LaRussa, Tony (1944—)
LaRussa, Tony (1944—)
Regarded by his peers as one of baseball's best managers, Tony LaRussa has enjoyed an enviable record of success, earning three Manager of the Year awards, six division titles, three league championships, and one World Series title. A former infielder, LaRussa played professionally for sixteen seasons but never once spent an entire year in the majors. He began his professional managing career in 1978 and accepted his first major league commission the next year with the Chicago White Sox. A highly controlling manager, LaRussa developed a reputation as one of the game's most innovative strategists. His promiscuous use of relief pitchers ushered in a new era of specialization in baseball and was widely blamed for lengthening games to almost interminable levels. After leaving Chicago, LaRussa won a world championship with the Oakland Athletics in 1989. He guided the St. Louis Cardinals to a division title in 1996.
—Robert E. Schnakenberg
Further Reading:
Bloss, Bob. Baseball Managers: Stats, Stories, and Strategies. Philadelphia, Temple University Press, 1999.
James, Bill. Bill James Guide to Baseball Managers. New York, Scribner Book Company, 1997.