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The birds-on-the-bat uniforms, the players in the other dugout, the opposing manager, it all looked familiar to Tony La Russa.
Too familiar.
The 76-year-old Hall of Fame manager of the Chicago White Sox found himself in a strange spot Monday night: leading his club against the team he guided to a pair of World Series titles during a long, prosperous portion of his career, the St. Louis Cardinals.
“It’s definitely a different series,” La Russa said Monday night before the teams started a three-game set. “It’s uncomfortable, it’s distracting and you just try to tune it out, but I know it’s a different series.”
“I used to say this about managing against Jim Leyland: When you’re friends, you don’t want your friends to have a bad day. That’s why you’re glad when the three games are over,” he said.
La Russa was with the Cardinals from 1996-2011, reaching the playoffs nine times. He left as the club’s all-time leader in games and wins.
Current Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, infielder Matt Carpenter and pitcher Adam Wainwright were members of the last St. Louis team that played for La Russa.
La Russa is not just facing a handful of players he once guided to the game’s greatest heights. He’s also going against a man who became a friend while rising in the ranks of the organization.
La Russa became close over the years with current Cardinals manager Mike Shildt, who was then managing in St. Louis’ minor league system.
“Everybody in our big league staff knew he was special,” La Russa said. “The way he advanced through the system, it’s no surprise. Success speaks for itself.
“I’m more worried (he’s going to outmanage me),” he said.
La Russa began his managerial career with the White Sox and has them atop the AL Central after rejoining the club before the season. He said the current crop of players have helped him ease back in after a decade away from the dugout.
“They inspire me,” he said.
La Russa’s stint in St. Louis came after nine seasons, a championship and three pennants with Oakland. He and fellow Hall of Famer Sparky Anderson are the only managers to guide champions in both leagues.
Injuries have limited big stars
For the first few weeks of the 2021 season, Mike Trout looked as impressive as ever, and Jacob deGrom was dominant on the mound.
It would have been something to see what they could have done over a full season, but that won’t happen now because both are sidelined with injuries.
Availability could play a major role in this year’s award races. The Los Angeles Angels’ Trout is hitting .333 with eight home runs and an OPS of 1.090, but he went on the injured list last week with a strained calf. The New York Mets’ DeGrom has an 0.68 ERA through six starts, but he has pitched only once in May because of side tightness. He’s expected back Tuesday.
Aside from Trout, several other recent MVPs have spent time on the IL this season, including Houston’s Jose Altuve, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger, Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich and the New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton. Young stars Fernando Tatis Jr. of San Diego and Juan Soto of Washington have also missed time.
The good news is it doesn’t necessarily take these players long to find their rhythm when they come back. In his four games since returning from COVID-19, Tatis had 11 hits, four homers and 12 RBIs.
Tatis, who also dealt with shoulder problems earlier in the year, has 13 home runs, just two behind major league leader Ronald Acuña Jr. of Atlanta.
San Diego swept a nine-game homestand and leads the Dodgers, who have won seven straight, by a game atop the National League West.
Associated Press