Tag: Jerry Reinsdorf

In Stunning Move, Reinsdorf Hires Ghost of Al Lopez to Manage White Sox.

(Not the New York Times, June 29, 2023, Chicago, Il)

In an unprecedented move, Jerry Reinsdorf, majority owner of the Chicago White Sox Baseball Club, has announced the hiring of a new manager for his consistently beleaguered team. The Ghost of Al Lopez will replace outgoing manager Pedro Grifol as the 43rd manager, beginning after the All-Star Break.

The White Sox are currently mired deep in the American League Central Division and have suffered with a losing record continuously since the 7th game of the season. This has been Mr. Grifol’s first season as a major league manager and he has watched as his team has been plagued by inconsistent play and a plethora of injuries. This poor performance has been matched by decreased attendance as White Sox fans continue to avoid Guaranteed Rate Field during losing seasons.

In making his announcement, Mr. Reinsdorf said “I know our fans deserve better than what they have seen in the past decade. I thought bringing back an old-timer like Tony LaRussa would be the answer, but Tony was never given a fair chance by the media in this town. We took a shot with Pedro, but I don’t like what I am seeing, and neither do the paying customers.

“When I realized that the Ghost of Al Lopez was available, I knew this was a move I had to make. I loved Al’s Go-Go White Sox. Some of you old-timers will recall they won an American League Championship.”

Mr. Lopez, known affectionately as El Señor died in 2005 at the age of 97. The pennant Mr. Reinsdorf refers to was in 1959, with a team that featured players such as Hall of Famers Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, and Early Wynn. Mr. Lopez also won an American League pennant in 1954 with the Cleveland Indians. The White Sox have won one pennant and accompanying World Series in the intervening 64 years. Mr. Reinsdorf has been the owner for 42 of those years.

General Manager Rick Hahn commented that although he had not been consulted by Mr. Reinsdorf, he fully supported the decision to release Grifol, whom he had personally chosen to lead the White Sox. “When a Hall of Fame Manager like the Ghost of Al Lopez becomes available, you have to go for him, even if that didn’t work out so well with LaRussa.” (Lopez was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1977, LaRussa in 2014)

No contract terms were announced. Efforts to reach the Ghost of Al Lopez or any agent representing him failed. When asked about the move most players on the White Sox responded through a translator “Who?”

Gambling sites removed the White Sox from all sports lines. Paul Parsons, public media representative for the YouBet online gaming app called this “the most appalling hiring in the history of professional sports.”

Tickets for all remaining White Sox home games are available via Ticketmaster. No secondary market exists for these games.

It’s easy to subscribe to my Blog. Just enter your email below. No spam, and an endless variety of stories about Chicago, the Suburbs, Health, Music, Sports. and more. Contact me at chidoc@post.com

Mr. Reinsdorf, It Is Time. This Pathologist Says So.

White Sox Manager Tony La Russa

Loyalty. Forgiveness. Redemption

I rarely write about sports, but today I am compelled to do so, feeling a parallel in my life to something happening with my beloved Chicago White Sox.

In 1986 Tony La Russa was fired as manager of the White Sox. He went on to have a wonderful managerial career for other teams, winning three World Series and being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Before last year’s baseball season, Jerry Reinsdorf, the long-time owner of the White Sox (and Chicago Bulls) stated that firing La Russa was the biggest mistake of his career. In an effort to do a “make-good” and turn back the clock, Reinsdorf made an unpopular choice and rehired La Russa to manage the team.

For those who don’t follow the fortunes of the Sox, the team is populated by several young stars. Going into this season the Pale Hose were considered a strong competitor for their first World Series championship since 2005. But so far, this season has been mired in mediocrity.

Injuries have played a big part in this season’s disappointing results, but much of the blame needs be laid at the feet of La Russa. In the fairly unanimous opinion of fans and sportscasters, both local and national, many of his managerial decisions have been wrong, bizarre, and have cost the Sox victories.

Mr. Reinsdorf’s loyalty and desire to right what he perceives as an almost 40 year ago mistake have kept La Russa in his job, despite an outcry from most of us to dismiss him, hire a better manager, and give the team a chance to fulfill its destiny.

So where is the parallel to me? Almost twenty years ago shifting loyalties and relationships led to the ending of my partnership with a large pathology group. I went on to create and direct the UroPartners Laboratory, and while I may not be in any Hall of Fame, I think I have done a pretty, pretty, pretty good job.

And since then two of the principals in the group that “divorced” me have told me it was the biggest mistake of their careers. Just like Reinsdorf’s comment about La Russa.

But you know what? Neither of my former partners had any inclination to bring me back. Nor would I have wanted to. My time with them was in the past, and I would have had no business looking at a brain or bone biopsy after my years immersed in prostates and bladders. They told me they were wrong, I appreciated it, and that was that.

So, Mr. Reinsdorf, I understand you are trying to make up for what you perceive as your past mistake. But you have made your apology. La Russa’s time as an effective manager has passed. Now it is time to move on…and that means moving on without Tony La Russa managing the White Sox.

I am waiting.

The above is the opinion of the author and not UroPartners LLC.

Like what you read here? Add your name to our subscription list below. No spam, I promise! ___

#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }
/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required
Email Address *
First Name
Last Name
//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=’EMAIL’;ftypes[0]=’email’;fnames[1]=’FNAME’;ftypes[1]=’text’;fnames[2]=’LNAME’;ftypes[2]=’text’;}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); ———————————–