This weekend isn’t the first time Tony La Russa has managed against somebody close. That doesn’t make competing against the Royals’ Mike Matheny any easier.
“Very uncomfortable, very uncomfortable,” La Russa said.
La Russa, early in his second stint managing the White Sox, goes back a long way with the Kansas City skipper. Matheny spent five years playing for La Russa in St. Louis, including winning the 2004 National League pennant. Matheny also took over as Cardinals manager following La Russa’s first retirement, which came after St. Louis won the 2011 World Series.
Their relationship clearly means something to La Russa, who recalled the bond he had with another well-known manager when talking about Matheny.
“Probably the best example for years was Jim Leyland, we’re like brothers,” said La Russa, who had Leyland as his third-base coach with the Sox from 1982-85. “Mike is part of the family, maybe more like a son than a brother, but when you’ve got a family member you want them to have a good day, but we can’t want Mike to have a good day. That’s why I’ll be glad when Sunday’s over.”
On Saturday, rain spared La Russa from an awkward afternoon.
Four hours before the scheduled first pitch, it was announced that Saturday’s game was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader May 14. Both games that day will be seven innings and the teams will be allowed to add an extra player for the doubleheader.
Scheduled to pitch Saturday, Dylan Cease will start Sunday against the Royals’ Mike Minor. The Sox will stay on their planned rotation, with Carlos Rodon pitching Monday against Cleveland.
If the weather allows this series to conclude Sunday, it will be another chance for Matheny to manage against somebody he watched work up close. Matheny said he learned a lot from La Russa, including how he communicated with his team, prepared for games and handled both veterans and young players.
Obviously, those are just a few of the things La Russa did well that Matheny noticed.
“I’m excited to watch our guys play against each other,” Matheny said. “My whole thing with managing is I just don’t want to miss a trick, and I know I stole that from Tony. I know that’s verbatim something he said and it’s always stuck in my mind.”
Though, with a tinge of regret in his voice, Matheny said he was too locked into his job as a player to take detailed notes about how La Russa worked as a manager. The same was true with other accomplished managers Matheny played for, including Felipe Alou, Jim Fregosi and Phil Garner.
“If I could go back again, I would certainly, knowing what I know now, the seat that I’m sitting in, I would’ve loved to have had more dialogue, asking questions, but it wasn’t the right thing to do at the time,” Matheny said. “There’s no doubt.”
Now, the two are rivals in the Central Division who were scheduled to play each other 19 times this season. Those games will be important for the Sox, who figure to be in a tight race to win the division.
La Russa’s focus won’t be on his past with Matheny. Not that he’ll completely enjoy their matchups.
“Been through it enough, and he’s the same,” La Russa said. “He has a responsibility to make decisions for his club and his coaching staff and I have to make the same for our club. You concentrate on your responsibility and you get through it, but it’s uncomfortable.”
