9 great options to replace Tony La Russa as White Sox manager
By Todd Welter
The Chicago White Sox are one of the most disappointing teams in baseball. The fans are getting restless.
The White Sox were predicted to run away with the AL Central Division again this season. It was a World Series or bust season.
Instead, the Sox are three games under .500 while looking up at the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Guardians in the standings. This season has not gone the way many predicted.
The Sox did win six of eight games last week to get back to .500 on June 21. Then, they followed that stretch up by dropping four-straight games which wiped out any positive feelings the Sox were ready to bounce back.
Thankfully, Dylan Cease threw a gem against the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale to avoid being swept by the last-place team in the AL East.
Manager Tony La Russa has been the target of the Southside faithful for the reason this season is not meeting expectations. There were chants to fire Tony La Russa by the Guaranteed Rate Field crowd during the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays series.
Now to be fair to Tony, the Chicago White Sox have been dealing with a rash of injuries. Also, La Russa is not the one out there unable to catch the ball, struggling to hit, or make pitches. The players do bear some responsibility for how the Sox have played through the season’s first two-and-half months.
The Chicago White Sox are having problems with Tony La Russa as the manager.
Time has not run out on the #WhiteSox stay positive, believe. I would suggest Tony have a short meeting to get everyone onboard says @stevestone and I would challenge the leaders in the club house - suggesting a player only meeting.
— Mully And Haugh (@mullyhaugh) June 13, 2022
Listen https://t.co/QNqhdQR7By
That does not leave the manager off the hook. His lineups have been suspect at best for a majority of the season. He is probably the only manager in baseball that thinks it is a good idea to bat Leury Garcia leadoff or second.
A couple of weeks ago, La Russa ordered an intentional walk to a hitter with a 1-2 count during the Los Angeles Dodgers series. The following hitter preceded to hit a 3-run homer. At least La Russa understands everyone’s frustration and is accepting responsibility…
Tony La Russa on the chants
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) June 11, 2022
“I appreciate they want us to win, and when we don’t win, they’re unhappy."
"There isn't anything that's happening with this team that in the end, I'm not responsible for,” said La Russa. "Never dodged accountability and I won't start now."
La Russa stating he has never dodged accountability is an interesting statement. It was just a few weeks ago he was appalled that people had the nerve to question him for that intentional walk blunder. When you are a legit Hall of Fame manager, you can pick and choose when to be accountable.