This Day In Sox History...October 29

[Lip Man 1]

October 29, 1956 - Al Lopez replaced Marty Marion as field manager.

Marion who did a fine job in replacing Paul Richards had missed an important board meeting to be with his family at an event. It was all the excuse the Sox needed to let him go despite third place finishes and winning records in 1955 and 1956.

“The Senor” though would prove to be a most able replacement. Lopez had nine straight winning seasons with the club and copped the 1959 American League pennant. Many say he was the finest manager in team history. He holds the franchise record for the highest winning percentage for any manager who lasted at least five full seasons at .562 Lopez eventually won 840 games over nine full seasons and two partial ones with the Sox.

 

October 29, 2020 – In a move that stunned the baseball world and angered many White Sox fans, Hall of Famer Tony LaRussa was announced as the new manager signing a multi-year contract.

LaRussa began his career with the Sox from 1979 to 1986 posting four winning seasons and taking the 1983 Western Division championship. But he hadn’t managed since retiring at the end of the 2011 season with the Cardinals and his age was a concern to many given the global pandemic. LaRussa though was at the forefront of the analytical revolution in baseball, was the first manager to set up a bullpen to bridge things to a ‘closer,’ and won World Series titles in Oakland and St. Louis. Since 2011 he worked in the front offices for Arizona, Boston and the Angels. With the White Sox feeling they had moved into serious contention for championships with a young, talented team, LaRussa appeared to be, in their minds, the man to take them to the next level. 

At 76 he became the third oldest person to manage a Major League team behind “Connie” Mack and Jack McKeon. And under his guidance the Sox despite crippling injuries won 93 games and the Central Division title in the 2021 season before losing to the Astros in the A.L.D.S. The 2022 season though was another story as he was heavily criticized for some bizarre managerial decisions, unusual line up combinations and his awkward rambling press conferences. It culminated with him having to leave the club before the game on August 30 due to health concerns and retiring for good.

[The Mighty Mite]

1 hour ago, Lip Man 1 said:

October 29, 1956 - Al Lopez replaced Marty Marion as field manager.

Marion who did a fine job in replacing Paul Richards had missed an important board meeting to be with his family at an event. It was all the excuse the Sox needed to let him go despite third place finishes and winning records in 1955 and 1956.

“The Senor” though would prove to be a most able replacement. Lopez had nine straight winning seasons with the club and copped the 1959 American League pennant. Many say he was the finest manager in team history. He holds the franchise record for the highest winning percentage for any manager who lasted at least five full seasons at .562 Lopez eventually won 840 games over nine full seasons and two partial ones with the Sox.

 

October 29, 2020 – In a move that stunned the baseball world and angered many White Sox fans, Hall of Famer Tony LaRussa was announced as the new manager signing a multi-year contract.

LaRussa began his career with the Sox from 1979 to 1986 posting four winning seasons and taking the 1983 Western Division championship. But he hadn’t managed since retiring at the end of the 2011 season with the Cardinals and his age was a concern to many given the global pandemic. LaRussa though was at the forefront of the analytical revolution in baseball, was the first manager to set up a bullpen to bridge things to a ‘closer,’ and won World Series titles in Oakland and St. Louis. Since 2011 he worked in the front offices for Arizona, Boston and the Angels. With the White Sox feeling they had moved into serious contention for championships with a young, talented team, LaRussa appeared to be, in their minds, the man to take them to the next level. 

At 76 he became the third oldest person to manage a Major League team behind “Connie” Mack and Jack McKeon. And under his guidance the Sox despite crippling injuries won 93 games and the Central Division title in the 2021 season before losing to the Astros in the A.L.D.S. The 2022 season though was another story as he was heavily criticized for some bizarre managerial decisions, unusual line up combinations and his awkward rambling press conferences. It culminated with him having to leave the club before the game on August 30 due to health concerns and retiring for good.

I’m one of those who think that Al Lopez was the best Sox manager in the club’s history, he made one mistake in his time with the Sox and that was not giving Billy Pierce a start in the 1959 World Series.