AL DIVISION SERIES: ASTROS VS WHITE SOX

October 12, 2021

Tony La Russa

Guaranteed Rate Field

Chicago White Sox

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. Tony, for a number of years now, managers have been looked at about scripting different games that they're in, says and the way it goes, I know managers in their minds script things out for 150 years, but all of a sudden, the game happens itself. What are your thoughts about scripting out different moves and how much you can really adhere to that as a game starts to manifest itself?

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, I think part of your preparation is expectations, you know, who is pitching against you, you know, the type of team that they have. So, you know, you anticipate what your team can do and my work and where the problems might be. All it is is just expectations because everything is so dynamic that from the first pitch to the fist game to the first series, first game in the series to the last one, you're making adjustments all along.

Just like a hitter that gets a couple of hits, they make adjustments, and then they get them out, and he makes adjustments. It's about adjustments. That's the beauty of Major League Baseball. It's such a fine edge in succeeding and failing that if you think you can diagram what's going to happen.

Q. How many times in big games have you really been able to have that mind's eye on what you anticipate in seeing it all the way through?

TONY LA RUSSA: Never. I mean, it's impossible. I mean, you can get a general idea. You know, if you have your 20-game winner pitching and they've got their fifth starter, you think, well, we got a better chance, but, no, it's very dynamic. That's the fun of it.

Q. Good morning, Tony. You talk about adjustments. Some thoughts about going against McCullers again and how you view that and the benefits, if any, of having seen him just a few days ago?

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, whenever you face a starting pitcher that's successful and he has been successful, it's because he has several ways to get hitters out, both rights and lefts. And they're really good pitchers, you can look at tape and go back to your past at-bats, but if he is out there and he is executing and getting the ball in and out, up and down on the edges, you know, you're in for a tough day.

What you try to do more than anything else is you prepare as best you can and then depends on your hitter. Some hitters, you know, have better strike zone this one, and some guys need to sit on pitches. Other guys just want to see the ball. I mean, it's -- the point is, though, that -- and McCullers is -- he is a tough pitcher, so it means he's got four or five pitches he can throw up there any time, and it's a challenge for us.

Q. What have you thought of his breaking stuff, especially his curve?

TONY LA RUSSA: His breaking stuff?

Q. Yeah.

TONY LA RUSSA: Especially what?

Q. The curve, his curve, curve ball.

TONY LA RUSSA: He's got that. He has a slider too. He has a couple of fastballs that do different things. He has a changeup. He has five or six weapons. He is a handful.

Q. You had switched up the lineup a little today to get both Robert and Moncada on top. Can you talk about just the thought that went into that?

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, you look at -- that's one of the interesting things when you have potential five games, even four during the season. You look -- Yoan is having really good at-bats. Robert has continued to be this way. You want to get them up there early, get them that extra at-bat. It's a nice balance to the lineup.

So, you know, we talked about our guys and more than anything else -- I mean, I think one of the things that the two teams have in common is that every inning the quality of the hitters are coming to bat, whether it's the middle or end of the lineup. You can score, and they definitely have it, and we definitely have that. If you look at our lineup, I mean, it's strong. So is theirs.

Q. Hey, Tony, if you guys should play a Game 5 tomorrow, who would your starting pitcher be?

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, I think we're sending all the guys that are potentially available to the bullpen in spikes, so I think just wait and see how the game goes.

Q. You mentioned yesterday that Lance was in the bullpen the other night and would be today. Is Lucas in the bullpen today as well?

TONY LA RUSSA: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, like I said, there's a lot of things about playoffs that you remember forever, and one of them is that the guys volunteer to go out there, and it just tells you that their attitude is in the right place. Lucas threw a bullpen the other day and wasn't yesterday, but, yeah, he is out there. They are two of our better cheerleaders on the bench, so might have to recall them during the game if we have to.

Q. Just to be clear, so if Lance pitches today, Lucas would be the starter in Game 5?

TONY LA RUSSA: Say what?

Q. If Lance pitches today, Lucas would be the starter in Game 5 assuming he doesn't also pitch?

TONY LA RUSSA: Yeah. If there's any question between Lynn and -- if the question is if both are available, what we would do, and I'm hoping with every bit of my being that we have that situation develop.

Q. Tony, back to Robert. I feel like with Luis we talked with you so much about him in that last month because he was so -- his bat was so hot. What's he done to continue that and carry it over into the postseason?

TONY LA RUSSA: Well, his consistency -- you think about this being his second year really. It's very little experience. What you learn is the Latin American players, they get some extra advantages because the way they grew up and the competition they face and the attention to that sport in their country pays dividends early in their career, but, I mean, he -- we all thought based on how much season he missed that it would take him, you know, weeks to get his stroke going. That's why I went -- I didn't go out of my way. I just truthfully complimented the people who got him ready, like in Charlotte, you know, with Wes and Chris there. They did it with Berger and Sheets and do it with Eloy, but what he is doing is he is -- he is handling all kind of pitches.

They've been very consistent, and he has his feet on the ground. I am just getting to know him. He is not one of those guys that walks around with a mirror and digging himself. I think he just pays attention to doing his job.

Q. Tony, what's the anticipation and anxiety like for a day like today for a manager like yourself or, I mean, you can only speak for you, but, you know, as far as making sure you don't get there too early, making sure you don't, you know, just get too involved before and kind of stay in the same mode you've always been in?

TONY LA RUSSA: I mean, I try to explain it the way I think it works is to the best of your ability. You treat every game like the seventh game of the World Series. I mean, that's -- but, obviously, you know, a lot of times, you're pushing yourself to get to that level. You wake up this morning. Even last night with the rain-out, there's no -- there's no self-talk there.

I mean, this is the real thing. It was last time we played. You got to win to play tomorrow, and then if we play tomorrow and win, we go to the next level. And so that's -- it's automatic focus and adrenaline. That's why I mentioned before. You know, we teach that from the first series of the season because if you take that attitude, then you learn to embrace the pressure and make it your friend.