NEWSLETTER
If you were genuinely interested in reconsidering a hiring decision in the context of a second DUI, one where the 76-year-old involved tried to big-time his way out of an arrest, you’d probably be reconsidering it immediately. Like, before you even finalized the hiring.
So color me unsurprised that the White Sox’s official response to this week’s Tony La Russa blow-up is to offer the typical “everyone deserves a day in court” stuff:
The White Sox do have a statement on Tony La Russa pic.twitter.com/bMnKV0dSYM
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) November 12, 2020
Here is the statement from Tony La Russa’s attorney, Larry Kazan, which the White Sox statement referred to: pic.twitter.com/lET7rQ2hGi
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) November 12, 2020
As I said, it’s clear the White Sox just want this to go away, and they’re crossing their fingers that it does.
To that I will say yes, of course, everyone does deserve their day in court when it comes to the threat of criminal punishment. But holding one of 30 managerial seats in MLB is not the same thing as the criminal justice system. We know that, of course, because MLB levies punishments all the time outside of criminal proceedings. The White Sox are free to do what they want in this situation, including an investigation and determination on La Russa’s fitness to serve as manager.
But, like I said, they knew all this before they finalized the hiring. So why would they change course now?
By the way, this was just last night:
Sox are quite aware of the fan response and questions, I should add, but feel they are obligated to wait for the legal process to resolve.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) November 12, 2020
Which means they didn’t want to comment at all, felt even MORE pressure to say something … and all they came up with was another fart.
