The Tony La Russa Experiment Needs To End

This is beyond ridiculous. The signs were there as early as May of last year. This experiment has failed and there’s nothing defensible at this point. Tony La Russa is not a competent MLB manager as the game has clearly passed him by. The “Hall of Fame manager” defense is not and will never be a credible defense. The only person who can change and save themself is Tony La Russa. Otherwise, the failures will just continue.

If you haven’t figured out what the point of this article is at this point, then this should make it obvious: Tony La Russa should no longer be the manager of the White Sox. When he was hired, there was a lot of criticism for numerous reasons, but the biggest one was that he had not managed in 10 years. 10 years?! A lot of time has passed by then and the game has changed a lot especially with the use of analytics. When La Russa was hired, the questions then became whether he could adapt to the new age of baseball and whether he would use analytics. There was some reason to say that he should be given a chance considering he had been heralded for his bullpen usage and his experience managing a ball club. There was a reason why he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. If he was able to combine his experience, adapt to this new era of the sport, and was open to the use of analytics, then this might not have been as bad of a hire as some thought.

Then came the 2021 season. That’s when what feared a lot of fans the most coming to fruition. La Russa was clearly out of his depth in this new era of baseball. It became clear that his gut feeling use of the bullpen was an outdated concept in an age where it is clear that readily available data is a better way of using relievers. La Russa’s bullpen management had proven to be terrible as he would use matchups in order to justify his use instead of looking at the numbers. He would constantly leave pitchers in longer than they should be, whether they were starters or relievers, and would also bring in pitchers from the bullpen in situations where they were in a position that set them up for failure. A prime example of this was Jose Ruiz being thrown into situations that were high leverage, something he has never done in the past, plus has shown to be inconsistent up to that point. As the 2021 season went on, there were other situations where La Russa would make a terrible use of his bullpen. Another one of these was Craig Kimbrel, who had been outstanding for the Cubs and was traded for, but then suddenly was atrocious on the South Side. While the concept of using current closer Liam Hendriks and Kimbrel in situations where they would both get save opportunities and also in a set up role was to be implemented and it could’ve been used well if done properly, it obviously didn’t work. Some thought it was because Kimbrel was not comfortable in the role he was given, but it was more obvious it was because La Russa did not use him properly. La Russa would constantly bring Kimbrel into games with runners on base, a situation he was not used to, something Hendriks had shown to be effective at doing in the past, and would of course fail. If Kimbrel had been used properly, it's when there’s no runners on base or at the beginning of an inning. Kimbrel might’ve been a part of the problem as there clearly was something wrong with his mechanics, it’s hard to work on mechanics when thrusted into situations you’re destined to fail. A good manager would never set a player up for failure.

Then there were two absolutely egregious and fireable moments. The first to be mentioned is the infamous “forgetting the rules” moment in Cincinnati. Yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like. In extra innings against the Reds in Cincinnati, La Russa opted to keep Hendriks in the game, but because it was a game held in the National League, the pitcher was in the lineup. La Russa had Hendriks run the bases as a ghost runner. The team failed to score and ultimately lost the game. In his press conference, James Fegan of The Athletic asked La Russa as to why he allowed Hendriks to stay in the game to which La Russa explained that it was because he was having Hendriks pitch in the bottom of the inning. Fegan then brought up the rule where a manager can opt in another player to run the bases if it’s supposed to be a pitcher to run. La Russa would put his hands on his face and admit that he did not know that was a rule. Later, Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell was asked about that same situation as to where he said that the rule was explained to every ballclub in spring training. So where were La Russa’s coaches to tell him that rule? Were they too scared to bring it up? Or did they also not know the rule?

The next situation was in a game in Minnesota against the Twins. In this situation, the Sox were up big and the Twins had a position pitcher on the mound. A 3-0 meatball was served up to Yermin Mercedes who then proceeded to crush it for a home run. La Russa proceeded to call Mercedes out for not honoring the “unwritten rules” despite there not being anything wrong. It was clear La Russa had no problem throwing his own player under the bus, but not holding himself accountable for the mistakes he had made. Then, the next night, Minnesota’s Tyler Duffey threw a pitch behind Mercedes and was immediately ejected including Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. La Russa would actually defend the Twins’ actions, something inexplicably indefensible. It was clear La Russa would defend the other team trying to hurt his own player than his own team because of some stupid concept called “unwritten rules.” La Russa was more worried about that than the safety of his own player. Think about that. Baseball is meant to be fun, yet La Russa wants to be a curmudgeon.

La Russa has always had favorite players during his time as manager, but there is one in particular that he seems to have an affinity for and that player is Leury Garcia. Garcia, who holds a career stat line of 76 wRC+, .283 wOBA, and .652 OPS, has been clearly a big favorite of La Russa. La Russa even said that he’s an “everyday player who plays everywhere” (which by that stat line, he clearly isn’t), but Garcia has only been a utility player off the bench in his career. While there is a lot to like with Garcia as a bench player as he’s a switch hitter, has speed, and can play multiple positions, he is not an everyday player. It’s not even debatable. However, La Russa continues to play him like one and the offense suffers because of it. La Russa has set him up for failure before as well including in crucial situations like last season’s Division Series against the Houston Astros in Houston where in a game where the team was leading in Game Two and moved Garcia to right field, a position where he has a career 0 DRS and 2.7 UZR, and a fly ball that could be possibly caught by a better fielding player like Adam Engel was hit towards him and he misses the ball in what possibly cost the team the game. There’s more about La Russa’s affinity for Garcia, but that’s for later.

2022 has officially been the epitome of La Russa’s ineptness as a manager of this club. The same bullpen management has been atrocious, but that’s nothing new. He consistently keeps leaving in starters or relievers in longer than they should be and continues to do the same matchups crap instead of using data when bringing in a reliever. While the pitching has been good overall and relievers like Matt Foster have become dependable again, that doesn’t mean La Russa has not set some of them up for failure. In fact, it has happened quite often. La Russa also constantly uses the same pitchers over and over again and that taxes the bullpen. However, this season it’s been lineup construction. In 2021, there was some criticism, but overall his lineups were not glaringly as much of an issue. That being said, it’s clearly been an issue in 2022. A prime example is his use of Leury Garcia in the lineup. This is not a joke, but a guy with a career stat line of 76 wRC+, .283 wOBA, and .652 OPS has been the lead off, two hole, and three hole hitter in 2022. What has that amounted to? A measly 29 wRC+, .204 wOBA, .194 average, .205 OBP, and .263 slugging percentage. Yikes! The best hitters in the lineup should hit higher in the lineup. Does that look like numbers that a good hitter has? Absolutely not. Garcia should not hit higher than seventh nor should he get much playing time (though obviously he has to with injuries at the moment). If La Russa used him properly then most fans wouldn’t be groveling. The problem though is the team signed Garcia to a three year contract thus handcuffing the franchise and for the fans to watch this putrid display. None of it makes any logical sense, yet La Russa is still very insistent playing Garcia. He should be giving at bats to players like Andrew Vaughn or Jake Burger more than someone like Garcia. A player like Garcia should only be starting to give someone a day off here and there.

The other problem is where he is having his players hit the lineup. A prime example is when he had Yasmani Grandal leadoff. Grandal is struggling, but even if he wasn’t, he should be nowhere near the top of the lineup and if he is struggling he definitely shouldn’t and should hit lower. La Russa said it was to “get him going” and because of his ability to get on base. Terrible idea. Also, someone who leads off should probably have some speed, something Grandal lacks. Needless to say, it did not work out. While some of his players not being able to hit well isn’t necessarily his fault totally, but he has not optimized the lineup like he should to give his team the best chance at winning. Tim Anderson leading off is great and it has worked out, but with his injury, La Russa has to find someone else. The most logical solution would be Luis Robert as he is probably the most talented player on the roster and giving him as many at bats as possible makes so much sense. Apparently not to La Russa. Injuries have made it a bit difficult for La Russa to optimize the best lineup and when Eloy Jimenez and Anderson come back, it should make his life easier, but that does not mean he gets a pass with his lineup card. Right now, the lineup might look best with Robert leading off, Vaughn batting behind him, Abreu in the three hole, Burger cleaning up, Pollock batting fifth, Moncada batting sixth, and then Grandal to round things up with either Danny Mendick, Josh Harrison, and Garcia for the last two spots depending who starts. Obviously if others like Reese McGuire and Adam Engel start it would have to look a little different, but that’s a totally different story. La Russa seems to be mixing the lineup based on how a hitter holds the bat and that clearly is such an old school approach and something that really does not hold as much water as it used to. So he needs to stop with that.

What also could be the problem as to why these players aren’t hitting well is there hasn’t been any consistent lineup. That isn’t a joke, there has not once been a duplicate lineup this season. How are the players going to be able to hit consistently when they are put in different places in the lineup or not knowing who is going to protect them? One thing La Russa consistently does is make a “sunday lineup” (which means you give some of your starters the day off to play your bench players which is typically what happens on a Sunday) multiple times a week. You can’t generate enough offense that way and that is probably why the team is struggling at the plate. There needs to be more consistency and that might possibly get the bats going. Once the team is healthier, then it could make La Russa’s job a lot easier when constructing a lineup, but don’t get any high hopes he optimizes it to the best it possibly can be.

But the most egregious thing La Russa has done so far in his time as manager was in the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the sixth inning with two outs, a runner on second, Dodgers’ shortstop Trea Turner at the plate, and Sox reliever Bennett Sousa on the hill, Sousa got a 1-2 count on Turner. Then, suddenly Turner was told to take his base at first as he was intentionally walked. The next batter was Max Muncy who proceeded to hit a three run home run and what possibly turned out to be the difference in the game. When La Russa was asked about that situation, he said:

“Do you know what (Turner) hits against left handed pitching? With 0-1, or two strikes, do you know what he hits? Do you know what Muncy hits with two strikes? I mean, is this really a question? Because it was 1-2? Turner with a strike left against left-handers is something you avoid if you can. And we had an open base, and Muncy happened to be that guy behind him. And that’s the better matchup. If somebody disagrees that the beauty of the game. You’re welcome to it. But that wasn’t a tough call. Maybe if Smith was hitting behind him, It’d have been a different thing. But Muncy’s there, it’s an easy call. I mean it’s an easy call for me. If Turner gets a hit there, I’d be walking into a lake or something. Because that would’ve been stupid.”

Huh? That makes little sense. The odds are always in favor of the pitcher with two strikes no matter who the hitter is. If they were to intentionally walk Turner, that should be done before Sousa throws a pitch to him. Doing that in the middle of the at bat makes no sense. But let’s dig into the numbers to see if he has a point. Turner hits .286 against lefties. With an 0-1 count he is hitting .400 and with two strikes he is hitting .227. Max Muncy on the other hand is hitting .125 against lefties and .097 with two strikes. So that might seem logical until these following numbers suggest otherwise. Sousa has a 10.29 K/9 strikeout rate with a 1-2 count this season. Turner is hitting .299 this season when he gets ahead 1-0 in the count. Turner is batting .146 this year with an 0-2 count and .212 for his career. So no, those numbers don’t support his logic. Plus Sousa’s numbers are better against right handed hitters while historically Muncy hits left handed pitchers better. Either his ego is too large to admit his mistake or he is so out of touch.

Which brings to the next point, his ego. Has it gotten to the point where becoming a hall of fame manager has gotten to his head? It’s crazy to think about how a supposed hall of fame manager can manage a ballclub this badly. The question here is though why is he consistently making terrible decisions. One thought is that La Russa has made it known to his coaches that he has the final say no matter what they suggest and his gut instincts are the reason why he is a hall of fame manager and he shouldn’t be questioned. It seems like that when the team was in Cincinnati last year and La Russa did not realize what the rules were, that his coaches knew them and were too scared to bring it up to him. That’s a certain power dynamic where La Russa sees himself as an almighty figure and everyone else just serves him. That probably explains why coaches, who are clearly using data, don’t speak up about certain managerial decisions La Russa makes. No manager in their right mind would make such a stupid decision like the intentional walk. It explains why when asked by Sox broadcaster Len Kasper about the lack of walks in a pregame interview La Russa said they can't change the approach because if pitchers know they’re just going to take then they'll lob it down the middle. With the struggles of their offense, what makes him think that approach is working? Hint: it isn’t. Even in the video of his DUI arrest, La Russa exclaimed that he was a hall of famer as if he thought he was above the law. That seems pretty obvious what type of culture he has brought to the clubhouse and that right there is pretty indicative of how his tenure as manager has been a failure.

Many White Sox fans believe that owner Jerry Reinsdorf hired LaRussa to make up for the mistake that was made by then-general manager Ken “Hawk” Harrelson back in 1986. Don’t be so sure about that as Reinsdorf most likely had a phone call with La Russa (considering their friendship) and La Russa casually brought up how he missed managing to which then Reinsdorf brought up to him as to whether he wanted to come back. Sure, they both might have made a joke about the firing back in ‘86, but it is unlikely Reinsdorf hired him because he wanted to make up for it. It was fairly obvious that general manager Rick Hahn wanted to hire A.J. Hinch as manager, but Reinsdorf made it very apparent that it was his team and his say. Reinsdorf isn’t a bad owner, but this is a colossal mistake made by him and only he can rectify it.

It is fairly apparent that if La Russa does not learn from his mistakes then this rebuild the Sox have made will be a colossal failure due to underachievement. This cannot keep going or else the franchise will alienate many fans. This rebuild will fail because a manager made too many mistakes and his ego got in the way. This is supposed to be a championship caliber team. If La Russa is willing to put his ego to the side, listen to his coaches, adapt to this new age of baseball, and start looking at analytics, then maybe he can not only help bring a championship to the South Side of Chicago, but also help save his legacy. That being said, maybe “Hawk” Harrelson made the right decision in ‘86.