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Tony La Russa named Manager


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6 minutes ago, Orlando said:

La Russa as a one year manager with Hinch as bench coach “paying his dues” and replacing La Russa in ‘22. 
 

1. La Russa gets one last shot

2. Easier p.r. Sell to make Hinch “earn it”

3. Kind of a cool story to have a hall of Famer come out of retirement to lead a team to the promise land as the face while Hinch does the heavy lifting.

Hinch could also just get another job where he doesnt have a grandpa holding his hand and impeding his decisions for a year.  

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8 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

But it seems like age bias to just ignore LaRussa and everything he did. The guy was elite at his craft through 3 decades - you don't do that by not adapting to change. I'm not saying Larussa is my guy, but I don't know that I'd go as far as saying he's an awful candidate.  He's won 3 world series and was part of leading one of the winningest organizations in baseball since he got there in the mid 90's (Cardinals).   Now if he's completely removed from the game of baseball - that is a whole nother thing.  I have no idea - but I don't see why you wouldn't have a conversation with him about the job and what he sees, thinks, etc.   

I am older than most here and I saw LaRussa manage the Sox for a few years. There was nothing that made him exceptional. Firing him was something you heard on the few sports talk shows and in newspapers at the time, all the time. I think his winning was more the product of his organization. Who wouldn't have won with the rosters he had? 

I wouldn't have much age bias if he were 65, but if you listen to interviews with him, he has certainly slowed down, and he is 76.  I was happy Hawk canned him. I think Fregosi was just as good, and when the team got good, I don't think LaRussa could have handled them any better than Torborg.

He has only been out of managing 1 more season than Ozzie, but I really think they have to go with a younger guy. Hinch's cheating is really a problem for me, but if he can overcome that, he certainly has to be more desirable than Tony. 

Who knows, maybe playing the LaRussa card was the only way KW and RH could convince JR to send Ricky away.

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2 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

I am older than most here and I saw LaRussa manage the Sox for a few years. There was nothing that made him exceptional. Firing him was something you heard on the few sports talk shows and in newspapers at the time, all the time. I think his winning was more the product of his organization. Who wouldn't have won with the rosters he had? 

I wouldn't have much age bias if he were 65, but if you listen to interviews with him, he has certainly slowed down, and he is 76.  I was happy Hawk canned him. I think Fregosi was just as good, and when the team got good, I don't think LaRussa could have handled them any better than Torborg.

He has only been out of managing 1 more season than Ozzie, but I really think they have to go with a younger guy. Hinch's cheating is really a problem for me, but if he can overcome that, he certainly has to be more desirable than Tony. 

Who knows, maybe playing the LaRussa card was the only way KW and RH could convince JR to send Ricky away.

All of the above are valid points - like I said - i have no idea how much he has been following the game and the energy he has.  Pete Carrol is 69 and has more energy than most 45 year olds (for example).  My broader assumption is this is JR having a sanctioned and approved conversation with a trusted advisor.  I just think there could be far worse people the organization chats with as part of this process than a guy with 3 world series rings whose known as one of very best managers of all time.  

A lot of people want Bruce Bochy - but I don't know if Bochy is a huge data guy either (maybe he is and I just don't know it).  

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2 minutes ago, southsideirish71 said:

So if thats the case whats next, Dave Duncan becomes the pitching coach then. 

Is that why they sent Coop packing and no one else? This is scary. Hopefully, Tony tells these guys he's 76 years old and doesn't need this anymore, and remembers when Hawk fired him, no one though Hawk was an idiot to do so.

Edited by Dick Allen
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2 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Is that why they sent Coop packing and no one else? This is scary. Hopefully, Tony tells these guys he's 76 years old and doesn't need this anymore, and remembers when Hawk fired him, no one though Hawk was an idiot to do so.

This is from february of 2020.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/20/hall-of-famer-tony-la-russa-considered-returning-to-the-dugout-for-2020/

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

All of the above are valid points - like I said - i have no idea how much he has been following the game and the energy he has.  Pete Carrol is 69 and has more energy than most 45 year olds (for example).  My broader assumption is this is JR having a sanctioned and approved conversation with a trusted advisor.  I just think there could be far worse people the organization chats with as part of this process than a guy with 3 world series rings whose known as one of very best managers of all time.  

A lot of people want Bruce Bochy - but I don't know if Bochy is a huge data guy either (maybe he is and I just don't know it).  

Pete Carroll has also continuously been in his game.

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6 minutes ago, fathom said:

To be fair, when Tony managed the Cardinals, I recall him doing some innovative stuff at the time.

He has always had guys play crazy additional positions. I don't think you would see Greg's dream and have TA catching, but you may see Moncada in RF or even Abreu. He had Mike Squires a lefty, GG quality 1B,  play 3B and C.

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16 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

I am older than most here and I saw LaRussa manage the Sox for a few years. There was nothing that made him exceptional. Firing him was something you heard on the few sports talk shows and in newspapers at the time, all the time. I think his winning was more the product of his organization. Who wouldn't have won with the rosters he had? 

I wouldn't have much age bias if he were 65, but if you listen to interviews with him, he has certainly slowed down, and he is 76.  I was happy Hawk canned him. I think Fregosi was just as good, and when the team got good, I don't think LaRussa could have handled them any better than Torborg.

He has only been out of managing 1 more season than Ozzie, but I really think they have to go with a younger guy. Hinch's cheating is really a problem for me, but if he can overcome that, he certainly has to be more desirable than Tony. 

Who knows, maybe playing the LaRussa card was the only way KW and RH could convince JR to send Ricky away.

I actually thought Jim Fregosi was a better manager than Tony LaRussa at the time.  
 

LaRussa was a rookie manager with the Sox and was always trying to prove himself as somewhat more cerebral a manager than the likes of Sparky Anderson, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin and the others during that era.  But he overdid it.  The next thing you know you had the left handed first baseman Mike Squires playing third base.  It was unbelievable!  He didn’t like to play the percentages back then but rather tried to show people he was smarter than that.  Needless to say, it didn’t work out during his stay with the Sox.
 

That’s why he got so criticized on the air by Harry Caray and Jimmy Piersall, and then Don Drysdale and the Hawk as these seasoned professionals watched him do these crazy things back then.  Luckily for LaRussa, and for reasons still unknown, Reinsdorf backed and supported him, which led to the exodus of Caray & Piersall, and eventually Hawk.   

Edited by Thad Bosley
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6 minutes ago, fathom said:

Bernstein melting down about possibility of Tony, so he reached out to some people:

https://mobile.twitter.com/dan_bernstein/status/1316439969410551808

Bernstein was also real quick to talk on Monday about how La Russa seemed to be losing it a bit his last season with the Cards.  Which was 9 years ago.

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