The chants for Tony La Russa to be fired won't be heard in Chicago. Even if the Chicago Bulls were playing in the NBA finals, there wouldn't be enough fans at the game to make the chant ring out. No group of rowdy and immature teens who think they are funnier than they are can start a chant in front of him because La Russa's kids aren't young enough to play high school football.
It was worse for Matt Nagy when he was the coach of the Bears. Everyone from Kenosha, Wisc. to Munster, Ind. hated him. He came off defiant, and a lot of times unlikeable, in those post game press conferences, but the fans and the media were using lighter fluid and coals to grill him.
The Texas Rangers beat La Russa's team 11-9 on Saturday in an extra-inning game. A team that was supposed to improve after a 93-win 2021, but has been a disappointment in 2022, is far from out of the playoffs with just over a third of the season completed. The best overall record in the American League was half a game back at this time last year. They were 15 games over.500. They have a minus-54 run differential and are six games back in their division.
They don't miss Lance Lynn or Tim Anderson. Lynn's absence can account for some massive run totals put up against them, but last season the White Sox were without both Jiménez and Luis Robert, and still were one of the better teams in the league. The WhiteSox are the fourth worst team in the MLB. They didn't upgrade the outfield, second base or the starting rotation, but La Russa isn't helping.
Last week against the Los Angeles, he went viral for his baffling decision to intentionally walk Trea Turner when he was down in the count and was rewarded with a Max Muncy three-run home run. He made a lot of strange moves in that series. He put Leury Garca in the leadoff spot. He is currently batting.199. Danny Mendrick, who replaced Anderson as the leadoff man, put up a fight in the two games he played. He scored a run and drove in one in each game.
Some baffling decisions were made by La Russa during the White Socks playoff loss to the Astros. In the best-of-five series, he left struggling starting pitchers in the game too long, and didn't go to Michael Kopech out of the pen until Game 3.
With the Los Angeles Angels firing Joe Maddon, questions have been raised about whether La Russa will be next, and if it will happen this season. La Russa was brought back to manage an MLB team 10 years after he last managed an MLB team, and 35 years after he was fired by the White Socks after they finished under.500 in three out of four years. La Russa went on to win three World Series as a manager and has four 100 win seasons.
It is highly unlikely that La Russ will return even after suffering a recent setback due to the fact that the White Sox still have a chance at the playoffs with Lynn due back Tuesday, Anderson beginning his rehabilitation assignment, and Jiménez due back at some point even after suffering a recent setback.
The Bears made it to the end of the season. He had the third largest metropolitan area in the United States yelling at him.
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