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.
Sunday, however, was a true highlight for La Russa. Already a Hall of Famer with three World Series rings, La Russa was able to pass McGraw, and did so managing the same team he started with over four decades ago.
Dylan Cease, who pitched the Sox to the win, said he wasn’t aware La Russa was closing in on the mark. If he had known, Cease said it might’ve made him try too hard.
“First off, the guy’s a Hall of Famer, so you have to respect him,” Cease said. “It’s pretty legendary to say that we get to play for him. He’s calm, he’s funny. It’s nice having him at the helm.”
So at least right now, it sounds like the bonding process is going well.
“The wins are going to take care of themselves, but the togetherness and the fact that you’re going to compete together,” La Russa said. “I’ve got a lot more respect to earn, and credibility, but they’ve allowed me to get a head start. I feel close to them, and they show it to me every day.”
Outfielder Adam Engel, who played for La Russa in a regular-season game for the first time, said it meant a lot to him to take part in the milestone win. Engel said it’s an “unbelievable accomplishment” for La Russa and his family, and he even wanted a keepsake from the day.
“You have guys who can hit a lot of home runs, have a lot of strikeouts, but at the end of the day, you are trying to win the game,” Engel said. “To have that many wins, to be a part of that many wins, it’s unbelievable. I had my jersey taken out of the laundry so I could have Tony sign my jersey today.”
La Russa and the Sox are looking for other memories a few months down the line. They’ve had injuries but are into June holding onto first place, and the Sox have shown a winning mentality.
Whatever happens with injuries, La Russa is confident that the Sox will give it their “best shot” at the end.
“It hasn’t been fair for every team, everybody’s been hurt,” La Russa said. “But if we’re given a legitimate chance, then we’ve got a legitimate chance to qualify for October and see what happens. That’s the goal. Never give in, never give up. The guys believe in it. We’ll see.”
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/3pprhxg
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