Reinsdorf Would Love to Have La Russa Back with Sox

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 1, 2011 2:23PM

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa retired yesterday as the third-winningest manager in Major League Baseball history and a resume that guarantees enshrinement in baseball's Hall of Fame (with or without a steroids asterisk). Could a return to the team that set him on the path to Cooperstown be in the cards?

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf told the Tribune's Phil Rogers he would love to see La Russa roaming U.S. Cellular Field in an advisory capacity. La Russa compiled a 522-510 record with the South Siders, winning the 1983 AL West crown with a the "Winning Ugly" White Sox. La Russa was fired in 1986 by then-GM Ken "Hawk" Harrelson - a move that, curiously, wasn't the low-water mark of Harrelson's tenure as general manager.

La Russa stated yesterday he has no intentions to return to a dugout and with GM Kenny Williams firmly entrenched at 35th and Shields, Robin Ventura set to take over the Sox skipper duties and a new coaching staff in place, Reinsdorf said the Cardinals' World Series win gave him as much pleasure "as I would have if (the White Sox) won. I think so much of the man. I truly love the man. He’s just an incredible human being.’’ Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander said bringing in La Russa could take some of the publicity away from the Cubs' hiring of Theo Epstein as their president of baseball operations.

So if the Sox want to fire back at the Cubs, a loser-laden, headline-grabbing outfit that for some reason reminds this scribe of a giant yellow Ms. Pacman chomping crazily through the streets of our city, then grab La Russa.

In so many ways, he is the Cubs’ mortal enemy, it’s Kryptonite.

Consider that from 1996 to 2011, La Russa led his small-market Cardinals to seven National League Central Division titles and three second-place finishes.

His team won the World Series in 2006 after a mediocre 83-78 regular season, going 11-5 in the postseason.

This year, well, do you even remember the Cardinals finished behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central?

And the Cubs? Even when they win, they can’t win.

A team from their own division has won the World Series twice in the last six years, and the Cubs haven’t won in 103 years.

So bring back Tony, Jerry.

Ramp up the crosstown rivalry.

For what it''s worth, Reinsdorf told Rogers he and La Russa haven't discussed specifics and conceded La Russa would be a highly coveted addition to any baseball organization's front office. "I just want him to do what’s in his best interest, what’s best for him," he said