1960s and early 1970s while Duncan was serving as a coach with the White Sox he and La Russa were both fired after the team had gotten off to 26-38 start The Athletics hired La Russa two weeks later and he brought Duncan on to serve as Oakland's pitching coach which started a partnership that would last 28 years La Russa managed the Athletics to American League pennants in 1988 and 1990 and La Russa resigned his position after 1995 The Cardinals and La Russa were a match made in heaven as he was able to employ his strategic mind to the more cerebral nature of National League ball He briefly returned to manage the Chicago White Sox in 2021 and 2022 if the starting pitcher didn't go nine innings (or the relief pitcher grew in importance as managers began to realize that putting in new pitchers was a sound strategy to change up the looks for hitters and preserve pitchers' arms La Russa took bullpen management to an entirely new level The ninth-inning specialist was not the brainchild of La Russa and Duncan, but they were among the early adapters of the role when Duncan decided to place Dennis Eckersley at the back of the Oakland bullpen to use him in as many games as possible Eckersley proceeded to craft a Hall of Fame career in the role To allow Eckersley to receive a large number of save situations La Russa concocted the role of the bullpen specialist to allow matchups to sway in his team's direction La Russa would put in a pitcher of the same handedness to force an outcome that would more likely benefit the pitcher His frequency of pitching substitutions led La Russa to set a major league record of 397 pitching changes in 1991 which was especially notable given Oakland's spot in the American League where pitchers didn't bat and therefore didn't need to be replaced with pinch-hitters In 1993, La Russa attempted to further segment his pitchers into specialized categories where each pitcher in a group would ideally pitch three innings every third day with a couple of other pitchers designated to serve as insurance policies in case something didn't go one of the scheduled pitchers' ways After a 1-4 record while using this system La Russa continued his reliance on the bullpen in the 2011 playoffs with the Cardinals as he set a postseason record by going to the bullpen 75 times Now starters rarely go more than six innings in a game and La Russa's strategy of using a pitcher for one batter has been outlawed to improve pace of play There has been a lot of criticism regarding the declining use of starting pitching in the modern game but it's impossible to deny that La Russa's strategy worked wonders It wasn't just the bullpen that La Russa utilized to its full potential With the National League not yet using the designated hitter La Russa had one less spot to work with in the batting order but he got the most out of his position players by deploying them all over the diamond usually as late-inning defensive replacements or pinch-runners They rarely received recognition from fans although many of them were appreciated by their teammates La Russa took the utility player a step further promoting them from complementary pieces to starring roles After arriving in St. Louis, La Russa continued his tradition of placing players at different spots to give the lineup as much versatility as possible and keep players fresh. He used Aaron Miles at shortstop for 298 innings in 2006 and continued playing him there as a secondary position through his Cardinals tenure La Russa's fondness for the super-utility player went beyond the typical light-hitting contact maven In the Cardinals' championship season of 2011 La Russa used power-hitting Allen Craig at first base Craig hit .315 on the season while playing passable defense La Russa's fascination with the player who can do a little bit of everything has now spread across the league especially with pitchers taking up more roster spots The 2024 champion Los Angeles Dodgers had five players who played at least 500 innings and spent time at three or more positions and the Cardinals currently hold one of the top super-utility players in the sport in the person of Brendan Donovan For all of La Russa's genius, not everything he tried turned to gold. In 1998, he made a lineup decision that hadn't been attempted since 1979: He placed the pitcher eighth in the batting order. All previous iterations of managers batting pitchers outside the nine hole were somewhat short-lived batting the pitcher eighth in the final 77 games of the season La Russa justified his decision by saying that having a legitimate hitter rounding out the order would give the Cardinals a better chance to score runs by having an extra player on base before the big boppers of Ray Lankford The effect was negligible: With the pitcher batting ninth the Cardinals scored an average of 4.98 runs per game they scored an average of 4.96 runs per game The experiment looked to be over until 2007, when La Russa came roaring back with the idea. That year, he hit the pitcher in the eighth spot 116 times, as he treated Albert Pujols as a cleanup hitter in the vein of McGwire 2008 saw the high watermark of this strategy as La Russa hit the pitcher eighth in every game of the season aside from games where the team played in American League ballparks and used the designated hitter hitting pitchers in the penultimate spot 55 times then doing it 77 times in 2010 and only 14 in 2011 It appeared that pitchers hitting eighth might become a trend in 2015, when Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon revived the strategy and hit the pitcher in the spot for 150 games. Maddon continued to toy with the concept using it in intervals of his next four seasons as the Cubs manager However, hitting the pitcher eighth never became a mainstream idea, and statistics showed that there was little difference in results when they hit in that position instead of ninth With the designated hitter now universal across baseball La Russa's strategy has no chance to make a rebound La Russa's innovative ideas became a signature trait of his managerial tenure he has left an indelible mark on the game and was a major factor of the Cardinals' extended run of success in the 2000s Tony La Russa was among the most successful St and he pioneered several ideas that are now considered routine in baseball The President of the Senate: "The decision comforts me in the idea that I have always expressed about my son's innocence" The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has requested the case be closed Leonardo Apache La Russa son of the president of the Senate Ignazio LaRussa a former high school classmate of the young man “After a scrupulous and detailed examination of every aspect of this case the decision of the investigating magistrates to ask the investigating judge to shelve the charge of sexual violence comforts me in the idea that I have always expressed about my son's lack of involvement in the contested facts that have caused a great media outcry,” declared the President of the Senate White Sox manager Tony La Russa walks onto the field during the pre-game ceremonies prior to game 3 of the ALDS against the Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field on October 10 Tony La Russa has won more games as a baseball manager than anyone in the history of the game besides Connie Mack managed 15 postseasons and won three World Series Through it all, La Russa said the most exciting game and most energized crowd he experienced was the White Sox’ 12-6 win over the Astros in Game 3 of the 2021 ALDS at Guaranteed Rate Field Perhaps it’s because La Russa’s roots run deep in Chicago where his Hall of Fame managerial career began with the Sox in 1979 Or because the Sox were trailing by four runs and down 2-0 in a best-of-five series in the year he was brought out of retirement at age 76 blackout crowd of 40,288 stayed on its feet for much of a four-hour “Still gives me goosebumps,” La Russa told the Sun-Times this week Leury Garcia hit a go-ahead three-run homer Craig Kimbrel and Liam Hendriks retired the last 16 Astros in order It’s hard to fathom La Russa’s goose-bump moment was only three years ago and to grasp the depths of the White Sox’ fall to their place as the worst team in the majors “Getting beat is not good but fixing it is going to be exciting now a special advisor to the baseball operations And La Russa will always have that moment on Oct and you think about 1983 [when the Sox won the AL West Division] and with Oakland and St Louis [three World Series champs between them] but the single most exciting game I was ever part of was Game 3 in the division series in this ballpark,” he said La Russa cringes knowing this won’t go over well in St where he managed 16 seasons and won two championships The Astros won Game 4 and ended the Sox season closed a contention window that lasted all of two seasons The following year would be the last as manager for La Russa who stepped down with 34 games left due to health reasons Bench coach Miguel Cairo finished out the season as manager and the Sox finished a disappointing 81-81 In 2023, the Sox finished 61-101 in Pedro Grifol’s first year as manager chairman Jerry Reinsdorf fired vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn in August and Chris Getz was promoted to GM as another rebuild was set in motion La Russa said that playoff game in 2021 and the electric atmosphere at Guaranteed Rate Field “is what the White Sox are.” the first sellout of the season Wednesday — fueled by Shoehei Ohtani and the Dodgers and a popular promotion — notwithstanding “Going back to when I started with the White Sox I’ve always felt the loyalty of White Sox fans to their team,” La Russa said “The decision makers who are putting this organization together like Chris [assistant GMs] Josh [Barfield] and Jin [Wong] it’s very possible to improve quickly if you recognize the talent you have coming And it makes a difference with what you have up here already you don’t have to ask the White Sox fans to have unreasonable patience Tunisian President: "Intensify efforts so that victims of human trafficking can return to their homes and live a dignified life" Relations between Italy and Tunisia "will grow and continue in the same common direction". This was stated by the President of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, on the sidelines of the meeting with the president of the Tunisian Republic who received him this afternoon at the Carthage Palace “I was able to present to the President of Tunisia the friendship of the Italian people and the greetings of the senators of the Italian Republic,” La Russa said saying he was “proud” of the level of relations between the two countries Cooperation between Italy and Tunisia includes various areas from the economic to the fight against human traffickers and organized crime Thanking the head of state for the welcome La Russa extended an invitation to President Saied to visit the Italian capital “as soon as possible.” Tomorrow, La Russa will participate in Hammamet, together with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, in the commemorations for the 25th anniversary of the death of Bettino Craxi The President of the Senate and the Head of the Farnesina will also inaugurate the exhibition “Faces of the Twentieth Century” at the Dar Sebastien Cultural Institute and the countries of the North must step up their efforts so that the victims of human trafficking can return to their homes and live a dignified life" Kais Saied during today's meeting with the President of the Italian Senate The two leaders - as stated in a note from the Tunisian presidency - reiterated "the need to strengthen cooperation to dismantle criminal networks of human trafficking operating both in the Northern Mediterranean and in sub-Saharan Africa" Saied underlined Tunisia's refusal to become "a place of transit or coordination for such illicit activities stressing that regional stability is a common priority that serves the interests of all" The Head of State highlighted "the solidity and uniqueness of the relations between the two friendly peoples underlining the shared will between Tunisia and Italy to further deepen cooperation in all sectors with particular attention to the political and economic ones" the note released by the Palace of Carthage further specifies "the requests and concerns of the Tunisian community residing in Italy were also discussed with particular appreciation for the agreement recently reached on the mutual recognition of driving licenses considered a concrete step towards greater dialogue and collaboration between the two countries" Oakland Athletics manager Tony La Russa (left) with pitching coach Dave Duncan in 1995 OAKLAND, Calif. — The White Sox played their last game at Oakland Coliseum which is being vacated by the Athletics after the season It was an appropriate goodbye and good riddance for the Sox for whom the Coliseum has been something of a house of horrors The A’s 3-2 come-from-behind victory left the Sox with a 144-174 record in Oakland since 1968 a wild card was lost (2020) and an American League-record 21-game losing streak was reached (Monday) The Sox have won one series at the Coliseum since 2007 Sox special adviser Tony La Russa has better memories He broke in as a player with the A’s in the 1960s and returned as a manager in 1986 after he was fired by the Sox La Russa guided the A’s to World Series appearances in consecutive years from 1988 to 1990 “I walked into great talent and memories of October baseball,” La Russa told the Sun-Times I’m still haunted by the losses in ’88 and ’90.” with its huge space in foul territory and heavy night air benefitting pitchers “It made for solid fundamental baseball,” he said and the necessity to manufacture runs when needed La Russa’s first memory was of Opening Day on April 18 he was on the bench for a 3-1 loss to the Orioles watching the A’s (48-68) take two of three from the Sox He soaked in the ballpark while chatting with Eckersley for more than an hour in the dugout Monday to the point of sadness,” La Russa said of the A’s leaving town They will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento until their ballpark is built in their new home of Las Vegas Miguel Tejada and Dick Williams are inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame In his second start since recovering from Tommy John surgery right-hander Davis Martin took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and finished with six scoreless innings of two-hit ball “Having some success in the big leagues post-TJ brings a lot of confidence the next week and the week after that,” Martin said “It’s a really good starting point for me to build off of and go from there.” Martin’s cutter was particularly effective and his fastball is sneaky,” manager Pedro Grifol said “He keeps people honest; he pitches inside; he’s really good He’s a piece in this organization moving forward.” land of exile and eternal rest for Bettino Craxi celebrates today the 25th anniversary of his death From our correspondent in Hammamet – The memory of Ignazio La Russa Bettino Craxi's name is that of "a friend with whom I used to go to lunch together in the Brera area of ​​Milan" The President of the Senate himself said this to "Agenzia Nova" inaugurating the exhibition "Volti del Novecento" in Hammamet today celebrates the 25th anniversary of his death the former Italian Prime Minister "should be remembered by everyone as a central figure in Italian politics" Despite the divisions that still accompany his figure today Bettino Craxi's thought continues to stimulate debate and reflection This is demonstrated by the significant participation of the public including numerous young supporters of Forza Italia who traveled from Italy to Tunisia to commemorate the anniversary of his death the President of the Senate underlined the importance of Craxi's figure describing him as "a central figure in Italian political history whose legacy deserves to be analyzed objectively beyond the divisions and controversies of the past" he went to the Christian cemetery of the Tunisian coastal city to "lay a rose as a gesture of respect and homage not only to the statesman deprived by Italy of the possibility of receiving treatment" For the second highest office of the State but also a man capable of representing an Italy that knew how to look beyond its borders Having overcome the winds of news and claims it is time to study his figure as an integral part of the history of our country" The exhibition Volti del Novecento is an artistic and historical tribute that offers a unique narrative of the last century highlighting figures who have left an indelible mark on political and cultural history but also about Europe and the Mediterranean reaffirming Craxi's role as the protagonist of a political season that was able to look to the future La Russa underlined the symbolic value of the exhibition calling it "an opportunity to reflect on a complex but fundamental historical period expressed gratitude for the presence of La Russa but also expressed regret for the absence of representatives of the Italian left: "It is shameful that none of them has ever set foot on this sand" La Russa's visit to Tunisia also had an institutional dimension with meetings with Tunisian President Kais Saied Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti and the President of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) Among the topics discussed were the strengthening of bilateral cooperation the fight against human traffickers and the prospects for economic development La Russa praised the joint efforts between Italy and Tunisia to consolidate relations between the two countries where past and present are significantly intertwined" The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, paid homage today to the figure of Bettino Craxi during the commemoration held in Hammamet. Tajani he remembered the former Prime Minister as "a man of courage who was able to draw a clear signal between socialism and communism and always defend Italy's autonomy" the head of the Farnesina underlined Craxi's role in strengthening Italy's international position with particular attention to the Middle East and in carrying out significant battles on the domestic front "We remember the victory of the referendum on the civil liability of magistrates and his commitment to authentic guarantees Craxi was a great protagonist of Italian history a prime minister of substance and a great friend of Silvio Berlusconi," Tajani said it is right that politicians of this caliber find a place "in the family album of Italian politics represents an important point of reference for Italian political culture" Answering a question on Craxi's political legacy Tajani stated that the values ​​embodied by the socialist leader are today an integral part of the DNA of the party founded by Silvio Berlusconi Values ​​that Bettino Craxi has always embodied,” Tajani declared The deputy prime minister emphasized how Craxi represents a point of reference for young people inviting them to study his figure together with other great protagonists of Italian history Tajani also recalled Berlusconi's role in managing to unite different souls under a single principle and a peep inside shows old yet well-maintained cabinets stacked with medicines And there behind the cabinets I found an elderly gentleman in spectacles diligently explaining to patients when to have which medicine while bringing down stacks of medicines himself from a cupboard One of the patients told me the gentleman is the famous Dr Mrinal Kanti Ghosh whose diagnoses and medications have earned him such fame that patients from all parts of West Bengal land up at Russa Pharmacy The doctor kindly gave me some time one day after chamber hours and I got to know that Russa Pharmacy had been established by his grandfather Manmohan Ghosh “He started a homoeopathy practise in Russa Pharmacy though he had no formal medical degree but he became a celebrated homeopath even though he was self-taught His practise stemmed from his love of homeopathy and a desire to serve patients at affordable fees His medicines worked wonders and patients were indebted to him.” Also read : Basak’s Poor Pharmacy – Colonial Kolkata’s first charitable pharmacy Manmohan's son and Mrinal Kanti's father Manindra Chandra Ghosh also became a homoeopath and studied in Kolkata becoming a doctor at the same Russa Pharmacy in the 1940s he seems to have achieved miraculous feats of homoeopathy and was venerated by patients curing many chronic diseases and even offering relief to the terminally ill Mr Ogle (a high official of Khidirpur docks) Mr Rajen (a top boss from Kodak film) and so on,” Dr Mrinal Kanti Ghosh told me proudly A typical l day at Russa Pharmacy never ends before 10.30 pm because the doctor will wait until the last patient has been served He never drives away anyone from his doorstep which has undoubtedly contributed to his reputation as the ‘Miracle Man of Homeopathy’ in Kolkata among its furniture a doctor’s chair made of cane and carved wood The wall-to-wall cabinets are stacked with hundreds of small medicine bottles but Russa Pharmacy doesn’t need compounders because the septuagenarian doctor knows exactly where which medicine is and the correct mixtures.  - '+document.getElementById('writerProfileInfo').innerHTML+' '+document.getElementById('dateTime').innerHTML+' How does William Dalrymple explain Tantra? The first to intuit this was actually Giorgio Almirante" the other an opponent he came to appreciate But not even to Ignazio La Russa it is clear why he decided to combine two such different figures Pinuccio Tatarella e Giorgio Napolitano: “Perhaps because they had a cult of politics and an undoubted ability to deploy it” Perhaps this is why the Senate President's story to the "Corriere della Sera" focuses on the "Minister of Harmony" - as the Richelieu of the right was defined - and on the historic leader of the left the first post-communist head of state in republican history there was no longer room not only for fascism but also for gestures that recalled the past” “Tatarella – continues the president – ​​had been the ideologue of the most advanced part of the Italian social movement: I am referring to the young people who wanted to build a right no longer linked to the calls of fascism but rooted in the present and reaching out towards overcoming nostalgia It was the youth movement that advocated the need for a party involved in the political debate." but those young people continued to give the Roman salute: “In fact He was actually the first to realize it Giorgio Almirante who in the Seventies had expanded the MSI to include anti-fascist personalities Pinuccio helped launch Gianfranco Fini as leader of the party This is why the gestures of which those youths of National Youth were responsible were wrong and harmful and unfortunately clouded the crystalline political passion of the majority of young militants" In 18 – recalls La Russa – in Fiuggi we came to terms with fascism and I was among the protagonists of that turning point But my perhaps too benevolent attitude towards the Twenty Years had already changed some time ago after my studies abroad where I had friends of all ethnic groups and all religions" The moment in which he felt he had changed: “It was when I realized the racial laws which was amplified by knowing the Jewish community he was also Minister of Defense: “And from that period I remember the mutual respect with the then head of state Napolitano When I was in government he once told me: 'Ignazio I see you more times than my wife' It was through habit that my respect for him grew I admit that at the beginning I was a little prejudiced because I believed that he still came from the Italian Communist Party the improver turned out to be the best in this field: always attentive to the value of our men in uniform And this – concludes La Russa – has increased my respect for him” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol talks with senior advisor Tony La Russa during a spring training workout at Camelback Ranch on February 21 If you remember the old Washington Generals the 5-7 Mel Brooks-lookalike player/coach who spent a good chunk of his lifetime as the most recognizable foil of the Harlem Globetrotters Why are we talking about Klotz, who died in 2014? That’s a good question that has no good answer. It’s a ridiculous way to begin a column about a ridiculous Sox organization and team with a ridiculous managerial situation among countless other ridiculous problems Anyway, one thing Klotz never did was accuse his Generals players of being “[bleeping] flat.” Or did he? Nobody knows. But we all heard Grifol call his Sox players “[bleeping] flat” after a recent game against the Orioles The Sox are so outmanned on a nightly basis they might as well be having their pants pulled down and buckets of confetti thrown in their faces by opponents If the Sox got rid of every player who doesn’t belong in the big leagues they’d be able to get from team hotels to ballparks on the road in a single Uber How could anyone tell if a team like this were flat Grifol might as well have ripped a family of garden snails for not hustling “I’m a White Sock until I’m not a White Sock.” Rosenthal’s story asked if top Sox prospects who could be brought to the majors this season would thrive under Grifol which must have been a trick question because — clearly — no one is thriving The story also wondered who would step in and manage out the string if Grifol were jettisoned in-season Also mentioned was Tony La Russa — who has been with the team as an adviser to newbie general manager Chris Getz and old-pal chairman Jerry Reinsdorf — but Rosenthal essentially wrote off the two-time Sox skipper as a non-starter and it’s that it didn’t have enough of an appreciation for the ridiculous La Russa is exactly the man for the job right now For another — and this is of the utmost importance — there’s the whole ridiculous motif of this column that I may or may not be embarrassed and ashamed to have embarked upon Perhaps the only thing left to do for all of us subjected to this Sox season is embrace the ridiculousness of it all There’s cringeworthy announcer John Schriffen whose rookie season has been far worse than Grifol’s was when the Sox were 61-101 in 2023 who will have to try to fight people somewhere else if and when the Sox move him before the trade deadline There’s Grifol telling the Sun-Times — hilariously — how seriously Reinsdorf wants to win There’s Andrew Benintendi signing the biggest contract in Sox history then putting up — talk about “Sox math” — the worst numbers on the planet seemingly the only two players on the roster with star talent potentially being traded to real teams with real notions about winning There’s the longest Sox losing streak ever and the fact Grifol’s winning percentage with the Sox (.338) is lower than Mark Kotsay’s is with the A’s (.348) in what supposedly was the most hopeless scenario in managerial history His Hall of Fame status is set in stone no matter how many buddy movies he makes with Reinsdorf every mistake we make is biting us in the ass.” By Eric Townsend April 16, 2024 Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa regaled audiences with insider stories and insights from his legendary career in Major League Baseball during Elon University School of Law’s 2023-2024 Distinguished Leadership Lecture U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Harold “Hal” Gregory Moore and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz share at least one thing in common: their leadership styles both have inspired Major League Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa. earned widespread respect for his valiant displays of courage during the Vietnam War and would later be depicted by Mel Gibson in the film “We Were Soldiers.” He was revered for his philosophy of never leaving a soldier behind on the battlefield and his determination to “never give up.” The commitment to his product and a dedication to his employees is what most impresses La Russa who’s looked to create a similar culture in every clubhouse he’s led throughout an exemplary coaching career “If there’s one thing that anybody is interested in taking from my experiences, it’s the value of relationships and the fact that you have to create them and develop them,” La Russa shared with his audience on April 10, 2024, during an Elon University School of Law Distinguished Leadership Lecture. “It’s not enough to be smart.” “I can’t tell you how hard we worked at building relationships,” said La Russa and an authentic desire to care about players as foundational to relationships “It’s a tough way to lead because you do it every day Every day you consider what’s happened with your guys.” With equal parts wit and wisdom, La Russa enlightened hundreds of audience members inside the Carolina Theatre of Greensboro with stories from an exemplary career that included three World Series championships and countless players named to all-star teams and the baseball Hall of Fame La Russa’s baseball Hall of Fame accomplishments also include: La Russa’s professional baseball career started in 1963 with the Kansas City A’s when he became Major League Baseball’s first 18-year-old shortstop to start a game were spent at the minor league level with occasional major league stops Encouraged by a mother who valued reading and education La Russa worked on his college degree during the off seasons and he later enrolled at Florida State University for law school where he took classes over the winter before returning to baseball every spring He passed the Florida bar exam but opted to continue a budding managerial career where attributes of law school led to coaching success “I felt as time went on that those law school introductions to pressure, competition, detail and preparation became a foundation of our philosophy,” La Russa told program moderator Mark S. Jetton, Jr., who earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from Elon University. La Russa was promoted from a managerial role in the minor leagues to manage the Chicago White Sox It was the start of a remarkable run that included leadership roles with the Oakland A’s and the St Louis Cardinals that ended in 2011 following his third World Series Championship La Russa accepted special assignments for MLB Commissioner Bud Selig (2012-2014) and front office responsibilities with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2014-2017) He returned to manage the Chicago White Sox in 2021 and by leading Chicago that year to a Central Division championship he became the first person to ever manage a team into postseason play in five separate decades La Russa and his family support charitable causes and communities often promoting educational initiatives for children and providing homes for animals at risk of being destroyed La Russa has recently concentrated on assisting military veterans by matching them with emotional support and service dogs and providing medical care for the life of the companion animal La Russa met with Elon Law students for a roundtable classroom conversation where he answered questions about his law school experiences and more and offered encouragement in their continued pursuit of excellence The Distinguished Leadership Lecture Series presented by The Joseph M Bryan Foundation is an integral part of Elon Law’s commitment to learning Endowed through a generous gift from The Joseph M the series brings accomplished leaders from a variety of disciplines to Elon University to share their experiences and perspectives with students and faculty The Elon University Speaker Series welcomes distinguished thought leaders and change-makers who are actively taking on society’s most pressing issues Their bold ideas inspire our own intellectual curiosity and challenge us to make a difference in the world presented by WUNC North Carolina Public Radio thematically explores “Creating Together.” Tagged: As the newly appointed president of Limelight Records Spencer hopes to give back to the organization that drew her to Elon University Brandstetter will deliver the “Message of Appreciation” during Elon University’s 135th commencement exercises on May 23 Stephanie Marken '08 arrived at Elon unsure of her path but thanks to hands-on experiences and the guidance of dedicated professors she discovered a passion for public opinion polling that shaped her future Two Elon alumni have been selected for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program and one senior has been named an honorable mention Get more Elon news delivered to your inbox © 2025 Elon University | All Rights Reserved more than April 25th because it is the only holiday aimed at the future because it celebrates a departure and not an end” The president of the Senate said it Ignazio La Russa to “Continuous hours” in Telelombardia Just as I find criticism of the Pope inappropriate there may be criticism of the Pope and the President of the Republic The only effect of bringing up the Decima during the election campaign was that the Comsubin (Divers and Incursors Group Command) this year were unable to shout 'Decima' at the June 2nd parade It doesn't seem like a great result to me,” declared La Russa “This controversy over the tenth Mas – she underlined – has made us forget that it was created by men who still have the gold medal for military valor The Comsubin in the parade on June XNUMXnd perhaps so as not to get confused with the electoral campaign of Vannacci" “I am clearly against compulsory military service not only for economic reasons because there is no money I fought the opposite battle because those who serve their country must be convinced of doing so we wanted a voluntary and professional army" said the president of the senate answering the question on the proposal of the six-month compulsory military service launched by the vice prime minister “Personally I believe we should open a voluntary draft of 40 days as long as the CAR (recruit training centre) lasted encouraging it by making it count as a score for university or public competitions Responding to a question about the next candidate for mayor of Milan La Russa said that "we need to think carefully in advance work for a candidate who gives the Milanese the opportunity to choose" La Russa declares that he is not "cut out for administrative politics: I have been a regional councilor but I have never run for the Milan city council" ShareSaveBusinessSportsMoneyTony La Russa’s Plaque In Baseball Hall Of Fame Will Need RevisionsByDan Schlossberg Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Dan has written 41 books and more than 25,000 articles about baseball.Follow AuthorJun 09 05:12pm EDTShareSaveThis article is more than 3 years old.White Sox Manager Tony La Russa (left) and coach Ethan Katz (center) of the Chicago White Sox watch .. More the ball during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 15 in Chicago But the Baseball Hall of Fame will need to update the bronze plaque that belongs to Tony La Russa Coaxed back to the dugout this season after a decade in civilian clothes La Russa marked a major milestone June 6 by moving past John McGraw and into second place on the lifetime list of victories by a manager Forty years older than the oldest player on the roster of his Chicago White Sox La Russa hopes to keep his team playing well past his 77th birthday on Oct They entered play Wednesday leading the American League West with a 37-23 record four games ahead of the second-place Cleveland Indians The 3-0 Chicago victory over Detroit made June 6 The Longest Day not only for veterans of the D-Day Invasion but also for players and managers who remember La Russa’s many milestones he’s the only manager to win world championships in both leagues La Russa and Leo Durocher are the only pilots to win at least 500 games with three different teams La Russa became a manager at age 34 when Bill Veeck handed him the reins of the White Sox in 1979 After the Sox let him go in a decision ownership regrets La Russa landed with the Oakland Athletics winning consecutive pennants from 1988-90 and a surprise world championship in 1989 He later won the World Series twice with the St Tony La Russa was one of three managers elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame 2014 La Russa won three National League pennants with the Cards trailing only John McGraw (2,763) and Connie Mack (3,731) has now switched places with La Russa on that list The only active manager in the Hall of Fame picked by a veterans committee for the Class of 2014 the Tampa native was a baseball executive respected for his intelligence A front-0ffice figure with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels in addition to Major League Baseball La Russa remained a close friend of White Sox principal owner Jerry Reinsdorf Now in his 41st season as the team’s chairman of the board Reinsdorf has won only one world championship – in 2005 – but believes La Russa can win another the veteran manager is highly unlikely to match the mark of seven shared by Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel He and Mack are the only men to win world championships in three different decades and to win pennants in four different decades La Russa could increase both of those numbers this season When he passed McGraw on the career wins list especially men like long-time catcher-turned-pitching-coach Dave Duncan “It's pretty legendary to say that we get to play for him,” said pitcher Dylan Cease White Sox center fielder Adam Engel actually dug his dirty jersey out of the clubhouse laundry for the manager to sign “The most important part of this season so far is the way the players have included me as part of the family,” La Russa said in the clubhouse after the game When rookie White Sox slugger Yermin Mercedes ignored a take sign on a 3-0 pitch including a May 18 war of words with rookie slugger Yermín Mercedes who hit a home run after ignoring a “take” sign on a 3-0 pitch in a lopsided game including star shortstop Tim Anderson and starting pitcher Lance Lynn La Russa has not been afraid to deploy rookies in an effort to plug the holes created by long-term injuries to Luis Robert and Eloy Jiménez La Russa has as much control over the Sox as he would have in a court of law He’s one of five managers in baseball history with law degrees the team had won 10 of its previous 14 games Despite his age and his decade-long absence from the dugout La Russa received a three-year contract to pilot the White Sox La Russa revealed a hidden longing to return to managing “My heart was always in the dugout,” La Russa said during a media Zoom call at the time “When the first inquiry was made by the White Sox I perked up because I was frustrated – most managers would understand how rare it is to get an opportunity to manage a team that's this talented and this close to winning “The combination of looking forward to getting back down there and checking myself to have the energy and with the White Sox making the call with a chance to win sooner rather than later I'm excited that they made that choice and am looking forward to what's ahead.” White Sox manager Tony La Russa expressed disappointment in Yermin Mercedes after his designated hitter swung at a 3-0 pitch in the ninth inning of a game Chicago was leading 15-4 at the Minnesota Twins on Monday night Mercedes smashed the 47 mph pitch over the center-field fence for his third hit of the game Because of the large deficit, the Twins were pitching infielder Willians Astudillo at the time He got behind Mercedes 3-0 before basically lobbing the ball to the plate then celebrated with his teammates while his manager seethed "I took several steps from the dugout onto the field it looked to me like he was going to swing "I was upset because that's not a time to swing 3-0 that's just sportsmanship and respect for your opponent." Mercedes is known as a free spirit and fan favorite in Chicago While La Russa all but guaranteed it wouldn't happen again his best hitter declared he wasn't going to change La Russa's entire availability with reporters encompassed the unwritten rules of the game. He even referenced Fernando Tatis Jr. swinging 3-0 for the San Diego Padres in a blowout last year The 76-year-old White Sox manager said he isn't against some progress in the game and they want players to have fun," La Russa said "I talked to a bunch of my counterparts; if everyone is doing it leads the major leagues in batting average and is one of baseball's most interesting storylines He toiled in the minors until finally getting a chance to play this year and he already is the front-runner for American League Rookie of the Year But that won't excuse him from his mistake "There will be a consequence he has to endure here within our family," the manager said Mercedes was in the lineup on Tuesday against the Twins though La Russa wouldn't expand on the consequences "I'm certain that will not happen again with Yermin," La Russa said You want them to understand why there's a take sign in that situation "I'm absolutely certain the guy is not going to swing 3-0 in another situation." La Russa is also mindful of what rubbing it in could mean for other players on his team "I don't want to ever give the other team an excuse to take a shot at one of our players," he said "We were taught from day one to respect the game He plays the game of Major League Baseball It's unclear if Mercedes got the message La Russa was sending He just wants to keep being himself on the field "I'm going to play my game," Mercedes said The Twins, as expected, weren't happy with the 3-0 home run, either, and they took matters into their own hands on Tuesday. Reliever Tyler Duffey threw behind Mercedes when he came to the plate in the top of the seventh inning Baldelli had expressed his own dissatisfaction with the home run The Twins, perhaps fueled by all the drama, overcame a 4-0 deficit en route to a 5-4 home victory La Russa did not argue against the Twins' strategy I'm suspicious when someone throws at someone's head," he said "I didn't have a problem with how the Twins handled that." Tony La Russa doesn't think there's a rift in the Chicago White Sox's clubhouse, but some players have indicated publicly that they disagree with the Hall of Fame manager's comments about rookie slugger Yermin Mercedes The manager on Wednesday emphasized that it was a teachable moment especially considering Mercedes missed the take sign "What did I say publicly?" La Russa asked reporters on a Zoom conference Wednesday "I said a young player made a mistake -- which Some White Sox players didn't agree with their manager noting the Twins were pitching a position player at the time "The way I see it, for position players on the mound, there are no rules," veteran pitcher Lance Lynn said Tuesday night And if you have a problem with whatever happens Can't get mad when there's a position player on the field and a guy takes a swing." Added Lucas Giolito following Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Twins: "No negativity The incident also resonated outside of the White Sox clubhouse, with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer and San Francisco Giants starter Alex Wood taking similar viewpoints on Twitter "Dear hitters: If you hit a 3-0 homer off me, I will not consider it a crime," Bauer said in his post Can't believe we're still talking about 3-0 swings Dear hitters: If you hit a 3-0 homer off me Dear people who are still mad about a hitter hitting: kindly get out of the game If there's a position player pitching in a big league game all "rules" are out the window imho Plus do y'all realize how hard that is to launch a 49mph pitch 400 feet lol La Russa said Wednesday that everyone has a right to their opinion but that he disagreed with Lynn "Lance has a locker; I have an office," La Russa said "I would be willing to bet that there wasn't anyone in that clubhouse that was upset that I mentioned that's not the way we compete You don't swing 3-0 when you're up by that big a lead." La Russa said that when he walked around the clubhouse no one was giving him "the Heisman." The manager was adamant that he's simply trying to teach good sportsmanship to a rookie "If you're going to tell me that sportsmanship and the respect for the game of baseball and respect for your opponent is not an important priority I can't disagree with you more," La Russa said La Russa didn't expect the story to last several days "I'm surprised I'm getting so many questions on this," La Russa said CHICAGO -- Tony La Russa is stepping down as Chicago White Sox manager because of health concerns that kept him out of the dugout for the final five weeks of the season he announced in a statement released Monday hasn't managed a game since abruptly leaving Guaranteed Rate Field on Aug 30 after doctors told him he needed to undergo further testing related to a heart issue there was an issue with the pacemaker he had implanted in February that forced him to step away from the team He was under contract through the 2023 season "At no time this season did either issue negatively affect my responsibilities as White Sox manager," La Russa said in the statement it has become obvious that the length of the treatment and recovery process for this second health issue makes it impossible for me to be the White Sox manager in 2023 The timing of this announcement now enables the front office to include filling the manager position with their other off-season priorities." La Russa also noted that his "overall prognosis is good and I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me with well wishes related to my health." In La Russa's absence, the underachieving White Sox did get an initial boost from acting manager Miguel Cairo, but that was short-lived as the team was swept at home by the Cleveland Guardians in a key September series The White Sox went on to lose eight in a row and are now hoping to at least finish at .500 or above for the third consecutive season "Our team's record this season is the final reality," La Russa said in the statement I understood that the ultimate responsibility for each minus belongs to the manager after managing the White Sox in the early 1980s but the team won the AL Central by 13 games in his first season The White Sox have hovered around the .500 mark all year despite being preseason favorites to win the division again La Russa intentionally walked two batters who had two strikes on them further garnering headlines and controversy Speaking at a news conference Monday in front of reporters and some White Sox players La Russa said he might not have returned to manage even if he was healthy understanding the intensity of the backlash from fans with him at the helm I worried about being a distraction to the ballclub and the organization," La Russa said General manager Rick Hahn was asked if the team planned on bringing La Russa back if not for his health concerns "I mean the thing played out the way it played out." Hahn indicated a wide-ranging search for a new manager will begin immediately with the organization looking outside the White Sox family "One thing that perhaps breaks from the mold of at least the last few hires: Having a history with the White Sox having some sort of connection to White Sox DNA is by no means a requirement," Hahn said That idea might eliminate former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen from a return as well as ex-catcher A.J Hahn indicated one exception to that rule -- Cairo will get an interview having that history with the White Sox is not necessarily a characteristic that we're looking for at this time," Hahn said the right candidate is someone who has recent experience in the dugout with an organization that has contended for championships it's someone who is an excellent communicator is someone who understands the way the game has grown and evolved in the last decade or so but at the same time has respect for old-school sensibilities." Closer Liam Hendriks was asked what characteristics he preferred in the next manager I think we need an authoritarian," Hendriks said The White Sox were plagued by poor defense and fundamentals while enduring a myriad of injuries to key players They also lacked power on offense compared to previous seasons "We all need to get better at multiple facets obviously manager/staff changes and personnel changes and it's easy at the end of a disappointing season to say you have to burn it to the ground I think that's not where we're at as an organization." who played for La Russa before becoming his bench coach in Chicago said the team will miss the veteran manager I've learned so much from him,'' Cairo said after Monday's win over the Twins "And of course I'm going to keep calling to keep learning La Russa expressed disappointment in not being able to see things through with the White Sox but noted that the "future for this team remains bright." "I still appreciate the chance to come back home to the White Sox and leave today with many more good memories than disappointments," he said "As I have said many times during my career no manager has ever had more good fortune than I have." The Associated Press contributed to this report This article originally ran three years ago when I was looking for material to publish during the pandemic shutdown Since today is the 50th anniversary of this game interesting managerial stint since this article was last published With a couple of minor changes acknowledging that here’s the story of TLR’s one game as a Chicago Cubs player Even with 1970s-era long hair and sideburns the visage in the Cubs uniform above is instantly recognizable as Tony La Russa who later became famous as a manager of the White Sox That’s an entirely different story than the one I want to tell you here which is of TLR’s single appearance on the field in a Cubs uniform The photo above is clearly from spring training 1973 It’s also interesting because of the small number on the helmet within the “C” The Cubs identified players’ helmets in this way in the 1960s and 1970s La Russa was one of the last “bonus babies” signed before the MLB draft was instituted the rules of the day required the team that signed him to keep him on the big-league roster for a specified length of time before he could be sent to the minor leagues for development These rules ruined a lot of young players’ careers and helped lead to the creation of the draft TLR played in 34 games for the A’s in 1963 and then spent the next four years in their minor-league system Injuries kept him from becoming the player the A’s hoped he would be and he was eventually sold to the Braves in August 1971 and while La Russa was on their Triple-A Richmond roster in August 1972 the Braves traded him to the Cubs for reliever Tom Phoebus Phoebus had been a useful starter for the Orioles in the late 1960s, even pitching in the 1970 World Series for them but by the time the Cubs got him in 1972 he was just about done He pitched in Triple-A for the Braves in 1973 who was 28 at the time the Cubs acquired him reported to spring training in 1973 in Scottsdale The Tribune posted this optimistic report on him from then-batting coach Lew Fonseca: “LaRussa [sic] has impressed me more than any other newcomer,” Fonseca began a quick bat and he spreads the ball around real well He can be fooled and still have enough strength to poke the ball through the infield.” Friday, April 6, 1973 was Opening Day at Wrigley Field a fairly mild afternoon (64 degrees at game time Fergie Jenkins spotted the Expos a pair in the first inning and the Cubs responded with one in the bottom of the frame The score remained 2-1 heading to the bottom of the ninth Cleo James ran for Pepitone and Ron Santo followed with what should have probably been a double-play grounder But Montreal second baseman Ron Hunt booted it and both runners were safe Here is where La Russa begins his Cubs career Glenn Beckert walked to load the bases and Randy Hundley also drew a walk off Mike Marshall Mike Marshall retired Don Kessinger on a popup and struck out Jim Hickman who was pinch-hitting for Cubs pitcher Bob Locker Here’s TLR stomping on the plate as Expos catcher John Boccabella and plate umpire Tom Gorman watch: I remember this Opening Day well; it was just my second opener La Russa was such a late addition to the roster that he wasn’t on the printed scorecard — I had to write his name in: La Russa’s Cubs career lasted nine more days but did not play in any of the six games in that span (Two games at Pittsburgh were postponed during that time.) On April 17 the Cubs activated LaRoche from the disabled list and outrighted La Russa to Wichita Here’s the transaction as reported in the Tribune: TLR hit .259/.340/.328 in 107 games and 380 plate appearances for Wichita but never returned to the big-league Cubs roster He played four more Triple-A seasons in the Pirates White Sox and Cardinals organizations and then retired as a player He was named manager of the White Sox Double-A affiliate at Knoxville in 1978 and moved up to their major-league coaching staff halfway through that season when manager Larry Doby was fired In 1979 La Russa was managing the Sox’ Triple-A affiliate — then at Iowa — when the Sox again fired their manager and La Russa began his long MLB managing career August 3 La Russa can always say he scored the winning run for the Cubs on Opening Day Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa is under the microscope again La Russa said he didn't fully know the extra-inning rule that would have allowed him to avoid using closer Liam Hendriks as a baserunner in a 0-0 game against the Reds on Wednesday in Cincinnati "I didn't know that," La Russa said after the 1-0 loss "We all thought Liam was going to be the runner I thought it was the guy that made the last out or the spot in that order." Besides the obvious injury risk to a player who has run the bases once in his entire career, the choice to run Hendriks impacted the inning. While he was on third base with one out, Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart didn't hesitate to throw to second base to nail Leury Garcia who was trying to steal -- despite the potential winning run at third Barnhart knew Hendriks likely wasn't going to go home on a double-steal attempt Even in talking out the White Sox strategy, the team was concerned with Hendriks' safety. La Russa said he was hoping for an easy sacrifice fly or another way for Hendriks to score that wasn't stressful. It didn't matter after Billy Hamilton struck out to end the inning "We were going to try and avoid any kind of contact at home plate," La Russa said La Russa admitted he wasn't aware of the rule until hearing it read by a reporter in the postgame Zoom session "I'm guessing you know the rules better," he said The White Sox named La Russa their manager in October a move questioned by some; the Hall of Famer hadn't managed since 2011 The main reasons a 404 page-error message is displayed are the following: Agenzia ANSA - Periodicità quotidiana - Iscrizione al Registro della Stampa presso il Tribunale di Roma n IVA IT00876481003 - © Copyright ANSA - Tutti i diritti riservati Tony La Russa will return to manage the Chicago White Sox for the 2022 season White Sox stars Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu had both publicly lobbied for the 77-year-old La Russa to return this week after Chicago was eliminated by the Houston Astros in Game 4 of the American League Division Series "I want him to be back," Anderson said Thursday I guess it all depends on what the front office thinks I think he did a great job with the way he managed and just being open." Abreu had said he "was pretty sure" La Russa would return Abreu also said he appreciated La Russa's postgame comments in which he said Abreu was hit "intentionally" by Astros reliever Kendall Graveman in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 4 That's the kind of reaction that I would have if something happened to one of my children," Abreu told reporters La Russa's future was a bit of a question after the White Sox's season ended Tuesday He said afterward it's up to management first and then the players then "you check and see whether you got the desire to continue to manage Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf lured La Russa to Chicago out of retirement for a second stint with the franchise that gave him his first major league managing job hoping the three-time World Series winner could lead a team stacked with stars to a deep October run La Russa hadn't filled out a lineup card since he led the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series championship in 2011 and there were questions about how his old-school ways would mesh with the team's young and vibrant stars such as Anderson "Everybody thought we weren't going to get along," said Anderson who made his first All-Star team this season we were talking behind the scenes the whole time the players come first and he makes that known La Russa had a public disagreement with a couple of his players after he scolded Yermin Mercedes for homering on a 3-0 pitch during the ninth inning of a 16-4 victory over Minnesota in May But with one of the top lineups and pitching staffs in baseball the White Sox rolled to a 93-69 record and beat Cleveland by 13 games in the AL Central for their first division championship in 13 years The win total was their highest since the 2005 World Series championship team went 99-63 La Russa passed John McGraw for second place on baseball's all-time victories list behind Connie Mack while guiding the White Sox to their second straight playoff appearance. They had never made the postseason in back-to-back years. But after getting knocked out by the Oakland Athletics in the wild-card round in 2020 they failed again to advance and were beaten by Houston in convincing fashion coming in and being a part of what we've been trying to do," Anderson said "I couldn't be more happy than what he did I think he came in and did what he was supposed to do." Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa flashed a ring at a police officer arresting him for driving under the influence and said "I'm a Hall of Famer baseball person" while being placed into the back of a cruiser according to an incident report obtained by ESPN was charged in late October with DUI by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Arizona after blood and breath tests taken the night of his February arrest showed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08 The White Sox said they were aware of La Russa's pending charges which were filed one day before the team officially hired him on Oct It is the second drunken-driving arrest for La Russa who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI in Florida in 2007 While initial details of the arrest were provided in an affidavit from the arresting officer the incident report by the Arizona Department of Public Safety fills in gaps and shows La Russa appearing incoherent referring multiple times to his Hall of Fame credentials and expressing mistrust in blood-alcohol-level tests When the officer approached La Russa's car which was blocking the right-hand lane on State Route 143 "I hit something once I got on the 43," he said La Russa said he was returning from a dinner with "friends with the California Angels baseball team." (La Russa was a special adviser for the Los Angeles Angels before the White Sox hired him to manage after a nine-year absence from the dugout.) When the officer asked for identification La Russa continued instead to talk on the phone to a AAA representative and La Russa tossed cash and cards onto the passenger's seat but did not furnish a driver's license The officer asked him to hang up his phone and provide the license While shuffling through his money and cards La Russa twice passed over the license before finally handing it to the officer The officer asked La Russa to exit the car for field sobriety tests La Russa said he had undergone a hip replacement four weeks earlier and asked: "Why are we doing the tests?" The officer said there was an odor of alcohol emanating from La Russa When the officer discussed administering a portable breath test La Russa then asked: "What makes you think I don't have control of my facilities?" He agreed to take the breath test "if it gets me out of here," according to the report The officer placed La Russa under arrest for DUI La Russa said: "I don't know my rights because you told me once I blow into that thing we'd be done," according to the report The officer asked if La Russa had any drinks and he replied that he had one glass of wine at dinner Before the arresting officer placed him in a vehicle La Russa said: "Do you see my ring?" When asked what he meant La Russa answered: "I'm a Hall of Famer baseball person." He continued: "I'm legit Once at the highway patrol station near the incident He declined to submit a blood sample to test his BAC "I will not comply with your tests," La Russa said The officer received a warrant to draw La Russa's blood and the test measured La Russa's BAC at .095 "I have nothing to say," and hung up the phone A message left Tuesday for La Russa's lawyer Please try the action again and if the problem continues, contact Customer Support Down 6-5 after Freddie Freeman hit an RBI single in the sixth off left-hander Bennett Sousa who then bounced an 0-2 slider for a wild pitch that allowed Freeman to take second La Russa ordered the intentional walk to the right-handed-hitting Turner Muncy, whose two-run double off Dylan Cease put the Dodgers ahead 5-4 in the fifth worked the count to 2-2 and sliced a slider to the opposite field and into the left-field seats La Russa said after the game that he doesn't think he did anything wrong "Is there some question about whether that was good move or not?'' La Russa "Do you know what [Turner] hits against left-handed pitching with 0-1 or two strikes Do you know what Muncy hits with two strikes against a left-handed pitcher We had an open base and Muncy happened to be the guy behind him and that's a better matchup According to ESPN Stats & Information research Turner is a .254 career hitter after a 1-2 count against a lefty pitcher and this season he is hitting .333 (5-for-15) in such situations who had five RBIs in his return after missing 11 games because of left elbow inflammation "The baseball mind in me gets it," Muncy said I was animated and I'll just leave it at that,'' Muncy added I don't know if walking someone with two strikes is ever the right move "It kind of gave me something that I really haven't had a lot of this year In the past I've always been the guy who [was] very fiery and had a lot of edge said he was thrown off by La Russa's unorthodox decision "I didn't know if I should go to first or not they're the American League's most underachieving team -- while employing its most controversial manager you want fans to get excited about them," La Russa told ESPN before the break That was clear throughout the first half, when chants of "fire Tony" had become the ballad in the stands at Guaranteed Rate Field. The noise has quieted down a bit -- at least for the moment -- after a much-needed winning road trip just before the All-Star break. Combined with a weak AL Central, it has kept Chicago's playoff odds at 41% despite their 46-47 start The White Sox can point to any number of statistics that have stopped them from moving past the .500 mark: They rank 18th in starter's ERAThey have 4 defensive runs saved and rank 29th in fielding percentageThey rank 26th in OPS against right-handed pitchingAt the plate 29th in baseballThey've made the third-most outs on the basesTheir home record is a dismal 19-25But around the city head to the golf course or grab a beer near the ballpark there's one thing -- and only one -- the entire city is talking about: How does La Russa still have a job despite a winning record in the league's most competitive division there's been no indication the organization is contemplating such a move -- La Russa seems to have the unconditional backing of team owner Jerry Reinsdorf (Reinsdorf declined comment for this story.) continue to have La Russa's back publicly -- and place some of the blame at their own feet "You have to remember why he's in the Hall of Fame," closer Liam Hendriks said "The decisions he made back in the day that worked out He's making similar decisions this year but we aren't performing It has nothing to do with Tony's decision-making It has everything to do with being called into positions and instead of succeeding like last year To be sure, there's been more than occasional head-scratching moves from La Russa -- like intentionally walking Trea Turner on a 1-2 count last month and then Jose Ramirez on an 0-1 count just before the All-Star break But players have been focused on their own accountability and say they're grateful for their manager's willingness to accept his "We've had some tough series and before Tony goes to face the media, he'll come in and tell us, 'I'm taking the [blame] for this. I didn't get you prepared properly,'" starter Lucas Giolito explained He wants to get the best out of us and he feels a huge responsibility to do so I think it helps so we can focus on what we need to focus on." La Russa looms so large in Chicago that his presence alone does take some of the heat off the players Which players could finish the season on a different team What we're hearing: Offense, Pitching One player all 30 MLB teams should trade for (or away) Passan: 148 names to know What should your team do? "The fact that fans expect our club to play well and when we don't that's the way it should be," La Russa said "If they see something that we're not doing in whatever part of the game it doesn't look or feel like the manager has done a whole lot about Chicago's struggles "I'm waiting for La Russa to wake them up or push some buttons or do something," one scout said "Maybe it comes after the All-Star break." Despite their appreciation for La Russa's off-field traits plays poor defense and sits at the top of the league in outs made on the bases doesn't seem to be responding to its manager the White Sox look like they're playing under the pressure of high expectations some of those things are going to happen," La Russa said "We're not playing the best baseball that we can play but we're working hard to get to that point We're working hard to fix all the things that are wrong Some help from the front office at the deadline and a little luck would be nice, too. The White Sox have endured their share of injuries the past two seasons, including significant time missed by a slew of key players. They recently got slugger Eloy Jimenez back in the lineup, while catcher Yasmani Grandal is scheduled to return soon as well Sources indicate that the Sox -- like most hopeful contenders -- will be looking to add arms before the Aug. 2 trade deadline. The roster could use another left-handed slugger and more bullpen help. Starter Johnny Cueto has been a find, but free agent signing Joe Kelly has underwhelmed With an easier schedule in August and the possibility of deadline reinforcements the White Sox could finally be at full strength by then in this second half Maybe the chants from the stands will sound different at that point And it sucks." Jeff Passan goes inside the decline of the starting pitcher -- and what it means for baseball's future Story » "First and foremost I respect the fans' opinion of Tony and the team," Abreu said I think they don't know what happens inside the team I can tell them blaming him is wrong because we are the ones performing." eventually -- at least in most organizations -- the buck stops with the manager But the White Sox aren't like most organizations and Reinsdorf ultimately has final say on if or when he's replaced He and the organization appreciate the heart of the team that's kept us surviving." If the White Sox fail to make the postseason it's hard to imagine La Russa would be back for a third season La Russa is willing to shoulder the blame while trying to fix the problems there were less than a handful of times it was smooth sailing from the start," he said "That's the beauty of the 162-game schedule [former broadcaster] Jack Buck said this to me when I was [managing] in St 'Mostly what you are is a fan of the Cardinals.' In other words I can guarantee there isn't anyone in this ballpark tonight that wants to win any more than I do." ShareSaveCommentBusinessSportsMoneyLa Russa’s Departure Comes As Managerial Salaries Keep FallingByPhil Rogers ShareSaveCommentThis article is more than 2 years old.Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa looks on during the first inning of a baseball game against .. Tony La Russa is officially walking away from almost $4 million left on his contract with the White Sox and in the process most likely will also lower the going rate for a major league manager announced Monday he is retiring for the second time He has been on a leave from his position since Aug 31 and cited health concerns for his decision to leave the dugout saying in a statement it is “impossible” for him to consider managing next season White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf told reporters at a news conference General Manager Rick Hahn will lead the search for La Russa’s successor That was an unstated vote of confidence for Hahn Vice President Ken Williams and the team’s front office who had been under fire after the Sox missed the postseason with a team that had a franchise record payroll Hahn will consider interim manager Miguel Cairo but said he will consider external options for the position with a preference toward candidates who have recently managing contending teams Mike Scioscia (who was a finalist when the White Sox hired Jerry Manuel in 1998) and Ron Gardenhire Trends in the industry suggest it is unlikely Reinsdorf will invest as much in his next manager as he did La Russa his close friend and a Hall of Fame manager While managerial salaries are rarely disclosed the website Cot’s Contracts shows La Russa had a three-year deal worth $11.25 million The Dodgers’ Dave Roberts ($6.5 million) is reported to be the highest paid manager followed by Guardians’ Terry Francona ($4.2 million) the Padres’ Bob Melvin ($4 million) are now the Mets’ Buck Showalter ($3.5 million) the highly paid Maddon ($4 million) and Girardi ($3 million-plus) lost their jobs with the Angels and Phillies who has guided the Dodgers to seven consecutive postseason trips is an outlier at a time when the salary ceiling for managers has been lowered The influence of managers has been devalued as front offices have grown in size and increased their reliance on data Joe Torre was paid an average of $6.4 million from the Yankees in 2005-07 before turning down a one-year extension that would have cut his salary to $5 million Scioscia used the threat of jumping to the Dodgers to land a 10-year $50-million deal from the Angels before the 2009 season was reportedly earning $6 million a season when he retired three years ago Dusty Baker was reported to have received a four-year deal worth $3.5-4 million per year when he jumped to the Cubs after leading the Giants to the 2002 World Series and earned almost as much in a six-season run managing the Reds he has taken pay cuts to extend his quest for a first World Series championship Reinsdorf is known for hiring first-time managers It will be interesting to see how seriously he considers Ozzie Guillen as a candidate to take over for La Russa Guillen lacked managerial experience when Reinsdorf hired him to replace Jerry Manuel in 2004 His salary steadily climbed after his team won the ’05 World Series but he asked to be released from the final season on his contract to take over the Marlins in 2012 $10-million deal from Miami — he was due $2.75 million from the White Sox in ’12 — but was fired by owner Jeffrey Loria after only one year drawing the last $7.5 million on the deal as he transitioned into work as a broadcaster Would the 58-year-old Guillen take less to manage now than he was paid a decade ago The trend suggests he might have to if he wants the job After Guillen met with owner Jerry Reinsdorf the team agreed to release him from his current deal and his eight-year managerial run that included a World Series title in 2005 was over He managed his final game Monday night as the White Sox beat the Blue Jays 4-3 Guillen said he had a great talk with Reinsdorf "It was my call and I appreciated the White Sox organization letting me do what I like to do and what is best maybe it's the worst," Guillen said "You don't know what is out there Hopefully the next book treats me the way this book treated me.” White Sox veteran Paul Konerko said Guillen's departure "probably needed to be done on both sides of it." I think he's been kind of just burned out on this whole thing and probably likewise on the other side and that's how it goes," Konerko said "It doesn't always have to be that someone's right Sometimes in sports — any business but especially sports — a coaching staff or a manager or a head coach whoever it might be that kind of regime runs its course and that's what we have here." La Russa issued the following statement Monday afternoon: I had a pacemaker installed and was cleared by my doctors to begin spring training as scheduled A periodic check of the device later identified a problem taken out of uniform and tested by doctors the next day The solution was to update the pacemaker in Arizona and for me not to return as manager without medical clearance “During an annual private exam after the first of the year I decided to delay confronting it until the offseason The result is that a corrective plan has been developed by my medical team and implementation has begun I informed the White Sox of this second issue while I was out of uniform dealing with the pacemaker I continue to request privacy related to my health issues and appreciate those who have respected that request and I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me with well wishes related to my health “At no time this season did either issue negatively affect my responsibilities as White Sox manager The timing of this announcement now enables the front office to include filling the manager position with their other offseason priorities “Our team’s record this season is the final reality “The 2020 and 2021 seasons were important positive steps for this organization ending with playoff baseball I take pride in the 2021 season because our team dealt with the pressure of being labeled as favorite by earning a division championship and posting winning records in each of the season’s six months we have some movement in the wrong direction The key now is to figure out what is right versus what is wrong I’m convinced that the process will be productive “At no time have I been disappointed or upset with White Sox fans including those who at times chanted “Fire Tony.” They come to games with passion for our team and a strong desire to win they rightly are upset when we play poorly A great example of this support came in Game 3 of last year’s division series No disrespect intended to any of my other teams and their fans but that was the most electric crowd I ever experienced I am sincerely disappointed that I am leaving without the opportunity to finish what I was brought in to do I still appreciate the chance to come back home to the White Sox and leave today with many more good memories than disappointments “As I have said many times during my career no manager has ever had more good fortune than I have La Russa indicated he won’t have a role in the organization going forward Heart issues had kept La Russa from the White Sox dugout since Aug “I just found out today,” acting manager Miguel Cairo said on Sunday about reports that La Russa would step down I think health is more important than the game.” “As much as he probably wants to be here day in and day out, the stress and the edge and the anxiety that this team probably gave him probably wasn’t good for health,” said reliever Joe Kelly “Wish we would have played a little bit better for him as a unit might have a retirement party for him and go home.” and was punctuated by an embarrassing flop of a 2022 season by the most expensive roster in White Sox history But La Russa’s second stint in Chicago will end without a judgment issued on his performance “He needs to take care of his health, that’s first and foremost,” said first baseman Andrew Vaughn “It was a privilege to learn what he knows.” again citing the direction of his physicians who had instituted protocols for his return to full health of whether a new voice would boost this team “We still have the same talent and the same team “I don’t think it’s fair for me to start nitpicking on a team without doing it to myself first,” said closer Liam Hendriks “There’s a lot of things that I know that I can work on getting better.” The seriousness of La Russa’s condition and how it’s overridden his otherwise very open and apparent desire to keep managing through the end of his contract (through 2023) foreshadowed the announcement that was expected Monday But it also arrives at a time when the White Sox seem destined for significant change is by no means a requirement" said Rick Hahn of the coming manager search Hahn did say Miguel Cairo will get an interview but he tried to indicate that the team will be looking outside of the organization — James Fegan (@JRFegan) October 3, 2022 What more accountability for the White Sox will look like remains to be seen. But due to circumstances beyond their control, it will be under a new manager. would be someone with recent championship experience it seemed like the White Sox might take a stab at rehabilitating A.J Both are currently unemployed and somewhat disgraced after their participation in the sign-stealing scandals that dominated MLB discourse earlier this year but both showed the kind of managerial prowess that would make them attractive to a team willing to risk some negative press and it’s even worse and weirder than expected The man emerging from the white smoke in Chicago is 76-year-old Tony La Russa the Hall of Fame skipper who first helmed the White Sox when Jerry Reinsdorf bought the team in 1981 La Russa is better known for his achievements with Oakland and St where he won three World Series and appeared in three more and brought players like Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols through the best years of their careers ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that it was Reinsdorf not Hahn or executive vice president Kenny Williams have front offices stocked to overflowing with people who know better than to make a hire like this in fact—La Russa hasn’t managed a team in nine years When it comes to the best manager for an up-and-coming team in 2021 his résumé is about as relevant as Casey Stengel’s and endowed those bones with the authority to make pitching changes Louis teams—the Bash Brothers A’s in particular—made Lance Armstrong’s PED regimen look like Popeye’s can of spinach even if fewer people cared about such things back then.) But let’s assume that La Russa added something positive to his teams other than a high tolerance for cheating This is not the same game the A’s dominated a generation and change ago In the 22 years between La Russa’s first title with Oakland baseball tactics changed radically enough that a once-innovative manager got left in the dust And in the decade that La Russa’s been out of the game they’ve changed twice as much in half the time should he manage hard enough to get his team that far It’s easy to make jokes about how La Russa’s managerial career overlapped by several years with Gene Mauch’s and Earl Weaver’s or how he will have managed both Minnie Minoso (born in 1925) and Garrett Crochet (born in 1999) or how Mike Scioscia played in the 1988 World Series against La Russa’s A’s in TLR’s 10th season as a manager became a manager himself 12 years after that and retired before La Russa got back in the game But the problem isn’t that La Russa is too old As medicine advances and work expands to fill any temporal void which within a certain band of orthodox competence matter very little in baseball Not even La Russa is going to have Eloy Jiménez bunt three times a game or tell Dallas Keuchel to throw with his right hand The problem is that most of a manager’s job is to, well, manage La Russa is more behind the times than ever La Russa is taking over a White Sox roster built from tip to tail on young Jiménez and Luis Robert lead the league in undone shirt buttons is one of baseball’s preeminent bat flippers and trash talkers is effusive on the field and outspoken off it (After 10 years of covering baseball and almost 30 years of obsessing over the sport it’s still not entirely clear to me why this is considered unsportsmanlike Tatis’s home run this August generated a brief backlash that was squelched within hours almost as a mop-up action after a battlefield rout But one dissenting voice refused to relent: La Russa’s “It’s just not sportsmanlike,” La Russa told Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post with these very talented individuals matching up For clarity’s sake: Exhibiting one’s talents and driving in runs are apparently bad things, at least according to the new manager of the White Sox. Maybe Reinsdorf just isn’t aware of the potential pitfalls of having a manager and players who hate each other. It’s not like the Chicago Bulls, another Reinsdorf enterprise, just went through the exact same thing La Russa’s regressive opinions on sportsmanship are not the most odious moral strike against him as a manager an organization that promotes racial equity and opportunities for Black people within both baseball and the broader community the White Sox have found a manager with a long history of political activism on issues of race and racism in American society But he’s on the other side of the issue from Giolito and I really question the sincerity of somebody like Kaepernick,” La Russa said I never heard him talk about anything but himself Now all of a sudden he’s struggling for attention and he makes this big pitch Disrespecting our flag is not the way to do it.” At his introductory press conference, La Russa claimed his views have changed and that “there’s not a racist bone in my body.” On this matter he’s correct He will probably have to answer tough questions about these statements both publicly in the media and privately within his own clubhouse Ordinarily that kind of accountability is healthy I would much rather the White Sox had just not given La Russa that kind of platform He could’ve easily just faded off into obscurity and been just another silent and many people would’ve been happier for it Also left unconsidered: The growing list of experienced and well-respected Black and Latino coaches who go unconsidered year after year. One way to tell that Jones was right and La Russa was wrong about baseball being a white man’s sport is that Hensley Meulens, who by résumé alone should’ve been an MLB manager 10 years ago, is merely the Mets’ bench coach and never got his shot. Bo Porter, Sandy Alomar, DeMarlo Hale—none of these baseball lifers apparently warranted so much as a phone call. It had to be La Russa, with his 2,728 MLB victories, and just as many reasons why he’s the wrong man for the job. This is the meritocracy at work. We know whose game it is. ArchiveWe’ve been around since Brady was a QB who never seriously considered anyone else and spent the past three weeks convincing him to come out of retirement on Thursday named Hall of Famer and three-time World Series champion Tony La Russa as their new manager.  La Russa, 76, last managed in 2011, and has declined several managerial opportunities since but could not resist the White Sox when they reached out earlier this month There was speculation in Chicago that former Houston Astros manager A.J Hinch was the preferred candidate after his suspension was lifted following the World Series but a high-ranking White Sox official told USA TODAY Sports he was never interviewed The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the hiring process who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 was interested to returning to the daily grind of managing help White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf win another World Series title while inheriting a championship-caliber ballclub The hiring of La Russa will be criticized given his age (he'll be the oldest manager in baseball), time away from managing and the general shift toward younger data-savvy managers. But those who have worked alongside him the past nine years in other baseball roles say his acumen hasn't faded “While I have had other inquiries about managing since retiring this opportunity with the White Sox brings together a number of important factors that make this the right time and the right place,” La Russa said in a statement The White Sox were the team that provided La Russa with his first managerial job in 1979 and fired in 1986 by GM Ken “Hawk’’ Harrelson with Reinsdorf later calling it the worst decision the White Sox ever made for hiring Hawk,’’ Reinsdorf would say “because he’s the guy who fired Tony.’’ and La Russa remained best of friends over the years and when La Russa decided to retire late in the 2011 season Louis Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers to win Game 7 of the World Series guess who was on the field soaking in the scene When the White Sox decided to fire Rick Renteria after making several bullpen blunders down the stretch costing them the AL Central title and a first-round loss to the Oakland A’s the White Sox immediately reached out to the Los Angeles Angels to gain formal permission to speak to La Russa who was a senior advisor of baseball operations They made it clear to La Russa that it was his job if he wanted it and it took several weeks for him to decide whether he was ready to jump back into the rigorous managerial lifestyle La Russa has won the third-most games in history with 2,728 trailing only Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) The older managers in baseball history are Mack This is the only job that would lure him out of retirement simply to help realize Reinsdorf’s dream of winning at least one more time He worked two years in the MLB office helping Joe Torre in on-field discipline 2014 with the Arizona Diamondbacks where he was the chief baseball baseball officer for three years He spent three years as vice president of the Boston Red Sox he badly missed the competition on the playing field and told friends in recent weeks that he feels rejuvenated "This hiring is not based on friendship or on what happened years ago," Reinsdorf said in a statement, "but on the fact that we have the opportunity to have one of the greatest managers in the game’s history in our dugout at a time when we believe our team is poised for great accomplishments.” La Russa plans to keep the bulk of the current White Sox current coaching staff although he is exploring the possibility of bringing on Hall of Famer Harold Baines who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019 was on the White Sox coaching staff in 2004-2015 La Russa also spoke to his long-time pitching coach Dave Duncan The White Sox are expected to promote a pitching coach within the organization to replace Don Cooper Will the dream come to fruition with Reinsdorf and La Russa riding off the sunset together The Chicago White Sox's Tony La Russa moved into second place on MLB's all-time manager wins list with his 2,764th career victory on Sunday La Russa passed John McGraw after his team beat the Detroit Tigers 3-0 in Chicago and he has a much higher winning percentage," La Russa joked of McGraw "I beat him with longevity and great situations." La Russa, 76, came out of a 10-year retirement to take over the ultra-loaded White Sox after beginning his career with the same job in Chicago in 1979. He went on to manage the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals before retiring the first time following the 2011 season He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 La Russa was quick to praise all his coaches over his career White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf allowed La Russa to be fired once calling it the biggest regret of his time as owner He was the driving force behind bringing La Russa back for a second stint with the White Sox he read my bubble gum card and saw what a crappy player I was so he's the one that started putting outstanding coaches with this manager It resonated with La Russa that this latest accomplishment came on the 77th anniversary of D-Day; the team put the movie "The Longest Day" on in the clubhouse before Sunday's game He expressed an appreciation for those in uniform then pointed to his own jersey as the White Sox have a special place in his heart as well "Lot of pieces to this day including this uniform and coming back here to have it happen," La Russa said "It's beyond sacred," he said of the top mark I didn't think this was ever going to happen but La Russa finally moved ahead of McGraw His players weren't aware what was at stake on Sunday but were more than happy to be a part of baseball history "You have to respect him," winning pitcher Dylan Cease (4-2) said. "It's pretty legendary to say we get to play for him. He's calm. He's funny. It's nice having him at the helm." The former Oakland A’s manager has not only been soundly questioned as the new manager of the White Sox but had his latest DUI incident come to light there have been some questions about whether or not players would want to play for La Russa these days with there being some insinuations of racism It has not been a good few days for Tony La Russa However, at least one former player is on his side. Dave Stewart has taken to Twitter to defend La Russa from those allegations of racism I’ve known Tony now since 1986. He is one of my best friends. I’ve not seen any signs that the man is racist. https://t.co/t1msv005bD This allegation came into being due to a tweet to Marcus Stroman. A question from a fan regarding how much it would take for Stroman to pitch for the White Sox included the statement that La Russa is a racist Perhaps those statements are where these allegations of racism stem from His past comments could be taken in such a light if one wanted He now understands why players had wanted to bring these concerns to the national stage Those concerns do not necessarily mean that there are any racial overtones to La Russa’s original comments And people change their stances when presented with new information But that has been enough for La Russa to be hit with this label But that may not be enough to shake these latest allegations However, at least one former player is on his side. Dave Stewart has taken to Twitter to defend La Russa from those allegations of racism I’ve known Tony now since 1986. He is one of my best friends. I’ve not seen any signs that the man is racist. https://t.co/t1msv005bD This allegation came into being due to a tweet to Marcus Stroman. A question from a fan regarding how much it would take for Stroman to pitch for the White Sox included the statement that La Russa is a racist La Russa arrest gets worse with every report After 34 years, Tony La Russa is back as the Chicago White Sox manager The news raises a host of questions: Does hiring the 76-year-old Hall of Famer -- who last managed in 2011 when he led the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title -- make sense for Chicago How are those around baseball -- and fans in Chicago -- reacting to it ESPN baseball writers Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield break down the move Why would the White Sox choose Tony La Russa Schoenfield: Given the lack of precedent here -- not just La Russa's age which makes him just the third manager along with Connie Mack (who owned the team) and Jack McKeon to manage at 75 years or older but his decade removed from managing -- it certainly is a shocking hire there's a feeling that owner Jerry Reinsdorf views this as fixing a blunder he made way back in 1986 when he allowed general manager Hawk Harrelson -- yes Reinsdorf has called it his biggest mistake as White Sox owner as La Russa went on to win six pennants and three World Series with the A's and Cardinals as the trend for a long time now has been to hire younger managers who are more in tune with the rapidly changing analytics in the game But maybe a little old-school approach is what the White Sox feel they need to get to that next level because the talent is there to compete for a World Series title they admitted they've been "insular" in some of their thinking and hirings in the past Considering La Russa has had a relationship with Reinsdorf since the first time he managed the White Sox in the '80s the move still screams of an in-house feel to it considering he's won more games than all but two other managers in history but the key thing they know about him is he's smart and adaptable What they don't know is what a decade away from managing will mean No one can know that until he's in the dugout What is La Russa really like as a manager compared to other managers in today's game Schoenfield: There will be a lot of discussion of La Russa's ability to adapt to how much the game has evolved since 2011 There are a lot of factors in play here: leveraging analytics for things like pitcher development dealing with players in this new age of activism the increasing role of manager as PR agent for the team (never La Russa's strong suit) It doesn't help that his short stint as chief baseball officer for the Diamondbacks included the disastrous hire of Dave Stewart as general manager with the pair publicly being derisive of analytics (At a time when other teams were starting to really ramp up their analytics departments La Russa hired a 66-year-old former veterinarian as his director of analytics.) maybe that sells short La Russa's role as an innovator during his long career he and GM Sandy Alderson were heavy into the numbers in the 1980s He turned Dennis Eckersley into what some would call the first "modern" closer but when Eck became a full-time closer in 1988 he did pitch 72 innings over 60 games and saved 45 of them As La Russa writes in "One Last Strike," he and pitching coach Dave Duncan asked a simple question: "How many guys do you think we have as good as Eck who can pitch in the ninth inning?" The answer was none thus the idea to have Eckersley available for as many ninth innings as possible Later on with the Cardinals he experimented with hitting pitchers eighth in order to get Mark McGwire more RBI opportunities When he managed the Cardinals to the 2011 World Series title he was also an early innovator in starting pitcher usage Chris Carpenter was really the team's only workhorse and reliable starter Cardinals starters averaged just 5⅓ innings per start and five times were pulled before completing five innings even though the starter had allowed three runs or fewer we just saw 71-year-old Dusty Baker run out a bullpen game in the playoffs People can adapt -- and it will certainly be interesting to see how La Russa adjusts from the way he did things even 10 years ago What has La Russa been doing since he managed last Schoenfield: It's important to note that he's been around the game since he retired after that 2011 World Series He oversaw baseball operations for the Diamondbacks from early in the 2014 season through the 2017 season with that final season ending in a playoff berth as a wild card He then worked as front office advisor with the Angels and Red Sox As he alluded to in his media conference on Thursday he knows the amount of pregame preparation is much more involved now but La Russa was always regarded as one of the most prepared managers in the game (and a manager has a lot more help these days so a lot of the work gets passed down to the coaching staff) Rogers: People in baseball are shocked by the move but of those contacted no one would definitively say they don't believe La Russa can do the job He has too much on his resume to dismiss the idea out of hand The big question is connecting with the modern-day player One executive said any manager taking a decade off would be facing that question Another executive opined that La Russa is smart enough to fit in with the current era of baseball. In other words, even if you consider him an old-school manager, he won't be telling Tim Anderson to lighten up on the bat flips but he will stress playing the game the right way La Russa used his relievers early and often so his style might fit in with the analytical nature of this era in baseball He was a matchup guy before that was a thing One former reliever who played under La Russa quipped that the members of the Sox bullpen better not get comfortable in their roles because La Russa will change them on a daily basis Or at least the La Russa he played for would No one can know what current-day Tony will bring to the table And that was the other overriding opinion about the hire: It's uncharted territory so there isn't much history to make a prediction on Rogers: La Russa was a lawyer before becoming a manager He's smart and has already managed in both leagues in several eras And one huge key is he hasn't been on a beach for the past 10 years He's been in three distinctly different organizations in the Angels If it wasn't for the gap in time in managing the move wouldn't be looked upon with such trepidation their manager will need to get out of the way and let them play which leads to physical questions of doing the job more than mental And that's without even considering another potential COVID-19 season And the disconnect that can occur between the modern player and this manager is real La Russa basically has sat out for one generation of players There are a bunch of roadblocks that could get in the way with the biggest one being his relationship with a young Sox team Schoenfield: Right. Remember in the 2011 World Series in Game 5 when the Cardinals made two odd choices with the bullpen that made no sense? After the game La Russa blamed the noise level in the park saying that bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist had misheard him (in one case and in another that lefty Marc Rzepczynski had to stay in to pitch to lefty masher Mike Napoli) When Rzepczynski was finally replaced by Lance Lynn what are you doing here?''' La Russa said after the game There was a lot of speculation at the time about what really happened -- and that maybe La Russa had a brain fart at the wrong moment It's not a very good setup," Lynn said after the game the point here is that this is where La Russa was then the watch for any miscues will be even more intense and critical Rogers: Since his name was initially floated there has been a total pushback in all forms toward even the idea of La Russa becoming the next White Sox manager It's not any better now that he's been announced Tony La Russa, the Hall of Famer who won a World Series with the Oakland Athletics and two more with the St. Louis Cardinals, is returning to manage the Chicago White Sox -- 34 years after they fired him rejoins the franchise where his managing career began more than four decades ago He takes over for Rick Renteria after what the White Sox insisted was a mutual agreement to split "We are extremely excited about the future of this team,'' general manager Rick Hahn said Thursday talented club that we expect to only grow better and better in the coming years Adding in a Hall of Fame manager who is recognized as being one of the best in the history of the game we are a step closer to our goal of bringing White Sox fans another championship.'' La Russa inherits a team loaded with young stars and productive veterans that made the playoffs for the first time since 2008 only to sputter down the stretch and get knocked out in the wild-card round He becomes the oldest manager in the major leagues by five years "It was very difficult to sit and think about what's going on downstairs My heart was always in the dugout," said La Russa who has served in front office jobs for multiple teams since 2014 "I think all managers would understand this how rare it is to get an opportunity to manage a team that's this talented and this close to winning Fired up to join @whitesox La Russa joins Jack McKeon as the only managers in MLB history to take over a team at age 75 or older McKeon was 80 when he took over the Marlins in 2011 "While I have had other inquiries about managing since retiring this opportunity with the White Sox brings together a number of important factors that make this the right time and the right place,'' La Russa said has done everything necessary to create an atmosphere of long-term success All of those factors aligned to make this a tremendous opportunity and I am excited to get going as soon as possible by building a coaching staff and getting to work.'' La Russa, who started his managing career with the White Sox during the 1979 season, is returning to the dugout for the first time since 2011, when he led St. Louis past the Texas Rangers in the World Series He also won championships with Oakland in 1989 and the Cardinals in 2006 Tony La Russa ranks third in wins among managers in major league history and is second only to Connie Mack for games managed La Russa is 2,728-2,365 with six pennants over 33 seasons with Chicago Only Hall of Famers Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) have more victories La Russa got his first major league managing job at age 34 when the White Sox promoted him from Triple-A to replace the fired Don Kessinger He took over that August and led them to a 522-510 record over parts of eight seasons The 1983 team won 99 games on the way to the AL West championship -- Chicago's first playoff appearance since the 1959 Go-Go White Sox won the pennant But he was fired in 1986 by then-general manager Ken Harrelson after the White Sox got off to a 26-38 start Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has long regretted allowing that move and remains close with La Russa "His hiring is not based on friendship or on what happened years ago but on the fact that we have the opportunity to have one of the greatest managers in the game's history in our dugout at a time when we believe our team is poised for great accomplishments,'' Reinsdorf said La Russa was asked if his relationship with Reinsdorf is why he got the job "If there was any truth to what you're saying it would not be reading Jerry Reinsdorf correctly," La Russa said "His major interest on the baseball side is what's best for the Chicago White Sox and the fans who drive to the ballpark in droves The move is a surprise considering how long it has been since La Russa was in the dugout Hahn said the White Sox were looking for someone who has "experience with a championship organization in recent years.'' "This was made with the intent solely on putting us in the best position to win championships," Hahn said "It's easy to fall back on some old narratives that this was about friendship or potentially righting old wrongs Tony was the choice because we believe Tony is the best man to help us win championships over the next several years." The 34 years between managerial jobs with the same team for Tony La Russa is the longest span Former Houston manager AJ Hinch and ex-Boston skipper Alex Cora fit that championship-experience description Both were suspended by Major League Baseball for the 2020 season for their roles in the Astros sign-stealing scandal Though he hasn't been in a dugout in nine years Shortly after retiring, he went to work in the league office for two years, assisting former Yankees manager Joe Torre in on-field discipline issues In May 2014, he was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks to oversee their baseball operations. They signed Zack Greinke to a $206.5 million deal following the 2015 season La Russa was demoted to an advisory role following a 93-loss season in 2016 and joined Boston's front office as a special assistant to then-president Dave Dombrowski in November 2017 La Russa was with the Red Sox when they hired Cora and won the World Series in 2018. And he spent last season as a senior adviser for baseball operations with the Los Angeles Angels Whether any of manager Joe Maddon's eccentricities rubbed off on him remains to be seen Maddon keeps a loose and fun atmosphere, whether it's having a magician or zoo animals at the ballpark or showing up for a spring training workout decked out in tie-dye with a 1970s van blasting Earth, Wind & Fire's "Shining Star.'' La Russa, of course, was known more for his scowl than his smile. Now he's taking on a vibrant and outgoing team, where sky-high bat flips by Tim Anderson seem almost as common as pop flies he's no stranger to managing outsized personalities He had Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco in Oakland I don't have a problem with it," La Russa said about younger players showing emotion "You want your players passionately involved in the competition." The White Sox have never made back-to-back playoff appearances But after ending a string of seven losing seasons They have a core of young players on team-friendly deals, starting with Anderson. Veteran Jose Abreu put himself in the running for AL MVP by driving in 60 runs. Ace Lucas Giolito pitched his first no-hitter Eloy Jimenez hit .296 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs. Luis Robert showed star potential in a roller-coaster rookie year He got off to a great start and hit a massive homer in the playoff series against Oakland Now the White Sox are banking on La Russa to help push them to championships "This hiring today is another indication we've moved on to that final "That's the one competing for championships." ESPN's Jesse Rogers and The Associated Press contributed to this report THIS IS IT: one last stand against the stenographers and yes-men One last stand against those who live in mortal fear of being wrong those who trust the numbers more than their gut those without the stones to go against the percentages and live with the consequences It's for every guy in every dugout who doesn't have the savvy or the experience to know that a one-run game sometimes reveals itself slowly starting in the fourth or fifth inning It's for the guys upstairs who can't look up from their screens long enough to care that a real-life game is taking place involving real-life humans It's for anyone who discounts the predictive power of experience how one game portends another and for anyone who fails to see the occasional competitive advantage of a fastball to the ribs This is Tony La Russa's quest: a 76-year-old man engaging in the quotidian task of proving a big league manager can still be an active participant and not simply a curator La Russa believes many of the same things he has believed his entire managerial career which everyone -- including him -- thought ended when he retired after the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series He believes he can coax a hitter out of a slump by forcing him to swing on a hit-and-run He believes there are times -- many times -- when giving up an out to gain a base is both necessary and prudent and he believes anyone who disagrees is either ignorant or afraid to make a mistake His players are among those who do not adhere to the tenets of his faith. Catcher Yasmani Grandal is so analytically driven, and so pitch-sequencing compulsive, that he's been known to sit down at a computer to assess a just-completed game before he removes his spikes. Starter Carlos Rodón breathed life back into his career this season with the help of a new-agey pitching coach which helped him incorporate his lower half into his motion "We're constantly using the metrics," Rodón says. "Spin rate, carry, perceived velocity. All of it goes into knowing how to use your tools." He threw a no-hitter in his second start of the season; his strikeouts are up his 106th and final pitch of the night was 97 mph Liam Hendriks is one of the game's best closers: second in baseball with 23 saves a 0.74 WHIP and a ridiculous K/BB ratio of 16.3 After each game he goes over his arm's extension rates and the vertical stats on each of his pitches These numbers dictate his workload; decreased extension generally indicates his arm is getting weary and a lack of rise on his fastball means he's getting under his pitches and leaving them flat in the zone La Russa's posture in the dugout is the physical embodiment of his go-to-hell attitude a defense of the way the game once was and never again will be. Jason Szenes/EPAThe White Sox are not unique in their reliance on advanced metrics playing for a man who disparages front-office quants by saying "I don't think they appreciate that those percentages are just that," La Russa says the game is the reality." And these players with their extension rates and perceived velocities play for a man who is not above publicly denouncing his own players if they choose to run afoul of an archaic code that fewer and fewer people see the need to uphold La Russa's type of managing is nearly extinct for reasons that run from the strategic to the sociological Front offices have usurped much of the power from the man in the dugout mostly because decisions based on probabilities have proved to be more reliable than those based on premonitions And today's players are much less responsive to the paternalistic where one man is in charge of both defining and enforcing rules to be imposed on grown men And yet here is Tony La Russa, whose hiring was viewed as either comical or outrageous one with more than its share of big personalities and big opinions one that could win its way through October attempting to metabolize their differences in pursuit of a common goal: winning a familiar lean toward the field as he rocks side to side his posture the physical embodiment of his go-to-hell attitude in defense of the way it once was and never again will be DESPITE ALL THAT, it's probably not entirely accurate to say La Russa is the enemy of fun. There was the scene in the dugout at Guaranteed Rate Field on June 5, for example, when he stood there in his black-with-white-pinstripes South Side uniform and heard shortstop Tim Anderson make an announcement: "Can't wear this hat straight," Anderson said one step to the right of the dugout stairs He grabbed the bill of his cap with his right hand and Catch the 2021 MLB season on ESPN and the ESPN App one of which was not known publicly until after he was hired would seem to indicate he lacks the discipline he preaches And his views on social issues -- he questioned Colin Kaepernick's sincerity a claim he has since softened -- are at odds with many of the players on his roster He frequently refers to himself as a "patriot," as in "Since today is D-Day and because I'm a patriot I put 'The Longest Day' on the television in the clubhouse at 9:30 this morning." For years he said he would not tolerate a player kneeling for the national anthem an outspoken member of The Players Alliance off the field and an exuberant entertainer on it "My relationship with him is great," Anderson says "I'm able to go into his office and tell him anything but at the same time we know he's not going out there on the field and playing those games It's a big family with all types of people "I didn't have a problem with what the Twins did." Major League Baseball hitting Duffey with a three-game suspension they're not happy," La Russa tells me a few weeks later "Why would you give them a reason to retaliate against our player why bury teams and give them a chance to get upset This thing gets all confused with the unwritten rules But are guys throwing up three-point plays up 30 points with two or three minutes left in a game Mercedes' teammates, and much of the baseball world, sided with him, possibly because setting your own player up to be targeted -- and not defending him when it happens -- is not how most functional families operate. White Sox starter Lance Lynn defended Mercedes and suggested the unwritten rules should be erased entirely La Russa also chose not to defend starting pitcher Lucas Giolito when he was thrown out of a game in early June for arguing balls and strikes from the dugout La Russa said he told crew chief Greg Gibson that Giolito "made a mistake." It's nothing new a "village idiot" after Sierra criticized A's general manager Sandy Alderson for never having played the game and Mercedes was the first to swing -- "and then I read in the same article where the writer said 'That doesn't mean the tradition is right.' Really "Major League Baseball wants more personality in the game They've really tried to appeal to young people and see that these guys have fire and personality you have to do what's best for your team." And while the main talking point among the White Sox is to publicly dismiss any discord between team and manager -- "Tony has a lot of respect," Katz says "and the players respect him" -- Anderson pushed back against La Russa with barbed humor "We're like the bad kids who don't listen," he said a few days after the Mercedes home run we're going to go out there and play the way that we want to play We're going to enjoy it and have fun with it." I asked Anderson if he regretted that statement "No -- it was the perfect quote at the perfect time ANDERSON IS THE rare player who is worth watching even when he doesn't do much It feels as though he heard all the angst about how boring baseball is and he's come up with a solution: I'll just play a different game He begins every game by drawing a cross in the infield dirt and saluting the umpires with him coming across the bag like a hummingbird to take a throw the movement is so liquid and the throw so forceful it's like all his bones get out of the way He exudes an emotion that is so infrequently expressed that it can require a double take "It's easy to be a good person and leave a positive impression on people," Anderson says I go home afterward and my kids are happy again We ain't doing nothing but playing baseball Except for the other team; I want them to hate playing against me." They have one of the worst team fielding percentages in the big leagues It's their pitching -- especially their starting pitching -- that has carried them to the best record in the American League and a comfortable lead in the soul-crushing AL Central there is a great deal about La Russa that does not add up He introduced the world to the granular use of the bullpen pioneering the one-inning save with Dennis Eckersley and often using three pitchers to close out a ninth inning "He was analytics before analytics," White Sox third-base coach Joe McEwing says that La Russa would dislike the rule that forces a reliever to throw to three batters "Otherwise these guys would do the script thing 'There goes George here comes Tony; there goes Tony here comes Joe.' I did it because of the matchups Now it's not so much about the matchups as what a formula says at a given time." but there is no debate that his masterful usage of Eckersley would have abided by every current formula "There are a lot of people upstairs who will tell you batting average is irrelevant," he says "And that RBIs are just something you can accumulate and don't take a special talent There is a lot of good information out there I'll give you an example: Give me a formula that measures chemistry but you better believe you need it if you're going to win Are games too long? How can baseball maximize its new generation of stars? We dig into the topics that will shape the game far beyond this season. The State of Baseball » The job might have evolved from omnipotent chief to something closer to middle management but that doesn't mean La Russa has to evolve with it if everything from filling out the lineup card to deciding whether to pinch hit is determined by probabilities it's become commonplace for a manager to sit in his office after a game and wait for the general manager show up with a laptop to go over that night's decisions Only the Angels have bunted more than the White Sox in the AL They have 18 successful sacrifice bunts through 94 games; under Renteria they had just one in last year's 60-game season La Russa's ideology is clearly at odds with the metrics which show the only time a bunt increases a team's chance of winning is with a runner at second nobody out in the eighth or ninth inning of a tie game On June 5, the White Sox lost a one-run game to the Tigers after La Russa called for Danny Mendick to bunt. Chicago was down by one with runners at first and second and nobody out in the sixth inning against reliever Derek Holland who has shown a unique inability to get anybody out all season Mendick's bunt resulted in a force at third "The beauty of the game is what's happening that day with your side and their side," La Russa says "You cannot take percentages of what you think -- how you would script it -- and take them into a game can be a self-fulfilling prophecy; if you decide a game could be a one-run game the odds of creating a one-run game increase dramatically It's the battle La Russa wages: intuition against the godlike technology that runs the world He's here to prove there's still a place for a guy who tilts his head just so inhaling the fresh scent of an imminent one-run game and orders up a bunt in the sixth inning with runners on first and second and nobody out wait for the big inning and shrug if it doesn't materialize the one La Russa views as far more rewarding give up an out to get a base and impose your will Speaking to reporters the day after the failed Mendick bunt "A lot of people in positions of responsibility upstairs don't ever believe in giving up an out to gain a base I can't agree with it." Quoting Paul Richards a former player and executive who died in 1986 Because if you cover your butt with some of these decisions and you get beaten I'm not afraid because I've been trained well The relationship with Tony and the players has been largely overblown," closer Liam Hendriks says "There are certain times when we listen and certain times when we don't listen." Nam Y Those words contain both an acknowledgment and an acceptance and that's allowed them to settle into a comfortable angle of repose La Russa's an old-school dude who occasionally points a finger at the sky and shouts at the clouds but he's their old-school dude pointing and shouting this is a clubhouse that can withstand a couple of leaks here and there," Hendriks says The relationship with Tony and the players has been largely overblown there are certain times when we listen and certain times when we don't listen." the team is good and the guys yelling playfully at one another in the clubhouse will dictate where and how it all ends they'll obsess over spin rates and arm extension and launch angles Grandal will remain hunched over the computer screen will occasionally angle his head just so and inhale the sweet smell of a one-run game you've got to enjoy it -- always," Anderson says and together they stride boldly forward -- all of them but one anyway -- toward whatever the game's future decides to be In November 2014, six months after the Arizona Diamondbacks named Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa their chief baseball officer, the organization announced that it had hired Dr. Ed Lewis as its first director of baseball analytics and research His experience in the field was nonexistent Lewis came to the Diamondbacks because he possessed a quality far more important than developing algorithms or building models: For 35 years The hiring of Lewis prompted snickers around the game At the time La Russa was stripped of power three years into the job Cronyism in the game is as old as the spitball and an inner circle of powerful men -- they're all men -- has spent decades in the game fomenting it One of the other 11 votes came from Tony La Russa This is how it works. And this is how perhaps the most inexplicable news of the offseason unfolded at its outset Thursday: La Russa, now 76 years old, out of the dugout for the last nine, was named manager of the White Sox represents a new epoch of baseball whose principles and priorities run antithetical to La Russa's There was no more desirable job available this offseason than the White Sox's -- not even the big-market with the publicly stated intention of taking a step forward via a replacement with recent championship experience The last time a playoff team fired a manager immediately after its season ended was in 2017 when Boston got rid of John Farrell and Washington Dusty Baker Davey Martinez helmed the Nationals to a championship Tony La Russa got the White Sox's job this week because of another crony hire from the broadcast booth to the front office General manager Roland Hemond was demoted and left Harrelson dismissed a 29-year-old executive named Dave Dombrowski even more than what happened to Harold Baines The White Sox recently contacted A.J. Hinch, the former Houston Astros manager to determine his interest in their open managing job Hinch said the job very much appealed to him which had become apparent inside the organization in recent days: Once La Russa expressed a desire to manage again The White Sox's announcement finally came Thursday -- at the same time Hinch was interviewing with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago's American League Central rivals. Now, sources say, Hinch is on the verge of agreeing to a deal to manage the Tigers an up-and-coming team that expects to challenge the White Sox sooner than later was connected to the Chicago job immediately after Renteria's firing He had won a World Series with the Astros in 2017 and gone to another in 2019 before being fired in the wake of the team's sign-stealing scandal Hinch's reputation in most quarters emerged unscathed and his experience helping mold a young core into a championship-caliber group was almost too perfect a fit for a White Sox team that folded down the stretch of the shortened 2020 season and bowed out in the first round of the playoffs that the email the White Sox sent out to fans celebrating La Russa's hire .. Other teams have capitalized on the opportunity to do the same Of the dozen who reportedly have interviewed for the Tigers job Boston has interviewed at least seven candidates: three white Baseball's front offices have embraced analytics in the 21st century. Diversity? Not so much. Joon Lee » White Sox officials said they interviewed candidates other than La Russa but USA Today named just one other: Willie Harris serves as executive vice president) and the prior hiring of Renteria the White Sox have been far more progressive than other teams when it comes to hiring minorities It was jarring nevertheless to see Reinsdorf essentially flout the Selig Rule named after his longtime collaborator and former commissioner Bud Selig which calls for teams to interview minority candidates for high-level positions Nobody was going to come in and blow Reinsdorf away Players as well as rank-and-file employees told ESPN they were dumbfounded they all respect La Russa's managing acumen And that's what the players and employees were having trouble getting past despite the perception that front offices write lineup cards and serve as puppet masters perhaps the most trying day-to-day job in baseball The best managers are polymaths: strategist The crusty manager who cared about baseball baseball and baseball and gave not a moment of his time to much else is an anachronism Before he spent even an hour as White Sox manager for the second time, La Russa addressed the intersection of his present and past. Four years ago, when Colin Kaepernick first took a knee to protest police brutality against Black people, La Russa unleashed a screed to Sports Illustrated about how his protest disrespected the constitution "I really question the sincerity of somebody like Kaepernick," La Russa said I didn't have a problem with it," La Russa said Since he was a child, Fernando Tatis Jr. has lived to play. This year, the game needs him just as much as he needs it. Jeff Passan » "What I see now is that with players that are being more exuberant -- I take Tim Anderson for an example -- now it's people showing that who in Oakland managed the homer-pimping Rickey Henderson and forearm-smashing Bash Brothers Major League Baseball is encouraging them to do so And if I see that it's sincere and directed toward the game that's displaying the kind of emotion you want." "If your team celebrates and their team celebrates," La Russa said "neither team can be upset when you see celebrations as long as everyone's doing it sincerely." the same one he had used four years earlier when he attacked Kaepernick's motives with falsehood-filled broadsides the idea that whatever is under La Russa's microscope -- be it a protest or a bat flip -- is fine as long as it comes from a noble What's sincere to one man may be insincere to another he fell back on that same tired philosophy -- when he sees it he knows it -- the sort of incurious hubris that would lead someone to hire a veterinarian who flexed his math muscles stock-picking for a data science job "I evaluate players' commitment to our team," La Russa said you can detect the sincerity of when they say 'I'm all-in for helping the team,' and then you look around and see that they are not all-in one of the reasons I'm so encouraged by what I've seen the last bunch of years is how players are backing up their words with actions." And it was particularly interesting to hear him revisit his about Kaepernick from four years ago my initial instincts were all about respecting the flag and the anthem and what America stands for," La Russa said Thursday "There's been a lot that's gone on in a very healthy way since 2016 Not only do I respect but I applaud the awareness that's come into not just society but especially in sports I applaud and would support the fact they are now addressing [and] identifying the injustices And as long as it's peacefully protested and sincere .. as if sincerity is more important than injustice as if one need exist to validate the other as if his opinion means any more than Tim Anderson's or Jose Abreu's or Lucas Giolito's or anyone else's In fact, go back not four years ago but nine months ago to when La Russa told Graham Bensinger in an interview: "I was so upset when the kneel-down [sic] in the NFL It's not that you don't have something that you dislike Men and women are fighting and dying for that Maybe George Floyd changed things for La Russa Or maybe it's fair to wonder whether someone who just got hired for a job that needs him to be a politician and a public-relations specialist was just saying what he had to say and not necessarily being sincere It is very possible that Tony La Russa is a smashing success as White Sox manager. For all the consternation about the hire, which even La Russa acknowledged in a tweet Thursday night the White Sox are an extremely talented team and La Russa is a historically competent manager His hiring neither dooms nor damns Chicago What so deeply frustrated White Sox fans was the rationale behind it the process behind it and the unfortunate commonality that ties them together put it better than La Russa: "How rare is it to get an opportunity to manage a team that's this talented and this close to winning?" especially a team that general manager Rick Hahn so expertly put together -- one with Anderson Moncada and Jimenez all signed to long-term deals with a core that for the next half-decade should at very least keep the White Sox in contention and at best compete for multiple championships should have the kind of manager who will grow with it a manager chosen not by an owner trying to right an almost-four-decades-old wrong but by the GM and staff that put the team together in the first place The baseball people make the baseball decisions This isn't about age. It's more a question of execution. Joe Maddon, 66, has managed winners in 11 of the past 14 years, so that's what the Los Angeles Angels hired him to do The Astros needed a reputation rehabilitation and few know how to charm the media and public like Dusty Baker Is he still a brilliant tactician -- clearly better than all those people who weren't interviewed because cronyism-gone-wrong which at this point might as well be in the fossil record Either Reinsdorf didn't recognize there would be widespread opposition internally as well as externally to handing over the Corvette they'd built to someone who hadn't gotten behind the wheel in a decade -- or he didn't care Especially because in the interview nine months ago Bensinger asked Reinsdorf whether La Russa would ever manage again There's nothing else for him to accomplish There's no reason to go back to managing and have to try to deal with people who are 22 years old when you're 75 years old." Clearly there was a reason, because here was Tony La Russa, Chicago White Sox manager (1979-1986 Now we'll see just how sincere he was about making the most of it.