NWINFan

I agree with The Beast says for several reasons. We need more civility in the public debate because it will be easier to find possible solutions by hearing all sides and possibilities. And it just makes for a better society. So far, we have approached the Pandemic in a political way when it isn't political. We can argue about masks and civil liberties and the whole the rest, but the pandemic is putting an incredible strain on our health system. I really don't think that is debatable. No only are we having trouble providing care for COVID patients, people with other serious illnesses are being neglected, too. There is nothing political about that, and it is much larger than Trump or Biden. The denial game doesn't help, either.

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been a fan for a very long time, and have spent plenty of time and money at both ball parks, watching good teams, bad teams, and out and out shitty teams. That is what I have done for the White Sox. No Ozzie.

And with the vaccine, there are potentially many setbacks. First, there has to be a coordinated plan to administer the vaccine. Secondly, we will have to deal with some who will not take any vaccine. Saying a vaccine is right around the corner only worsens things. The country has to be educated properly for any vaccine to be helpful.

Your analysis here is excellent. People tend to ignore history. That is short-sighted.

Harrelson was actually hired as GM in September 1985 and Cruz had already bombed as a player. This is one historic reason why I don't want JR picking the next manager. He will have the final say, but the actual choice should be Hahn's. No more revisiting 1986 by bringing LaRussa back. Time to move forward by learning from what happened 35 years ago.

It is hard to talk about COVID without getting political. Some think their rights are violated by being asked to wear a mask and have made it a political issue. I do know that ignoring science and saying it will magically go away is not coming close to addressing the problem. Regardless, how to approach COVID should not be political. People are dying, and others are suffering due to a collapsing economy. Those things are not political. We need a real consensus here, and we are not getting one.

For some, it is so nice to live in a constant state of denial.

Yes, he has been saying this all the time, but 31 states are now spiking, and the constant denial gets old. Things are getting worse, and there are no easy solutions. Like I said, we all want normalcy, but just saying it doesn't make it so.

Trump says we have turned a corner and wants to things to return to normal. Normalcy is something we all want, but we have not turned any corner. Denial like this only worsens things and leads to more sorrow.

Of course there is, although this top ten manager hasn't been a manager in ten years. It's not the people I am talking about. It's the process. In this case, is one reason JR is making a choice like this is because it feels safe and comfortable? That is not a good reason to make such a choice. Additionally, the real question here is not about LaRussa's credentials. Is he the right man for this job at this particular time? That is the question that has to be answered. His past connection to the Sox or his past experience are not relevant. What matters is where LaRussa is now and is this the right fit. Forget everything else.

Hiring Tony LaRussa reminds me of the Robin Ventura hire. That was interesting - for about a day. After that, it wasn't so interesting. Plus the Hawkeroo is all for it. That is another reason not to do it. Seems like Hawkeroo and JR have guilt feelings about 1986. They shouldn't. Tony landed on his feet and ended up in the Hall. Say no to Tony and move on already.

Back in late 1985, for some reason, the White Sox named Ken Harrelson as GM. JR had one stipulation: Tony LaRussa had to remain as manager. Harrelson and LaRussa never were the same page. The team got off to a bad start in '86, and Harrelson looked to fire LaRussa. However, the rumors and the whole process took several weeks and played out in the media like a soap opera. The FO looked like a bunch of amateurs. Harrelson should have been allowed to name his own manager, but JR had a weak spot for LaRussa. In the end, the team spent the rest of the decade under .500. It at least appears that JR still has a soft spot for LaRussa. I am quite aware that JR is the CEO and he makes all final decisions. But I think he should rubber stamp this one. Hahn is the GM; let him make his choice. And that choice should not be Tony LaRussa.

One problem here, is that the MLB, like many other power structures, don't like whistle blowers. Any whistle blower has to worry about the backlash. So, if Hinch had resigned loudly, he could have waited a long time before he worked in baseball again. At the same time, he could have found a discreet way to stop the cheating. But I also have the feeling that many things are happening in MLB that the average fan doesn't know about. Maybe we're better off not knowing. I wouldn't doubt if there are many things a lot worse than this, as bad as this is.

What corner is that?

It's not funny now/.

In a sense, all of this is very human. It's too depressing to contemplate. But the country is at a stage when we have snap out of it. It is really happening no matter how tough it is to face. Back in the spring I said this was the one of the biggest crisis the country ever had to face. A person responded by saying the War of 1812 was worse. After all the British attacked the White House. Now the White House is a virus cluster.

The most amazing thing I see is that many people still aren't taking this threat seriously. And they are endangering others as a result.

Forget the age thing for a moment. I am pushing 70 so I don't have anything against seventy-somethings. Hiring LaRussa sounds like JR acting in his comfort zone. The team doesn't need that. Firing Renteria and Cooper was a big step forward. Let's not take a huge step backwards and instead take step out of the comfort zone. Interview people with no past connections to the Sox and finish the rebuild.

I don't know everything about the great LaRussa, but I don't see his value with the Sox. I don't want him as a manager or consultant. Please, please, let's move on.

My sentiments exactly. The man has been out of baseball for a long time, is 76 years old, and I can't see him relating to the younger player. No LaRussa, No Guillen, in fact no one who has strong ties to the White Sox. Moving forward is right.

Rudy Guiliani is on the campaign trail saying the virus doesn't kill. Over 217,000 dead and he's telling people it doesn't kill. America's Mayor has turned into America's Asshole. This guy has no credibility and he and people like him need to take a place on the political sidelines. It is amazing what an absolute joke he has turned into, and it is equally amazing some people still listen to him. We just don't need crap in the national conversation.

I don't know whether Hinch or Cora are right for the job. The Sox should interview at least several candidates for the position. If they want to give someone a second chance, that's fine with me. Unlike past managerial decisions, I would like to see some deep thought about this.

Yes, it would be great to give medical and scientific expertise a real shot. The pandemic is not going away nor will getting pissed about wearing a mask help. I wonder how many have to die before some stop with the denial routine. It is obvious Trump is the last person we should listen to.

I think this is true. A new manager has to have the right to name his own staff. I wouldn't want the job if I had Coop looking over my shoulder. I wouldn't be able to trust him. When Hawk became GM, JR insisted that LaRussa remain as manager. Turned out to be a big mistake public relations-wise, and more important, the team's progress was set back several years. Coop had to go, pure and simple. It's time anyway.

It is truly remarkable, but as you said in an earlier post, we should have seen this coming once Stone and others spoke out. There is one other key factor in all of this. Did the organization just look at RR as not being able to complete the rebuild as opposed to just being a bad manager? Probably both, but this is a decisive action and at least shows that the FO is somewhat serious about winning. Just getting into the playoffs in a diluted system is not enough.