The Chicago White Sox appeared to be banking on improvement from within this past offseason, allowing Carlos Rodon to walk in free agency and failing to make any effort to land a big target. Now Tony La Russa is taking the blame, or at least feeling the heat from the local fanbase.
Bad string of decisions from La Russa continues
Last week’s strange intentional walk that ended up giving the Los Angeles Dodgers another run was bad enough.
Then Saturday night happened. With the White Sox leading 5-0 over the Texas Rangers, and somehow allowing them back in the game, bringing the game to a 7-7 tie in the ninth, only to allow the Rangers to win 11-9 in the 10th inning.
Fans are upset, and they have every right to be.
After a 93-69 season in 2021, the White Sox should have been able to maintain their pace and with a few additions, maybe even improve in 2022, but that hasn’t been the case at all.
Now 57 games into the season, the Sox sit in third place of the AL Central, at 27-30, six games behind the Minnesota Twins for the division lead.
The Sox have lost four of their last 10 games and fans are starting to get restless, as shown by their display on Saturday night, when the crowd in attendance at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago could be loudly heard chanting ‘Fire Tony!’.
Yet, the veteran La Russa doesn’t seem particularly bothered or impacted at all by the fans’ feelings.
“I hear it with one ear and I see it with one eye. I just know I appreciate [that] they want us to win. And, when we don’t win, they’re unhappy.”
Tony La Russa on fans’ Fire Tony chants
To his credit, La Russa took responsibility for his team’s less than ideal performance so far, with over a third of the season in the rearview mirror.
The White Sox will resume play at home on Sunday at 2:10 EDT against the Rangers. Maybe La Russa’s squad will have a bit more luck with Michael Kopech on the mound.
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