The TLR Manager Thread

[Tnetennba]

Wait, so TLR haters are closet cubs fans now?  LOL.  I'm fully capable of hating both simultaneously and independently thank you very much! ?

[Bob Sacamano]

1 minute ago, Kyyle23 said:

While I definitely understand that, Thibs was brought in to take a terrible franchise and bring them up to a simple "compete" mode, playoffs are gravy.

TLR was brought in to take this team to the next level and we are seeing stuff that would have made us all apoplectic if Ricky was doing it last season.   I accepted there might be a "getting him back to game speed" time period,  but we are almost into June and the thing with Yermin happens.  I'm just sick of it.  I don't want to talk about Tony anymore, but he makes that impossible.

Right. It'll be a few weeks of watching winning baseball, questioning lineups and pitching changes here and there and then he will say or do something stupid.

[chitownsportsfan]

4 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

But did you know that TLR is the manager neenerneener 

I read the Sox Machine comments on this as well this morning and good lord, does Jim have a fainting coach ready for his commentators at all times? At least the people here ripping TLR aren't ready to curl up in a ball about it and not watch Sox baseball.  Goodness we have become largely a society made of people that find comfort in each other's neuroses online.

[Bob Sacamano]

2 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

LOL the White Sox had the best bullpen in MLB last year. Ricky had like a bad 2 games with the bullpen and that's more egregious than LaRussa already having multiple early on and literally overusing his starters by May 21st? This is such nonsense and shows how irrational your entire commentary on this subject is. You blamed Renteria daily for everything, yet the Sox dominated and closed out every late game situation.

This year you've excused the manager time and time again when he's actually had a provable negative impact on the staff.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/66522/moonshot-tony-la-russa-is-leaving-his-pitchers-in-too-long/

He's far too gone.

[Kyyle23]

I want Tony to succeed.   If he succeeds the Sox succeed.  I am not one to wish he fails at his job because that would be catastrophic for this team.  I just don't want what this first two months has been.  This is just exhausting

[Tony]

3 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

LOL the White Sox had the best bullpen in MLB last year. Ricky had like a bad 2 games with the bullpen and that's more egregious than LaRussa already having multiple early on and literally overusing his starters by May 21st? This is such nonsense and shows how irrational your entire commentary on this subject is. You blamed Renteria daily for everything, yet the Sox dominated and closed out every late game situation.

This year you've excused the manager time and time again when he's actually had a provable negative impact on the staff.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/66522/moonshot-tony-la-russa-is-leaving-his-pitchers-in-too-long/

The 2021 White Sox are 26-16 with 42 games played. 

The 2020 White Sox were 27-15 with 42 games played. They reached a record of 33-16 at the 49 game mark as well. 

Just food for thought. 

[Quin]

1 minute ago, Kyyle23 said:

While I definitely understand that, Thibs was brought in to take a terrible franchise and bring them up to a simple "compete" mode, playoffs are gravy.

TLR was brought in to take this team to the next level and we are seeing stuff that would have made us all apoplectic if Ricky was doing it last season.   I accepted there might be a "getting him back to game speed" time period,  but we are almost into June and the thing with Yermin happens.  I'm just sick of it.  I don't want to talk about Tony anymore, but he makes that impossible.

Also, this thread has united so many people: Greg, Ray Ray, Ragah, Chicago White Sox, you, me, Tony (not La Russa), caulfield, southsider and so many more.

If that ain't evidence that TLR done fucked up, I don't know what is.

[Bob Sacamano]

1 minute ago, Quin said:

Also, this thread has united so many people: Greg, Ray Ray, Ragah, Chicago White Sox, you, me, Tony (not La Russa), caulfield, southsider and so many more.

If that ain't evidence that TLR done fucked up, I don't know what is.

All you need to do is go back to the thread when he was hired. It was probably 95% negative if not more.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

Just now, Tony said:

The 2021 White Sox are 26-16 with 42 games played. 

The 2020 White Sox were 27-15 with 42 games played. They reached a record of 33-16 at the 49 game mark as well. 

Just food for thought. 

Yeah, and Renteria's bullpen achieved what they did while having to work around having 2 legit MLB SP's last year. They were a taxed unit who was clearly put in positions to succeed based on the results they produced and this year, that same unit with the addition of a max money closer has blown game after game, with the manager continually trying to "steal" outs in the 2nd inning for a RP so he can avoid the three batter rule (another thing LaRussa thinks he's reinventing and out thinking baseball on" and it's been a flat out disaster with relievers constantly not achieving that "out stealing" strategy. To even insinuate that Renteria was some atrocious and clueless bullpen manager because he made two HORRIBLE mistakes late in the year is fucking comical coming from the same poster who has excused every mistake TLR has made and been one of his biggest - weird - cheerleaders. Hypocrisy is the worst part of many of these takes after reading the vitriol spewed at Renteria all last year from a poster who now defends LaRussa as if he were his daddy.

[Kalapse]

Just gonna drop this bmags post from 7 months ago in here, no reason.

On 10/28/2020 at 5:35 PM, bmags said:

This is what worries me. I don't think it's Billy Martin level, but his teams had drama. JR seems to think conflict is good on teams since he's always had it. (This guy is a whiner but lined up with some of what I remember):

https://redbirdrants.com/2011/01/01/the-tony-larussa-problem/

"

CATFIGHTS AND CLIQUES

A baseball team should be like a fraternity. The guys on that team should be like brothers, a close-knit group that sticks together through individual and team-related troubles. They should cheer for each other, weep with each other, party together, and support one another.

 

However, LaRussa’s teams almost always resemble a sorority; gossipy, cliquish, divided, tense, jealous, and uncomfortable. This is almost entirely LaRussa’s fault, as his personality and tendency toward favoritism cultivates this type of atmosphere. The number of players emotionally and professionally mutilated or destroyed by a LaRussa clubhouse is disturbing. The fight list seems endless: Ozzie Smith (who has avoided the franchise because of LaRussa), J.D. Drew, Anthony Reyes, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds … these big stars just couldn’t seem to get along with the man.

But 2010 was LaRussa’s masterwork of destructive emotional debris. In one short season he managed to fight with Ryan Ludwick (who was then shipped off), Brendan Ryan, and Colby Rasmus. The Rasmus situation was most telling about the atmosphere of a LaRussa clubhouse. During the September revelations of a rift between LaRussa and Rasmus, it was revealed that Pujols took the young man aside to talk to him, and that it was the first time the two had really talked in the year and a half that Colby had been on the team. HUH? The only logical explanation is that Pujols, playing favorites, sided with his manager’s dislike of Rasmus and his pedigree and ignored the kid. No major league clubhouse that expects to win can have a heavy atmosphere of resentment and mistrust.

We can see LaRussa’s withholding of emotion in the day to day efforts of the team. Striving to be cooly professional all the time, the team generally lacks fire when it counts. This leads to limp playoff appearances, where the team settles into a chilled and tense mode that stifles any spirit. The best example of this came in the ninth inning of the 2005 playoffs when Pujols hit that monster three run homer off of Brad Lidge. When Pujols arrived at the plate, there was nary a celebration among the Cardinals players; they just clapped and moved on. No truly successful team has such a complete lack of fire and enthusiasm with the game on the line. This lack of emotional center comes directly from LaRussa."

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

2 minutes ago, Quin said:

Also, this thread has united so many people: Greg, Ray Ray, Ragah, Chicago White Sox, you, me, Tony (not La Russa), caulfield, southsider and so many more.

If that ain't evidence that TLR done fucked up, I don't know what is.

The last thing I want to focus on with a baseball team is the damn manager. They just don't matter much; this clown has made himself the center of attention despite having a group of players who deserve and have earned the right to be in that spotlight. He revels in this attention too, as he won't stop or move on from a subject that he is clearly out of touch with. That's what you get with TLR though. I thought Ricky was blamed far too often last year for just nonsense because managers mean very little. Somehow LaRussa has managed to matter in a position that usually just doesn't matter, and it's not because he's a psychological mastermind, it's because he's a self-centered ass hat.

[Tony]

2 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Yeah, and Renteria's bullpen achieved what they did while having to work around having 2 legit MLB SP's last year. They were a taxed unit who was clearly put in positions to succeed based on the results they produced and this year, that same unit with the addition of a max money closer has blown game after game, with the manager continually trying to "steal" outs in the 2nd inning for a RP so he can avoid the three batter rule (another thing LaRussa thinks he's reinventing and out thinking baseball on" and it's been a flat out disaster with relievers constantly not achieving that "out stealing" strategy. To even insinuate that Renteria was some atrocious and clueless bullpen manager because he made two HORRIBLE mistakes late in the year is fucking comical coming from the same poster who has excused every mistake TLR has made and been one of his biggest - weird - cheerleaders. Hypocrisy is the worst part of many of these takes after reading the vitriol spewed at Renteria all last year from a poster who now defends LaRussa as if he were his daddy.

And the White Sox should have absolutely moved on from Renteria, I think they 100% made the right call, and deserve credit for making the move despite making the playoffs and his impressive regular season record in 2020. 

But I, along with many others expected a clear and definitive upgrade. I've yet to see that. 

[chitownsportsfan]

Just now, Tony said:

And the White Sox should have absolutely moved on from Renteria, I think they 100% made the right call, and deserve credit for making the move despite making the playoffs and his impressive regular season record in 2020. 

But I, along with many others expected a clear and definitive upgrade. I've yet to see that. 

I'd be curious to see if people think Renteria and the Sox choked down the stretch last year.  I certainly think they did.  You could see panic in their faces and to me that falls on the manager.  I've said this before but TLR is on a pass fail grade this year.  If the team plays well down the stretch and under the bright lights of the playoffs then he gets a pass, if not, fail. 

["The Kids Can Play"]

1 hour ago, tray said:

 

LaRussa is the White Sox manager and will remain so for the remainder of the 2021 season.

Whine all you want and stay as miserable as you wish. The season shall proceed notwithstanding these min-tirades from disgruntled LaRussa haters and closet cub fans.

 

You really are clueless Tray! We all get LaRussa will unfortunately be here the remainder of season. What we are upset about is he is running this team in such a negative manner and making a lot of manager mistakes. This bombastic approach of TLR is going to potentially hurt this team mentally and could affect the success of this team.

This type of national negative criticism is not a good thing for the Sox. Nor is it a good thing for a high energy young team that plays with fun and a swagger...to know they have to play for a senile and over the hill manager that DOES NOT HAVE THEIR BACK. 

You are right about one thing which is the season will proceed on...but if it continues with all this TLR BS crap, this cannot be good for the morale and success of the team.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

1 minute ago, Tony said:

And the White Sox should have absolutely moved on from Renteria, I think they 100% made the right call, and deserve credit for making the move despite making the playoffs and his impressive regular season record in 2020. 

But I, along with many others expected a clear and definitive upgrade. I've yet to see that. 

Yes, and I agree with that too. Renteria was pacing in the dugout with his hands on his knees sweating like Jerry Reinsdorf in front of a checkbook, and you just can't have that nonsense in post-season baseball. Manager has to be calm and not looking like he's about to hyperventilate. It's just a shame that now they got a guy who has only come out of the dugout once this season and it was too attack his own player and defend the opponent.

[caulfield12]

3 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Yeah, and Renteria's bullpen achieved what they did while having to work around having 2 legit MLB SP's last year. They were a taxed unit who was clearly put in positions to succeed based on the results they produced and this year, that same unit with the addition of a max money closer has blown game after game, with the manager continually trying to "steal" outs in the 2nd inning for a RP so he can avoid the three batter rule (another thing LaRussa thinks he's reinventing and out thinking baseball on" and it's been a flat out disaster with relievers constantly not achieving that "out stealing" strategy. To even insinuate that Renteria was some atrocious and clueless bullpen manager because he made two HORRIBLE mistakes late in the year is fucking comical coming from the same poster who has excused every mistake TLR has made and been one of his biggest - weird - cheerleaders. Hypocrisy is the worst part of many of these takes after reading the vitriol spewed at Renteria all last year from a poster who now defends LaRussa as if he were his daddy.

No doubt TLR has more weapons.   Jimmy Cordero was abused/overused, but the Hahn Special in Cishek was a hot mess from the beginning.

Compare those names from the 2020 bullpen to this year.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/2020.shtml

For God’s sake, Ross Detwiler and Jace Fry vs. Crochet and Kopech...Colome vs. Hendriks, etc.  Burdi.   Gio Gonzalez.

[SCCWS]

14 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

While I definitely understand that, Thibs was brought in to take a terrible franchise and bring them up to a simple "compete" mode, playoffs are gravy.

TLR was brought in to take this team to the next level and we are seeing stuff that would have made us all apoplectic if Ricky was doing it last season.   I accepted there might be a "getting him back to game speed" time period,  but we are almost into June and the thing with Yermin happens.  I'm just sick of it.  I don't want to talk about Tony anymore, but he makes that impossible.

Agree.  This is pretty much a young team and we had the chance to find a manager who could relate and grow with this group.  Instead we now hope "inspite of......................"

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

2 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I'd be curious to see if people think Renteria and the Sox choked down the stretch last year.  I certainly think they did.  You could see panic in their faces and to me that falls on the manager.  I've said this before but TLR is on a pass fail grade this year.  If the team plays well down the stretch and under the bright lights of the playoffs then he gets a pass, if not, fail. 

Guy, you were ripping Renteria every single game of the regular season. And the White Sox are much better situated for post-season baseball this year as they actually have a third starter to use in a series. I can't wait to read your nonsense about how the Sox won because of LaRussa and not because they were simply a bit constructed team. Ricky's team exceeded expectations much more than this White Sox team possibly could under LaRussa. Sox got some experience, and now are built to have a long series, but yes... that's all because of LaRussa over Renteria. SMH

[Vulture]

1 hour ago, tray said:

Oh, so now Tony was right, but he should not have answered questions about it in the media?

LOL. What a joke. This is the biggest fan-generated issue in the history of baseball.

Trumped up BS.

This is textbook narcissistic gaslighting, albeit lowgrade and by proxy. Create a shit show with poor behavior, ie throwing a player under the bus and endorsing his opponent’s actual physical attack against him, then turn around and claim those reacting negatively to it have actually invented the problem

[caulfield12]

4 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I'd be curious to see if people think Renteria and the Sox choked down the stretch last year.  I certainly think they did.  You could see panic in their faces and to me that falls on the manager.  I've said this before but TLR is on a pass fail grade this year.  If the team plays well down the stretch and under the bright lights of the playoffs then he gets a pass, if not, fail. 

Not choked.  I think they stopped competing too early after sweeping the Twins...started experimenting with relievers to find the right combinations.

At that point, there wasn’t even a clear third starter, remember?

Robert was in an atrocious tailspin.

They took the foot off the gas, got run over by the Indians and couldn’t get their mojo back down the stretch...going from nearly the best record in the AL to almost missing the playoffs did elicit a sense of panic in such a young and inexperienced team.

I mean, Keuchel choked, right?  And they still had the lead in Game 3 and plenty of positive vibes until Crochet had to come out early.   Also don’t even know if Renteria was actually allowed to pick his starter for that one...

[Quin]

11 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Yeah, and Renteria's bullpen achieved what they did while having to work around having 2 legit MLB SP's last year. They were a taxed unit who was clearly put in positions to succeed based on the results they produced and this year, that same unit with the addition of a max money closer has blown game after game, with the manager continually trying to "steal" outs in the 2nd inning for a RP so he can avoid the three batter rule (another thing LaRussa thinks he's reinventing and out thinking baseball on" and it's been a flat out disaster with relievers constantly not achieving that "out stealing" strategy. To even insinuate that Renteria was some atrocious and clueless bullpen manager because he made two HORRIBLE mistakes late in the year is fucking comical coming from the same poster who has excused every mistake TLR has made and been one of his biggest - weird - cheerleaders. Hypocrisy is the worst part of many of these takes after reading the vitriol spewed at Renteria all last year from a poster who now defends LaRussa as if he were his daddy.

Everyone looking back at Jimmy Cordero and Renteria:

(I say this as someone who was very critical of Renteria late in the season)

[chitownsportsfan]

Just now, caulfield12 said:

Not choked.  I think they stopped competing too early after sweeping the Twins...started experimenting with relievers to find the right combinations.

At that point, there wasn’t even a clear third starter, remember?

Robert was in an atrocious tailspin.

They took the foot off the gas, got run over by the Indians and couldn’t get their mojo back down the stretch...going from nearly the best record in the AL to almost missing the playoffs did elicit a sense of panic in such a young and inexperienced team.

I mean, Keuchel choked, right?  And they still had the lead in Game 3 and plenty of positive vibes until Crochet had to come out early.   Also don’t even know if Renteria was actually allowed to pick his starter for that one...

The entire team was so tight that if you shoved a broomstick up their ass it would have come out a toothpick.  To me, that falls on the manager.

[SCCWS]

14 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I'd be curious to see if people think Renteria and the Sox choked down the stretch last year.  I certainly think they did.  You could see panic in their faces and to me that falls on the manager.  I've said this before but TLR is on a pass fail grade this year.  If the team plays well down the stretch and under the bright lights of the playoffs then he gets a pass, if not, fail. 

But the only grades that count toward graduation are  JR's. 

[CentralChamps21]

7 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

going from nearly the best record in the AL to almost missing the playoffs

They didn't "almost miss" the playoffs. The late season losing streak happened after they clinched a playoff spot, so no matter how many games they finished ahead of the next team, they safely made the playoffs. When you clinch a playoff spot with more than a week left in the season, there is no such thing as "almost missing" the playoffs.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

23 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I'd be curious to see if people think Renteria and the Sox choked down the stretch last year.  I certainly think they did.  You could see panic in their faces and to me that falls on the manager.  I've said this before but TLR is on a pass fail grade this year.  If the team plays well down the stretch and under the bright lights of the playoffs then he gets a pass, if not, fail. 

This was just snippets of three pages of a "Renteria" search of your name last year. The three pages barely cover a month and the Sox were dominating (better record than now) despite being an incomplete roster; nearly everyday something was all Renteria's fault. 75+ posts. This year? Nothing bad to say about the manager despite him actually being atrocious. It is absolutely baffling.

Edited May 21, 2021 by Look at Ray Ray Run