So, they’re really doing this thing, eh? All righty.
I still think there’s a bit of a show being put on, but hey, it’s got some official-ness to it now:
Can confirm Angels granted White Sox permission to interview Tony La Russa for managerial opening, as @BNightengale said. I don’t know if he has desire to manage again, but he was apparently very invested/involved as a special advisor this year. Still seemingly has that itch.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) October 14, 2020
Tony La Russa, 76, has not managed in nearly a decade, and it’s almost impossible to imagine a scenario where he’s the right fit for this White Sox team at this moment in time. I’ve offered my thoughts before.
But let me put a reasonable spin on this: if he had the itch and wanted a shot, of course the White Sox would at least talk to him, not only because he managed the team many moons ago, and not only because he’s friends with White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. It would also be a good idea to interview him because he’s a successful baseball lifer who might have some really interesting things to say. And I suppose you never know if maybe he might shock you and actually be the right guy for the job.
All that said, I’m sticking to my guns that this is mostly a bit of theater, and the extremely-attractive, win-now White Sox job will ultimately go to one of the more obvious managerial candidates on the market (A.J. Hinch still feels to me like a very obvious fit).
But I’ll keep tracking this, because it’s just so dang wild.