White Sox to announce end of Tony La Russa era today

SAN DIEGO — The writing has been on the wall for some time. But the White Sox will make it official Monday at a 4 p.m. news conference announcing the end of manager Tony La Russa’s second tenure on the South Side.

Heart problems have sidelined La Russa, who turns 78 on Tuesday and hasn’t managed since late August. His doctors are recommending that he not fulfill the third year of his contract next season.

It’s probably the best thing for the Hall of Fame manager and the organization, which dragged itself through one of its most disappointing seasons in memory after La Russa managed the Sox to a 93-win season and the American League Central title — and then a trouncing in the AL Division Series from the Astros — in his first year.

“My thoughts are making sure he’s doing what is the best possible for his health,” closer Liam Hendriks said before the Sox played the Padres in their final road game of the season Sunday at Petco Park. “We play a game for a living. Certain things are bigger than the game, and health is one of those things.”

With three games to play, the Sox, arguably the biggest disappointment in baseball, are 79-80 after their 2-1 victory against the playoff-bound Padres.

“Obviously, health is No. 1,” reliever Joe Kelly said. “As much as he probably wants to be here day in and day out, the stress and the edge and the anxiety that this team probably gave him probably wasn’t good for his health.”

La Russa was set in his ways as you’d expect one his age and with his résumé to be, and coexisting with the front office, baseball operations department and his staff did not always go without hitches and glitches. What’s more, he made decisions and lineups that warranted criticism, became a lightning rod for disappointed fans and was booed at home games. “Fire Tony” chants became a thing.

Shortly before the Sox played the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field on Aug. 29, La Russa was instructed by his doctors to go home and go for testing the next day. He then underwent a procedure to repair his pacemaker.

La Russa was hoping to return as manager, and when he attended Dave Stewart’s number-retirement ceremony Sept. 10 in Oakland, he looked healthier and more relaxed and visited players in the clubhouse. He watched the next two home games from a suite but hasn’t been seen by the team since.

“So he’s going to have a good retirement,” Kelly said. “It would be different if he was 50. He’s not in the beginning part of his career. He’s had a great career, Hall of Famer. Ultimately we fell short as players, and we didn’t perform as well as we should have.”

Acting manager Miguel Cairo, who guided the Sox to a 13-6 run that kept their postseason hopes flickering before an eight-game losing streak dashed them, hopes to be considered and deserves consideration, although it seems more likely the Sox will look outside the organization this time.

In any event, more accountability from all corners of the organization will be a must, Cairo said.

“Whoever is going to manage or whoever they’re going to hire or whoever is going to be there, I know they’re going to be expecting something a little different,” Cairo said. “It’s going to be more people accountable for doing their job. I think it’s going to change. It’s going to be a little different.

“It happened because you go to the playoffs two years in a row, and all of a sudden you didn’t make it this year, and you can see what went wrong. It’s going to be some people accountable for the job that they’re going to do. I hope there is.”