White Sox manager Tony La Russa reiterates stance on Yermin Mercedes home run: Respect is a priority

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa has received plenty of criticism for calling rookie slugger Yermin Mercedes "clueless" after hitting a home run on a 3-0 count in the ninth inning of Monday's blowout win over the Minnesota Twins. 

On Wednesday, La Russa reiterated his stance on the situation, saying Mercedes "made a mistake" and should've taken a walk out of respect for the game and his opponent. 

"If you're going to tell me that sportsmanship and the respect for the game of baseball and respect for your opponent is not an important priority, I can't disagree with you more," La Russa said, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers. "... You think you need more [runs] to win, you keep pushing. If you think you have enough, respect the game and opposition. Sportsmanship."

During Tuesday's game between the White Sox and Twins, Minnesota's Tyler Duffey purposely threw behind Mercedes in retaliation for his home run the night before. After the game, La Russa defended Minnesota for throwing behind Mercedes in a rather bizarre series of comments, saying, "I didn't have a problem with how the Twins handled that."

Several White Sox players publicly disagreed with La Russa, including Tim Anderson and Lance Lynn, who said, "Can't get mad when there's a position player on the field and a guy takes a swing."

Other players across the league also discussed their feelings on the matter, including reigning Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer.