White Sox bring back HOF manager in different role
Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa has returned to the Chicago White Sox in a different role, less than one year after leaving the club due to health issues.
The news also comes 10 months after La Russa had announced his retirement from baseball in early October 2022.
White Sox brass made sweeping changes on Tuesday evening amidst another down campaign, as they enter Wednesday with the fourth-worst record in MLB at 49-77. Since their 2005 World title, Chicago has only made the playoffs three times, picked up three postseason victories and hasn't made it past the division series.
Pale Hose chairman Jerry Reinsdorf fired vice president Kenny Williams and general manager Rick Hahn, the former of whom had served as the team's general manager from 2000-2012 before holding the VP role for the last 11 years. Hahn had worked with the organization since 2002 and had been the GM since Williams was promoted to VP.
The 78-year-old La Russa was with the White Sox during his first big league managerial gig from 1979-1986 (winning his first AL Manager of the Year award in 1983), before moving onto the Oakland Athletics from 1986-1995. La Russa won three consecutive AL pennants from 1988-1990 with the A's -- including a World Series championship in 1989 -- and grabbed his second and third AL Manager of the Year honors in 1988 and 1992.
He then spent nearly half of his managing days with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1996-2011, winning his lone NL Manager of the Year award in 2002, while winning an NL pennant in 2004 and Fall Classics in 2006 and 2011.
La Russa has a career managerial mark of 2,884-2,499 in the regular season, good for a .536 winning percentage.
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