AL DIVISION SERIES: ASTROS VS WHITE SOX

October 11, 2021

Tony La Russa

Guaranteed Rate Field

Chicago White Sox

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. Tony, what does this do for your rotation, and how you look at the series now?

TONY LA RUSSA: We just push Carlos back to tomorrow, and must-win, so we can get to Game 5. That's exciting, so I think -- I don't know what Houston is saying, but that game was so long and a quick turnaround. I think this is -- makes for better baseball tomorrow, but didn't have anything to do necessarily with the weather, but we'll pitch Rodón.

Q. Considering you guys are the team facing elimination, could this benefit you? Tepera pitched two innings; Bummer two innings. Does this kind of help your bullpen?

TONY LA RUSSA: Probably some, but Tepera was going to pitch the next thing. I think all those guys are available today, but common sense is a day of rest makes it not so risky.

Q. Tony, last night Ryan Tepera insinuated that there's maybe something awry at Minute Maid Park with the Astros and he alluded to how many times they swung and missed last night as opposed to the two games at Minute Maid Park. Is that a suspicion you share as well?

TONY LA RUSSA: I haven't read it. I heard something about it when I got here. I don't get into that stuff. I just don't get into it. And I try to realize this is America, and players can say what they want to, and I can say that I don't get into it if I want to. I think that they're a very good team, and they're tough to beat. That's what I think.

Q. Tony, along those lines, I know you said you don't get into it, but does something like that bother you, does it concern how it could have some sort of adverse impact on the series, that kind of thing?

TONY LA RUSSA: I don't think it's going to have any affect on the teams playing the game, which is the reason -- what the division series is about, right? I don't think it will have any affect. I think that -- I mean, whether it's, you know, when they said there was substance on the ball, there's always going to be something that will be questioned. And I think Major League Baseball has looked into whatever was happening and they're on top of it, so that's why I don't get into it and don't -- it's tough enough to try to play against a team like Houston without getting distracted, so we try to concentrate.

Q. Was there any talk team-wise about -- was there any talk team-wise about some sign-stealing going on or anything? You think Ryan just had his own opinion? It wasn't --

TONY LA RUSSA: The thing that the Commissioner has talked about actually for, like -- when Joe Torre was there and more active, there were issues. You know, there was a concern about using electronic stuff, iPads in the dugout, all that stuff, and we've been warned to stop it. I think that, you know, stealing the catcher's signs, third base coach's signs, looking in the dugout to see if you can pick the run defense signs, I mean, that goes on all the time. What you do is you just change your signs.

I have a novel approach that I remember when I left MLB that I suggested we put an end to some of this stuff, and it's been totally ignored. And when you hear me say it, you'll say I can see why they ignore it, and it would really -- I put it on pace of game. I would have the runner on second base face center field while the catcher is putting the sign down. I mean, I really would. And the umpire will say turn around, and then you wouldn't have to go through all this thing, and, I mean, it's really -- because everybody is defending it. Everybody has all these five different -- it would speed the game up.

Where were we? Oh, I won't say who, but the other thought that I had when I was upstairs was I would just have an infielder stand in front of the runner. Right? And somebody pointed out that the particular team, the second baseman was -- they could look over them, and I don't think either one of those was silly, but I don't like having an infielder stand in front of him because that sets up possible confrontation.

I think the easy thing is to have the guy turn around. You stop and think about it. I mean, how many times yesterday did guys reach in their hat and change that? I mean, really, and some teams do it legally. They invest a lot of trying to see what the signs are. And if you can figure out what the sequences are, you know, I think it would put an end to it, and it's pretty simple, but it hasn't gotten passed my recommendation. That's what I would do.

Q. Hey, Tony, you said Rodón tomorrow. You have Lance Lynn back on regular rest. Would Lance be available out of the bullpen tomorrow, or would pretty much everyone be available that's not a starter?

TONY LA RUSSA: I think Lance was actually in spikes and uniform in the bullpen last night. You know, we always had Kopech as the guy, and we used him last night, so he wouldn't be today and wouldn't be available tomorrow. So I think it's -- I think Lance would be a guy that -- Lance Lynn, Lopez, Lance Lynn. Best case, Carlos gives us enough to where we just use the bullpen that showed up last night.

This is really a nice room. I mean, I'm telling you. I'm really impressed. I had no idea it was here.

Q. I guess just following up on that with kind of an all hands on deck situation, do you kind of hold out your Game 5 starter and everyone else is available, including, you know, members of the rotation to work out of the pen, or is it just --

TONY LA RUSSA: You mean if we could win about Game 5? Thinking about Game 5 or -- like tomorrow --

Q. 4 and 5, I guess.

TONY LA RUSSA: 4, it's Rodón, and, you know, the other guys you would consider are Gio and Lynn, but Lynn pitched before Gio, so I think it's better. Like say, he was out there yesterday, but you got to do anything you can to win and get to the next day.

Q. Tony, just wanted to get more insight on Carlos. I know Ethan said the other day that he doesn't go 100% in his bullpen, so you're not looking, you know, necessarily at the velocity. So for the game tomorrow, will then you be looking at velocity? Like, how will you judge how you know he is going to look for the rest of the game? Will first inning be a big deal for you, you know, evaluation-wise, to see if he is in a better spot?

TONY LA RUSSA: That's a good question because the answer is all the things that you evaluate every day, right, and that is -- I mean, a guy could have his stuff and that day his arm has more life or less life. You know, you factor that in, and you factor in command.

Velocity has been a big plus, and Carlos can go from 94, 95 to 98, 99 with command, but guys pitch effectively with 92 or 93 if you move the ball around and you have a breaking ball and change-up, so I think it would be better, more velocity he has, you know, the more -- the better his chances are of getting a lineup like that out. Just -- I mean, I have -- he is saying that he feels better, and the way he explains it, I'm looking -- I think we'll have more than he did that last game against Cincinnati, but let's wait and see, but if he has more or less, it's still going to be -- if he has more and he is throwing in the middle of the plate, it's not better than if he had less and was hitting his spot, so it's -- that's why it's pitching, not throwing.

Q. Hey, Tony. Nothing to do with the game, but I just was wondering what your thoughts were on some of the crowd chanting, some of the profane chants directed at Altuve and the Astros.

TONY LA RUSSA: Here, again, it's America. They can chant fire La Russa if they wanted to, right? I have no problem as long as they show up, but the reason that that one -- that question bothers me is the most amazing thoughts that come to mind when I thought about last night and the fans was that incredible support that was so loud.

I mean, I've had a couple of handfuls of people that have called me that watched on TV and said that they could tell, so the TV must have done a really good job if you could hear. And the comment I said last night, I looked up -- we all looked up, and it was four hours, and every seat was filled. That's the damnedest thing I have ever seen when the game looked like we could get the three outs.

When you mention the crowd to me, all I can think about how amazing they were and the support and the adrenaline that they helped our club with. I'm just hoping -- I don't know if they take time off and then get here at 1:00 tomorrow or not. I hope they can.

Q. Tony, I just wanted to clarify Kopech, did you say he would need two days?

TONY LA RUSSA: He wouldn't be available tomorrow.

Q. Okay. And for Game 5, you alluded to potentially Lynn being ahead of Giolito just because of the sequence or no?

TONY LA RUSSA: I think we have -- the way we won yesterday, we concentrated on yesterday, so we're going to concentrate on Game 4. And if we can do it, we hope we can, and that game is over, then we'll look at Game 5, but what I said was that Lynn, it's more practical to have him be in the bullpen last night and tomorrow because he pitched a day earlier than -- but as far as -- we may have to use them all tomorrow. Who knows?

Q. Tony, could you talk a little bit about Dylan's performance last night and what he might need to work on?

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, there's no doubt in my mind had it been a regular season game, that he would have -- he would have been out there -- he would have finished the second and been out there the third and fourth. He did it many times. The most impressive parts about him was if he got off, he got back on, just a conversation in the dugout with Ethan. The leadoff walk to a club like that and then you try to be more careful, and we just didn't have the room to let it go on longer, but, you know, you choose what you want to remember.

You got to be realistic about what could be better. I've seen him tweak it back, and what I choose to remember is how he pitched the first inning. That's who he is. That's the way he is going to be his whole career.