Tony La Russa gets off easy after DUI case resolves

Tony La Russa got off easy after his DUI case resolved.

The Chicago White Sox deciding to hire Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa after a decade away from the game was met with a great deal of controversy, as some question if La Russa will be able to adjust his style enough to helm a winning team in 2021. However, La Russa already had to face a tsunami of off-field issues before a pitch was ever thrown as he was charged with a DUI the day before he was hired. Now that he has officially been sentenced, it appears as though La Russa isn’t exactly going to go to Rikers Island over these charges.

La Russa’s plea agreement states that he will only serve one day in jail, which was converted into home confinement, pay a fine, and perform 20 hours of community service.

Tony La Russa has made Chicago a very combustible operation

La Russa might have a few championship rings on his hands, but Chicago’s decision to fire a manager in Rick Renteria that was up for Manager of the Year in favor of La Russa certainly raised a few eyebrows.

While the White Sox have a deep roster full of established vets like 2020 MVP Jose Abreu and an armada of quality prospects, La Russa will have a lot of egos and personalities like Tim Anderson to juggle. Getting a DUI is not a good way to immediately start commanding respect in what could be a combustible locker room.

La Russa now has to take over a team that had a ton of momentum, make adjustments to the modern game on the fly, and put his offseason arrest in the rear-view mirror. This has the potential to truly explode in all the wrong ways in 2021.