AL DIVISION SERIES: ASTROS VS WHITE SOX

October 6, 2021

Tony La Russa

Minute Maid Park

Chicago White Sox

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Tony, congratulations for being here. Thanks for taking the time. Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the actual Division Series, can you just express your opinion and respect you have for Dusty Baker on the other side, a pretty even matchup in terms of regular season, but a man I know you've known for a long time?

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, walking over, my opinion changed. As you know, I hate to say we were teammates because it means I was a player like he was a player. He was a really good player. I was not. But we were teammates, as you know, in '86 and have known him quite a bit over the years.

The only problem we've ever had is when we're in the same division. Other than that, we've never had problems.

I think he's -- I like to point out sometimes if you manage and you're around for a while, it's because you're a bad player, and I always like to point out the really good players who are really outstanding managers. Dusty is one of them. Joe Torre, Mike Scioscia, it goes on and on.

The reason my opinion changed is because I'm older than he is, and our locker room is way down there, and I have to walk a lot farther to this press room, and I don't think that's fair. I'll talk to Dusty about changing that.

But he had an outstanding career as a player, championship experience, done the same as a manager. He does all the things that managers that you look for. He gets guys to play. They respect him. They like him. You know what, he knows and I know, it's between our two teams. It should be an enjoyable competition as far as quality of the competition.

Q. Tony, we just got the statement about Jose. Can you talk a little bit about how he is improving and is going to join you guys.

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, as you know, Sunday he didn't play. He just didn't feel well. He caught a bit of the flu. Got to the workout yesterday, and he had had a tough night with fever, and now we're all brimming with happiness and excitement because the fever broke. He passed the test, which are mandatory, and he'll be flying back here tonight.

Then we'll see what his strength level is for tomorrow, but our worst fears were never realized. He'll be back in uniform.

Q. Just knowing him, how hard do you think he's going to push to play tomorrow, I guess, regardless of how he feels?

TONY LA RUSSA: The perfect question if you know him. We kept track of it at the workout yesterday. We were all worried that he had fever. We got here last night and found out the fever had eased, and he was feeling better, and we were waiting for the results of the test.

So we've had several conversations in the clubhouse about how stubborn he's going to be about admitting how he feels for the game tomorrow. Put his hand on the baseball bible and see. I think for certain, if he's not in there tomorrow, he'll be in there Friday.

Q. Tony, do you have a starter for Game 1 tomorrow?

TONY LA RUSSA: Yes.

Q. After that, Carlos Rodon, how is he doing today?

TONY LA RUSSA: We decided -- and believe me, it wasn't game playing or anything. We just wanted to wait and have as much information as possible. We're going to announce the first two guys as Lance and then Gio. Game 3, to be determined. We just have enough experience in these things that you need to see how the first two games go and then see what you do on that.

Not whether they're wins or losses, but mostly who's available, who you've used, the candidates. Dylan would definitely be a candidate. We're still waiting to see Carlos' availability. Anyway, it will be Lance tomorrow and Lucas on Saturday -- Friday.

Q. Tony, can you talk about your first year back in the Major League dugout in ten years? Are there any perceptible differences in managing in 2021 as managing in 2011 and before then?

TONY LA RUSSA: I remember when the announcement was first made -- I think there were a lot of legitimate questions, but the one that really didn't make sense is I had been away from the game because of my time with MLB and Boston and Arizona and last year with the Angels. I've been in the game every year. So I've had a chance to observe '20s versus '11 when I left.

A lot of the game is the same. You make pitches. You get outs. You have good swings. You put the ball in plays. I think there are trends that there are different opinions about, like it's okay to try to homer on every swing every time out there, even if you strikeout more, you get hits. I have a different opinion than others. There is a place for the whole game meaning sometimes you have to put three singles together and get a run against a really tough pitcher. You've got to play defense. Stolen base has a place. Bunt once in a while.

I think probably the biggest one has been -- and this is one that I never had any problem with because, as I mentioned, a really crappy career which extended into my managing because players always have my bubble gum card because I could never talk about how I hit because of how I felt. We're always -- we are information seekers, whether it's me personally or our whole coaching staff. We did it every year all the time, couldn't get enough information.

There's a lot of it out there right now. There's a lot of really good stuff. There's a lot of really good information that helps you prepare, gives you an expectation for the game. The problem is where do you draw the line of the preparation from which you actually see during the game?

Unfortunately, because in this organization, the White Sox really believe that you need -- the information providers need to respect the guys who are coaching and making game-time decisions and vice versa. So some places, they're a slave to the percentages, and maybe they're right. In the end, there's a guy pitching. There's a guy hitting. There's a score, two teams. It's really simple. The team with the most runs wins.

So you really pitch and defend. The better you pitch and defend, the less you have to score. So I think there are definite differences, but the heart of the game is the same. The guys that compete and they're amazing athletes and they do amazing things.

Q. What did you like about Lance and giving him the ball for Game 1? What was the thought process for giving him the ball in Game 1?

TONY LA RUSSA: I'll start with what I just said. The better you pitch and defend, the less you have to score. That's a real challenge because they have an outstanding lineup. But we don't really concede that because we think we have an outstanding lineup. I think it's one of the uncommon parts about our teams. There's depth. We're going to each have a chance to score every inning. So you've really got to pitch, and you can't afford to make mistakes on defense.

First priority is to get some outs and not let them score as much and then use our offensive talent to break through as often as we can.

Q. Tony, now that you're here, are you nervous? Do you feel that ten-year time period? Does it feel like yesterday that you did this? Where do you stand on this?

TONY LA RUSSA: That's a better question than most people would think because the years, I can remember back at coaching with Jim Leyland and I was managing. We would ask ourselves every day from Spring Training, are you nervous? If the answer was no, then that's when you didn't care.

So I've been nervous my whole career. One of the reasons, first game of Spring Training, first game of opening day, like right now, I'm nervous because I care. We care. And you translate that nervousness into paying attention to getting ready to do your job. It's not like Bill Belichick is doing his job, but I'm going to try to do my job.

Yeah, nervous, I remember I got a kick out of -- we all had great respect for Ron Washington. It was a press conference before Game 7, and they asked me, and I said I was nervous. He said, if he's nervous, then I've got to be nervous because I have more experience. If you're not nervous, do something else for a living because there's no script for what's going to happen tomorrow and who's going to win the first three games before they lose three. So nervous, and I like it.

Q. Kind of a two-parter. Have you made a decision on Dallas as far as can he pitch out of the pen or even start if you need that? Also, do you have a philosophy on the playoffs, on short rests, pitchers with short rest, either pro or con?

TONY LA RUSSA: Second one is easier to answer. The first one is we're still discussing the roster. It's just really -- there's actually 26 instead of 25, but that's really the last spot. The last two spots are really critical. You need a crystal ball that you don't have. So I'm not making any comment about the roster until we submit it.

I know that short rest pitchers for a while there were being frowned upon because they didn't do so well. There's also a lot of history with short rest pitchers, if you get the right pitcher. A classic example -- it's historic actually -- Chris Carpenter pitched the second day of the Division Series with three days rest after pitching the last day of the season, gave up four runs the first two innings, pitched three innings and then got him out. Ended up pitching Game 7 of the World Series on three days rest.

I can remember on the plane flying out after we came back to win that game, I was sitting around Dunc, and he said, I finally listened to what Dunc said, which is don't think that you're not going to have your best stuff and try to go for more. Pitch with what you've got. And if you remember, he pitched into the seventh inning in Game 7.

So what's my opinion? If you've got a guy that has pitches and competes and that's your best option, he can win, which means the first game pitcher can pitch Game 4 for either side.

Q. Tony, you've been in the postseason so many times. What is it about this group that you feel is ready at this moment? There's been so much buzz around the White Sox for a while, but it all counts right here in October.

TONY LA RUSSA: I'm glad you said the buzz for a while because to me, one of the concerns walking into that situation, their success, and you know you just look at the talent, and there are a lot of believers that the team was going to contend. Then the front office makes a trade for Lance and signs Liam, and they thought we were the favorites. Well, I've been around long enough to know that those expectations sometimes work against teams. It didn't work against us.

So those guys, they like to practice. They like to compete. We have talent, and then we're here. We're younger in a lot of places than the Astros. Well, they were young once, and they did really well when they first started, so we can do the same.

We have a talented team that likes to practice, likes to compete. It's really simple. Just give it our best shot. You just don't want to regret not giving it your best shot, and then you see who wins.

Q. Someone was talking about nerves, nervousness for you. What about excitement? I mean, you stepped into a situation a decade later where the team was certainly built to win, but that doesn't guarantee anything. Now you're here, and I would imagine the main reason that you did come back is for this, for October, to chase another ring. So for you personally, what's the excitement level like here as you get started?

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, I don't divide myself from the team, as far as excitement level. I became part of the team, and they were excited because they felt they were contenders, and we've gotten this far.

Nerves and excitement, those are good. If you try, it's the old expression, if you're too cool for school, and you sit back, well, you'd never have made it this far. The thing that they are going to see, for those who had a taste for it last year, the postseason is the most exciting thing you can do. The hardest thing you can do is six months of the schedule. In fact, that's one of my pet peeves.

The team that gets beat, like even the Yankees yesterday, or whatever happens tonight, or the division losers, to many people, well, you didn't win that first round, and that means something less about what you give. It's really hard to win a division. I mean, I got to Boston in '18. They had lost, what, two or three years. They first won the championship and lost their first round. They were just beat up. And then they finally won it all.

So there's an excitement because after tonight, there will be eight teams. I'm not lecturing. I'm just telling you what I believe. There are eight teams that are going to be left. Any one of those eight teams is good enough to win the World Series. It's a short series, and that's the fun. That's the excitement. You can put it all on the line every day, which is hard to do for six months. You've got to really pace yourself in places.

So you can ask any manager, any coach and players with experience, this is fun. This is exciting. Let's take our shot.