Already a Hall of Famer with three World Series rings, La Russa added another highlight to his resume and did it in the city where he started his managerial career.
When he was hired, there were legitimate questions about how Tony La Russa would be accepted by the White Sox players. An old-school manager taking over a bold and brash new-school team seemed like an odd fit, and one that could lead to real issues. After the Sox beat the Tigers 3-0 on Sunday to give him his 2,764th managerial win to pass John McGraw for second all-time, La Russa was congratulated by his players in the post-victory handshake line who seemed to relish the moment. “The most important part of this season so far is the way the players have included me as part of the family,” La Russa said. “And our coaching staff. We had some holdovers, we had some new guys. That’s the most important part.” Sunday was another important moment for La Russa in a season that’s already had a few memorable episodes. After Sunday’s win, the Sox hold a four-game lead over second-place Cleveland despite the absence of Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez. There’s also been the questions about La Russa’s methods and decisions, most recently his choice Saturday to have Danny Mendick bunt against Detroit reliever Derek Holland with runners on first and second and none out.
