The Chicago White Sox need to make sure Tony La Russa does not return for next season
By Todd Welter
The Chicago White Sox announced manager Tony La Russa will not return for the rest of the 2022 season.
La Russa last managed on August 28th.
The next day his doctors advised him to not manage because of health concerns.
It turns out La Russa needed to have a pacemaker inserted into his heart.
Report: Tony La Russa had a pacemaker inserted in his hearthttps://t.co/8bbNOGbfjP
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) September 11, 2022
It is good that Tony was able to get his heart issue addressed. For the sake of his health and the sake of the franchise, Tony La Russa should not be brought back to manage the Chicago White Sox next season.
La Russa still has one year remaining on his deal. He will be 78 years old when the 2023 season begins. You are as young as you feel but after dealing with heart issues it might be best for Tony to go back into retirement.
His return next season might not be even an issue. He may decide to step away as some people who cover him think.
Will Tony La Russa return to the White Sox dugout this season? What about in 2023? I talked to @BNightengale about it this afternoon and he gets the sense it will be Miguel Cairo the rest of the way.
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) September 16, 2022
Watch the full interview tonight on @GNSportsTV at 10:30. pic.twitter.com/0ybovA0mcr
The other reason the Chicago White Sox need to go in a new direction is the Tony La Russa experiment just did not work.
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf rehired La Russa after the 2020 season to make up for his biggest regret in life when he fired La Russa as the Sox manager back in 1986.
The Chicago White Sox won the AL Central Division title last season but the Houston Astros dispatched the Sox from the playoff in four games. La Russa proved he was no better managing the White Sox in the playoffs than Ricky Renteria.
This season the Chicago White Sox are easily the most disappointing team in baseball. Predicted by many to run away with the AL Central again, the White Sox struggled throughout this season and are about to watch the Cleveland Guardians win the division championship.
The Chicago White Sox spending most of the year either below, at, or just a few games over .500 is not all Tony La Russa’s fault. The Sox had to deal with injuries, players struggled, and a roster that was poorly constructed.