Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is stepping down as Chicago White Sox manager due to health-related issues that kept him away from the team for the last five weeks of the season, he announced in a statement released Monday.
La Russa, who will turn 78 years old on Tuesday, has not managed a game since shockingly leaving Guaranteed Rate Field on August 30, after physicians informed him he needed to undergo further testing related to a heart issue.
According to La Russa on Monday, there was a problem with the pacemaker he had implanted in February that caused him to step away from the White Sox. While he was out, a second issue arose, forcing him to take an indefinite leave of absence. He was under contract through next season.
“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.”
In La Russa’s time away, the underachieving White Sox got an initial boost of energy from acting manager Miguel Cairo, but that did not last very long, as the team was swept in a three-game series by their division rival Cleveland Guardians, in a win-or-go-home scenario last month. They went on to lose eight straight games and now they are hoping to finish out the campaign with a .500 or above record for the third consecutive year.
“Our team’s record this season is the final reality,” La Russa said in the statement. “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.”
La Russa’s second tour of duty with the franchise, after managing the White Sox from 1979 through the 1986 season, made headlines for his unorthodox decisions, but the team won the American League Central Division by 13 games in his first season.
This year has been turbulent. The White Sox have stayed around the .500 mark all year, despite being preseason favorites to win their division and make noise in the playoffs. La Russa intentionally walked two batters, who had two strikes on them, further creating headlines and controversy.
La Russa expressed sadness and disappointment in not being able to fulfill his commitment with the White Sox, but stated that the “future for this team remains bright.”
“I still appreciate the chance to come back home to the White Sox and leave today with many more good memories than disappointments,” he said. “As I have said many times during my career, no manager has ever had more good fortune than I have.”
