White Sox’ managerial search gets underway

The club’s reported interview with 76-year-old Hall of Famer Tony La Russa gets the ball rolling.

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The White Sox reportedly have already interviewed Tony La Russa for their manager job.

The White Sox reportedly have already interviewed Tony La Russa for their manager job.

AP

The White Sox’ managerial search won’t be wrapped up until after the World Series, when they can talk to former Astros manager AJ Hinch, who is believed to be their top choice, but the interview stage is already underway.

The Sox reportedly have talked to 76-year-old Tony La Russa, according to WSCR-AM (670). Whether La Russa would want the job at this stage is unknown, as is the Sox’ level of desire to hire the Hall of Famer who has three World Series championships on his -résumé.

La Russa guided the Sox to a division championship in 1983 and was fired by then-general manager Ken Harrelson in 1986. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has called the firing his biggest regret and has remained close to La Russa since.

La Russa’s longtime pitching coach, Dave Duncan, 75, has kept a low profile while on the Sox’ payroll as a pitching consultant. La Russa has said if he ever returned to managing, he would want Duncan to be his pitching coach.

The Sox fired Rick Renteria and Don -Cooper as manager and pitching coach Oct. 12.

La Russa hasn’t managed since 2011. He is a senior adviser to baseball operations for the Angels, and general manager Rick Hahn, vice president Ken Williams and Reinsdorf more than likely used the talks with La Russa to seek his counsel and gather information about other candidates in addition to gauging La Russa’s actual interest in the job.

“This is an opportunity for us to speak to individuals with other organizations that have had success and learn from them and get their sort of outsider objective perspective on our organization,” Hahn said after Renteria and Cooper were let go.

Hinch, 46, a former catcher who managed the Astros from 2015 to 2019, was suspended by MLB and fired by the Astros in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal. He also managed the Diamondbacks in 2009 and 2010 and was vice president of scouting for the Padres from 2010 to 2014. In Houston, he managed in four postseasons, reached the American League Championship Series three times and won the World Series in 2017.

Potential candidates for interviews also include Indians coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro and Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren.

Braves coach Ron Washington’s name also has been floated as a potential candidate. Alex Cora, the former Astros bench coach and Red Sox manager who, like Hinch, was suspended in the wake of the Astros’ scandal, is not on the Sox’ radar, sources say. Cora might be headed back to the Red Sox after his suspension is up anyway, according to numerous reports.

Bruce Bochy, 65 and recently retired, was regarded as one of the game’s top managers and didn’t rule out having interest in the Sox when asked about the possibility last week.

“Ultimately, the best candidate or the ideal candidate is going to be someone who has experience with a championship organization in recent years,” Hahn said. “Recent October experience with a championship organization would be ideal. But we’re going to keep an open mind. These next weeks, several weeks, we’ll diligently pursue who’s on our list and go from there.”

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