(670 The Score) The follies are piling up for White Sox manager Tony La Russa just 29 games into the season.
After Chicago's 1-0 loss in 10 innings at Cincinnati on Wednesday afternoon, La Russa admitted he didn't know the entirety of the extra-innings rule that was implemented in 2020 in which a runner starts on second base to begin every half-inning starting in the 10th. La Russa's ignorance led to closer Liam Hendriks (instead of first baseman Jose Abreu) risking injury by running the bases in the top of the 10th – and standing at third base as a non-threat to run home as the Reds recorded a key out – before Hendriks gave up the game-deciding hit in the bottom half.
With all that in mind, the Parkins & Spiegel Show on 670 The Score blasted La Russa for his failures.
"It's totally unacceptable," Danny Parkins said.
"Completely and utterly unacceptable," Matt Spiegel said.
"It's one thing for me to not know the rule – and frankly, I should know the rule," Parkins said. "But Tony La Russa is catching a two-comma check as a Hall of Fame baseball person to manage a team with World Series expectations. You put your ($54-million) closer out there in a game and then you're just stealing bases in a tie game in extra innings? That is wild, man.
That's crazy."
It was La Russa's second slip-up with a new-age rule this season, as he and the White Sox also had a snafu in attempting to challenge a call early in the season.
"This is now the second time that Tony La Russa not knowing the rules of baseball has cost the White Sox on the field," Spiegel said. "This can not be allowed to happen. It can not be allowed to happen anymore."
Parkins also blamed La Russa's coaching staff.
"But how does no one else in the dugout not know the rule?" Parkins said. "That's a terrible job."
Parkins called it a "disaster" for the White Sox. Spiegel called the whole situation "sad."
"He is soiling a Hall of Fame career by being the embarrassed, overmatched mess that he is," Spiegel said.
The White Sox are 16-13 after their loss Wednesday, which is a half-game behind the AL Central-leading Royals.
