Tony La Russa is surprisingly tough on himself with White Sox resignation

Tony La Russa is surprisingly tough on himself with White Sox resignation. 

On Monday afternoon Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa released a statement revealing that he was stepping down as manager of the team.

The decision was made, in part, due to health concerns.

“At no time this season did either issue negatively affect my responsibilities as White Sox manager,” La Russa said in the statement. “However, it has become obvious that the length of the treatment and recovery process for this second health issue makes it impossible for me to be the White Sox manager in 2023. The timing of this announcement now enables the front office to include filling the manager position with their other off-season priorities.”

The other was due to the team’s performance this season.

“Our team’s record this season is the final reality,” La Russa said. “It is an unacceptable disappointment. There were some pluses, but too many minuses. In the Major Leagues, you either do or you don’t. Explanations come across as excuses. Respect and trust demand accountability, and during my managerial career, I understood that the ultimate responsibility for each minus belongs to the manager.

“I was hired to provide positive, difference-making leadership and support. Our record is proof. I did not do my job.”

Tony La Russa puts blame on himself for White Sox struggles amid resignation

Prior to his health scares over the last month or so of the 2022 season, La Russa had been a bit prickly in regards to criticism of his and the White Sox performance on the year.

To see him accept the reality of the situation and, in turn, be critical of the job he did on the Southside is jarring to see but does undeniably add to the seeming inevitability of the decision that he and the organization reached in pursuing another managerial option for the team moving forward.

Before La Russa ever took the job in Chicago, he was already bound for Cooperstown given what he’s been able to accomplish in the sport. It’s just a shame that his last hurrah in baseball is not only a job for which fans were extremely unhappy but, moreover, one that the manager himself is not happy with either.