Old School Tony

The 2020 campaign ended earlier than it should have last season for the South Siders of Chicago. The White Sox struggled down the stretch and ended up losing a best of three series to the Athletics in the first round of the playoffs. While making the playoffs for the first time in over a decade is nice, the young and largely talented roster is far better than a first round exit. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf decided to move on from manager Rick Renteria following the season. When Tony La Russa rumors were swirling I couldn't help but laugh. No part of me thought this was actually going to happen. To be honest it makes zero sense to me given the young talent mentioned earlier. Here's a guy (shoutout to Cris Collinsworth) who had not managed since 2011 and the only spot he didn't have much success was his previous tenure in Chicago. Tony's first stint for the Sox was way back in 1979. Gas was .86 cents per gallon then folks...it's been awhile. This did not seem like a move Jerry made in the best interest of the club but rather was just looking for a friendship reunion. While I am not knocking Tony's success, and the Sox are playing well this year, the latest takes he's made to the press further my point.

On Monday, the White Sox were annihilating the Twins 15-4 headed into the top half of the ninth. The Twins brought in position player, Willians Astudillo, to pitch to the Rookie, Yermin Mercedes. Mercedes, who happens to be the hottest hitter on the planet, crushed a 47 mph eephus pitch for a home run to dead center field on a 3-0 count making the score 16-4. Apparently Yermin got the take sign but swung anyway and his skipper was not happy postgame. La Russa stated it was a "Big mistake, the fact that he is a rookie is the reason he was clueless." Later on he said that it was just not the time to swing 3-0 and with that kind of lead it was lacking in sportsmanship and respect for the opponent. The 76 year old didn't stop there. The next day the Twins retaliated by throwing behind Mercedes. In the presser Tony said he didn't have a problem with the Twins throwing behind his star rookie. To not have your guys back no matter the situation is suspect to say the least.

Despite La Russa saying that there is no rift in the clubhouse I find that hard to belive. This goes back to his age unfortunately. He is now coaching guys who are much younger than him and see the game in a new light. The "unwritten rules" of baseball are clearly outdated and honestly I think it is a huge reason why people do not watch or find enjoyment in baseball. Trevor Bauer said it best in a tweet Tuesday. Bauer said "Dear hitters: If you hit a 3-0 homer off me, I will not consider it a crime. Dear people who are still mad about a hitter hitting: kindly get out of the game. Can’t believe we’re still talking about 3-0 swings. If you don’t like it, managers or pitchers, just be better." This is a spot on quote from the former Cy young winner. In my eyes if you're upset about Yermin swinging 3-0, get him out and maybe don't put in a position player to pitch. Similiar to the common basketball term "shooters shoot" when it comes to baseball "hitters hit." A lot of the Sox young core is clearly on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to their managers thoughts here. Yermin and the White Sox should absolutely keep doing what they're doing. It is exciting times for the south siders. In general, baseball is simply better when young talent is not afraid to show emotion and show up the opponent once in awhile. The sport could use some flair every now and then.

The White Sox find themselves three games clear of the Cleveland Indians for first place in the AL Central. They are also tied with Oakland and San Francisco for the most wins in the league. While this is all good and well, I am still not keen on the La Russa hire. It's a clear red flag when you don't have your guys back when he gets the ball thrown behind him. Tony, you better adjust to the times before it's too late.