The White Sox’ managerial search won’t be wrapped up until after the World Series when they can talk to former Astros manager AJ Hinch, who is believed to be their top choice, but the interview stage is already under way.
The Sox have reportedly talked to 76-year-old Tony La Russsa, according to WSCR-AM. Whether La Russa would want the job is unknown, as is the Sox’ level of desire to hire the Hall of Famer who has three World Series championships on his resume.
La Russa guided the Sox to a division championship in 1983 and was fired by then-general manager Ken Harrelson in 1986. Chairman Jerry Reinsforf has called the firing his biggest regret and has remained close to La Russa since.
La Russa’s longtime pitching coach, Dave Duncan, 75, has kept a low profile while on the Sox payroll as a pitching consultant.
La Russa hasn’t managed since 2011. He is currently a senior adviser to baseball operations for the Angels.
Hinch, 46, a former catcher who managed the Astros from 2015-19, was suspended by Major League Baseball and fired by the Astros in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal. He also managed the Diamondbacks in 2009 and 2010 and was vice president of scouting for the Padres from 2010-14. In Houston, he managed in four postseasons, reached the ALCS three times and won the World Series in 2017.
Potential candidates for interviews also include Indians coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren.
Braves coach Ron Washington has also been floated as a potential candidate. Alex Cora, the former Astros bench coach and Red Sox manager who like Hinch was suspended in the wake of the Astros scandal during the 2017 season, is not on the Sox radar, sources say. Cora might be headed back to the Red Sox after his suspension is up, anyway, according to numerous reports.
Bruce Bochy, 65 and recently retired, was regarded as one of the game’s top managers and didn’t rule out having interest in the Sox when asked about the possibility last week.
“This is an opportunity for us to speak to individuals with other organizations that have had success and learn from them and get their sort of outsider objective perspective on our organization,” general manager Rick Hahn said on Oct. 12. “Ultimately, the best candidate or the ideal candidate is going to be someone who has experience with a championship organization in recent years. Recent October experience with a championship organization would be ideal. But we’re going to keep an open mind. These next weeks, several weeks, we’ll diligently pursue who’s on our list and go from there.”
