Mark Gonzales: La Russa will employ his juggling act for opening series in Detroit
A doubleheader loss to Toronto, coupled with a knee injury to slugger Paul Konerko, left then-White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen in a fighting mood as the 2008 White Sox tried to hold their one-game lead in the American League Central.
"We have to fight like a cat - paws up," said Guillen, who already was coping with season-ending injuries to Joe Crede, Carlos Quentin, Jose Contreras, Scott Linebrink and Chris Getz.
T-shirts printed with the words "Paws Up" were distributed, although the slogan didn't catch on with the masses.
Fortunately for the Sox, Konerko returned after missing five games, and they won the AL Central in a dramatic one-game playoff over the rival Twins.
The 2022 Sox have encountered a similar situation prior to Friday's season opener at Detroit. They've already lost prized left-handed reliever Garret Crochet for the season due to an elbow injury. Rotation stabilizer Lance Lynn likely won't return until around Memorial Day because of a torn tendon in his right knee, and power reliever Joe Kelly is nursing a right biceps ailment.
"All hands on deck that first weekend," Sox manager and devout animal rights supporter Tony La Russa said Monday.
La Russa already has a secure place in Cooperstown, N.Y., as evidenced by his Hall of Fame plaque accompanying his 2014 induction.
As disconcerting as the current ailments appear, La Russa's teams have a history of succeeding at the highest levels in the most dire situations.
In 2006, La Russa's Cardinals won the National League Central title with only 83 victories, seized the National League Championship Series with 25-year-old closer Adam Wainwright freezing Carlos Beltran on a rainbow curve, and capturing Game 1 of the World Series at Detroit behind the 4-hit pitching of Anthony Reyes, who later became a Los Angeles County firefighter.
Five years later - with Wainwright sidelined for the season and a defense that committed the second-highest error total in the NL (116) - the Cardinals faced an 8½-game deficit for the wild-card berth with 21 games remaining.
They gained a lot of mileage in a short time out of July 27 deadline acquisition and former Cub flameout Edwin Jackson, who pitched at least 6⅔ innings in three of his final four starts - all Cardinals victories.
La Russa also took no chances during the final three and a half weeks, often employing four or more relievers in several games where starters Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook and Jackson provided length.
The Cardinals also got 24 saves from unheralded Fernando Salas, who finished a 10-year career with 30 saves.
That added up to a 16-5 record that was enough to overtake the Braves and carry the momentum toward a World Series title that capped La Russa's tenure in St. Louis.
Since their elimination from the first round of the 2020 American League playoffs, the mission has been singular for the Sox: Win the World Series.
Winning the 2021 AL Central barely registered as a sign of progress, simply because their flaws were exposed in a first-round playoff loss to the Astros.
An array of injuries to Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito and Lynn in the final two months slowed the momentum they built in the first half. It also mirrors what they'll encounter for at least the first two months of 2022.
"If it's one thing we experienced last year," said La Russa, who declined to name his starters past the Detroit series, "it's that other guys had to step up."
In this case, Dylan Cease will need to be more efficient while maintaining his effectiveness. Michael Kopech, who makes the transition from the bullpen, will be handled delicately but needs to show he can be a starter on a long-term basis.
And Reynaldo Lopez and newcomers Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly will need to record key strikeouts that originally were targeted for Crochet.
"It's going to be very different first two months for a lot of reasons," La Russa said.
Paws Up.