White Sox manager Tony La Russa said he would return next season if his players want him back, and while there isn’t much doubt the 77-year-old Hall of Famer will return, staunch support from an important voice in the clubhouse came his way Thursday.
“Speaking from a player’s standpoint, for sure. I definitely want him in,” All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson said. “He did a great job with the way he managed, and just being open.
“For me, yeah, I want him to be back.”
On Wednesday, Jose Abreu, the veteran leader of the clubhouse, said he didn’t talk to La Russa about next year after this season ended in a disappointing three-games-to-one defeat to the Astros in the ALDS.
“But I’m pretty sure he’s going to come back,” Abreu said through a translator. “He won’t leave us alone. He’s going to be with us.”
When La Russa was hired in the offseason — in a stunning move by chairman Jerry Reinsdorf — the pushback was heard loud and clear from baseball, media and fans. One immediate reaction was the assumption La Russa’s age (76 at the time) and old-school manner would clash with the culture of a fun, free spirited Sox clubhouse. Anderson’s bat flipping and outgoing persona were driving forces in the team’s “Change the Game” marketing plan, and Anderson was somewhat skeptical at first. He took a wait-and-see approach.
But he warmed up to La Russa after initial conversations, and his respect for the manager grew during the season.
“Huge impact,” Anderson said Thursday of La Russa’s leadership. “Everybody thought we weren’t going to get along, but we were talking behind the scenes the whole time. For him, the players come first, and he makes that known. We’re one big family.”
Anderson has spoken before this week of his appreciation for La Russa’s office door “always being open” for conversations about baseball and non-baseball issues. Anderson said “everybody” got along with him.
“He did a great job coming in and being a part of what we’re trying to do,” Anderson said. “I couldn’t be more happy with what he did. The relationship was great, overall, with the players. Hopefully he can step right back in and push us next year and make these decisions that he did. He did a great job overall, and I was very pleased with how he handled it.
“When we took the field, we were going to go out and play hard for him and give him everything we got. I’m very pleased with him.”
La Russa was brought in to take the Sox to the next level after they lost in the Wild Card to the Athletics under manager Rick Renteria in 2020 after finishing 35-25 in the abbreviated season, their first postseason appearance since 2008. But Anderson characterized the Sox’s season as positive. They finished 93-69 and win the AL Central by 13 games, ahead of Cleveland.
“We won the division, that didn’t happen last year. We also brought two playoff games to Chicago, that didn’t happen last year,” he said. “So I think it’s just a step to where we’re trying to get to, and we’ve just got to keep believing and trusting in that process and take it step by step.
“We competed all season, through injuries, really through everything. And just for us to get to where we were, it says a lot about the ball club and this organization.”
La Russa called winning the division and falling in October “bittersweet” and disappointing. He completed the first year of what is believed to be a three-year contract and was asked about his status for next season after the Sox’ loss in Game 4 to the Astros.
“Every year since I had some security, I understood the importance,” La Russa said. “You have a contract, and I always waited so the ownership and the front office said we want you back. If they didn’t, I just walked away. But once you got theirs, if you fool them and the players don’t want you, then you walk away.”
So La Russa will check. He doesn’t have to with Anderson.
“For me, yeah, I want him to be back,” Anderson said. “But at the end of the day, my decision don’t really matter. So I guess it all depends on what the front office thinks.”
