(RADIO.COM Sports) The White Sox made quite the splash Thursday in naming Tony La Russa as their new manager. The third-winningest manager in MLB history, the Hall of Famer La Russa has held various front office roles in recent years but hasn’t been in the dugout since 2011.
La Russa was reported to be the top candidate throughout a search that included interviewing other candidates as well. Though he never interviewed for the job, former Astros manager A.J. Hinch was thought to be on the White Sox’s radar. A graphic in an email sent to some fans by the team Thursday would seem to corroborate that belief, as Hinch’s signature appeared in a graphic welcoming La Russa to the White Sox family. Multiple screenshots of the errant email surfaced online.
The White Sox eventually corrected their mistake on Twitter, though by that point, the damage had already been done. So how did the gaffe happen? The White Sox prepared graphics for a litany of loosely connected candidates throughout their managerial search, Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported. That included Hinch, who was fired by the Astros for his involvement in the team’s cheating scandal. The 46-year-old Hinch claimed not to be an active participant in Houston’s sign-stealing, though Hinch admitted he was aware of what was going on and could've done more to stop it.
Now that his suspension is over, Hinch’s return to MLB appears imminent. The Tigers are close to hiring him as their new manager, according to multiple reports. Detroit had been seeking a replacement for Ron Gardenhire, who retired from his post with a week to go in the regular season. Meanwhile, La Russa will be assuming the role vacated by Rick Renteria, whom the White Sox fired earlier in October despite the team making the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.
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