Are White Sox 'very serious' about bringing La Russa back as manager?
Is the White Sox's search for a new manager going to be over before it even gets started?
Probably not, but it looks like Tony La Russa is emerging as a serious candidate to replace Rick Renteria.
In Wednesday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rick Hummel reported La Russa visited Dave Duncan at his home in Tucson, Ariz., last week to gauge his interest in becoming the White Sox's new pitching coach.
Along with Renteria, longtime Sox pitching coach Don Cooper was let go 10 days after the Sox lost to Oakland in the first round of the playoffs.
La Russa, who is 76 years old and last managed in 2011 when he led the Cardinals to a World Series championship, had Duncan on his staff as pitching coach for 16 seasons.
The duo were together with the White Sox from 1983-86.
Duncan, 75, is not going to be replacing Cooper.
"I have no desire to do that," he said. "(La Russa) asked me anyway, but he knew I wouldn't do it."
With the Dodgers winning the World Series Tuesday night, AJ Hinch and Alex Cora both finished serving suspensions Wednesday that were imposed in January for their roles in the Astros' 2017 sign-stealing scandal.
After Renteria was jettisoned, Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he was likely targeting a new manager that had "experience with a championship organization in recent years."
Hinch won the World Series as Houston's manager in 2017, even though the trophy is severely tarnished. Cora, who was Hinch's bench coach that year, took over as Boston's manager in 2018 and also won the World Series.
La Russa and White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf have been close friends for decades, the most likely reason the move might happen.
"I do know Tony's had some conversations," Duncan said. "He's stayed close with Jerry. I think they're very serious about him being a potential manager there. Tony's not going to be surprised if they offer it to him.
"It's too much moving around and dealing with people for me. But if he chooses to (manage the Sox), I think he'll do a (heck) of a job. He's been involved enough to see how the game has changed. Like it or not, he knows that's the way it is."