Chicago White Sox pitcher claims former manager was unjustly scapegoated for embarrassing 2022 season
For the 2022 Chicago White Sox, the season started with mediocrity and ended with mediocrity. This came despite the team capturing their division, the AL Central, in 2021 for the first time in 13 years.
After their 2021 campaign, many were expecting the team to come into their own as a powerhouse in their division. Unfortunately, fans in the Windy City could only grimmance as they watched their team inch further and further down the standings.
With a final record of 81-81, the team finished 11 games behind the Cleveland Guardians. Despite having some heavy hitters like Jose Abreu and Adam Vaughn, and having the fifth highest team batting average in the MLB, the Sox just could not get it going.
For most of the 2022 season, the Chicago White Sox were managed by Tony La Russa. La Russa, a former player, coached the White Sox in the 1980s. Since then, he has managed a pair of World Series-winning teams: the 1989 Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. La Russa is also one of the winningest managers in MLB history.
Tony La Russa will announce his retirement as White Sox manager on Monday, per @BNightengale https://t.co/BuT3m2tlDF
"Tony La Russa will announce his retirement as White Sox manager on Monday, per @BNightengale" - Fox Sports: MLB
After guiding the Chicago White Sox to a 93-69 record in 2021, hopes were high as La Russa entered 2022. His season, however, was cut short after La Russa announced his retirement from managerial duties at the end of August.
Much of the criticism from White Sox fans has been directed at the 78-year-old La Russa for what they view as his failure to reproduce his team's 2021 success. His replacement is Pedro Grifol.
Tony La Russa is no longer the White Sox manager, and the players will tell you it was their fault they did not live up to expectations. usatoday.com/story/sports/m…
"Tony La Russa is no longer the White Sox manager, and the players will tell you it was their fault they did not live up to expectations." - USA TODAY Sports
In a recent piece for USA Today, baseball writer Bob Nightengale asked a few Chicago White Sox players about their team's lackluster performance last season. Pitcher Joe Kelly had some especially poignant words, saying:
"I think we all feel the disappointment, and frankly, the embarrassment of how the year played out"
The Chicago White Sox are re-energized and are playing for one of their own
Liam Hendriks, an Australian right-hander known for his passion on the field, announced that he has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma this past January. As he begins treatment, Chicago White Sox players have pledged to keep him in mind as they attempt to put the tragedy of last season behind them.