Tony La Russa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony La Russa
La Russa in 2017
Infielder / Manager
Born: (1944-10-04) October 4, 1944 (age 80) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
May 10, 1963, for the Kansas City Athletics
Last appearance
April 6, 1973, for the Chicago Cubs
MLB statistics
Batting average	.199
Hits	35
Runs batted in	7
Managerial record	2,884–2,499-4
Winning %	.536
Teams
As player Kansas City / Oakland Athletics (1963, 1968–1971) Atlanta Braves (1971) Chicago Cubs (1973) As manager Chicago White Sox (1979–1986) Oakland Athletics (1986–1995) St. Louis Cardinals (1996–2011) Chicago White Sox (2021–2022) As coach Chicago White Sox (1978–1979)
Career highlights and awards
3× World Series champion (1989, 2006, 2011) 4× Manager of the Year (1983, 1988, 1992, 2002) St. Louis Cardinals No. 10 retired Athletics Hall of Fame St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2014
Vote	100%
Election Method	Expansion Era Committee

Tony La Russa (born October 4, 1944) is a famous American baseball player, coach, and manager. His career in Major League Baseball (MLB) lasted from 1963 to 2022. He is best known for managing the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox.

During his 33 years as a manager, La Russa led his teams to three World Series championships. He also won six league championships and 13 division titles. With 2,884 MLB wins, he is the second-winningest manager in baseball history, right after Connie Mack.

As a player, La Russa played for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs. He mostly played in the minor leagues after a shoulder injury. He also went to college and earned a law degree.

After his playing career, La Russa became a manager. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum in 2014.

Early Life and Education

Tony La Russa was born in Tampa, Florida, on October 4, 1944. His grandparents came from Italy and Spain. He grew up in Ybor City, Florida, where his parents worked in a cigar factory.

Tony played American Legion baseball and PONY League baseball when he was young. He played alongside his friend Lou Piniella.

After high school, La Russa signed with the Kansas City Athletics in 1962. His contract included a special agreement for the Athletics to pay for his college education. He later graduated from the University of South Florida in 1969. He also earned a law degree from Florida State University College of Law in 1978.

Playing Career Highlights

La Russa made his major league debut with the Kansas City A's on May 10, 1963. He played 34 games that year. An old shoulder injury from playing softball limited him during his career.

He spent most of the next six seasons in the minor leagues. He returned to the A's, now in Oakland, in 1968, 1969, and 1970. In 1971, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. His last major league game was with the Chicago Cubs in 1973. He played as a pinch runner and scored the winning run.

In total, La Russa played 132 major league games. He had a batting average of .199. He played second base, shortstop, and third base. During his time as a player, he met Dave Duncan, who later became a key coach on his managerial teams.

Managing Baseball Teams

Tony La Russa is one of the few baseball managers who also went to law school. He chose to manage in baseball instead of practicing law.

First Time with the Chicago White Sox (1979–1986)

The Chicago White Sox gave La Russa his first chance to manage in 1978. He started with their Double-A team, the Knoxville Sox. He was promoted to the White Sox coaching staff later that year.

In 1979, La Russa became the manager of the White Sox. He was only 34 years old, making him the youngest manager in the major leagues. In 1983, he was named American League Manager of the Year. His team won the AL West division title that year.

The White Sox fired La Russa in 1986. Later, the White Sox owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, said he regretted letting La Russa go. Many people credit La Russa with helping to create the modern specialized bullpen, which means having different pitchers for different parts of the game.

Leading the Oakland Athletics (1986–1995)

Less than three weeks after leaving the White Sox, La Russa was hired by the Oakland Athletics. He brought his coach, Dave Duncan, with him. They helped the A's improve their record quickly.

La Russa led the Oakland A's to three straight American League championships from 1988 to 1990.

• In 1988, the A's lost the 1988 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• In 1989, the A's won the 1989 World Series against the San Francisco Giants. This series was famous for being delayed by an earthquake.
• In 1990, the A's lost the 1990 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, managed by his childhood friend Lou Piniella.

La Russa won two more American League Manager of the Year awards with the A's, in 1988 and 1992. He left Oakland after the 1995 season.

Success with the St. Louis Cardinals (1996–2011)

La Russa joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996. He led the team to many division titles. In 2002, he became the first manager to win the Manager of the Year award four times.

In 2004, the Cardinals had one of their best seasons, winning 105 games. They reached the World Series but lost to the Boston Red Sox.

In 2006, the Cardinals returned to the World Series and won against the Detroit Tigers. This made La Russa the second manager to win a World Series in both the American League and National League. He joined his mentor, Sparky Anderson, in achieving this. La Russa wore number 10 to honor Anderson and the Cardinals' goal of winning their 10th championship.

La Russa led the Cardinals to another World Series victory in 2011. They defeated the Texas Rangers in Game 7 of the World Series. Three days after this win, La Russa announced his retirement. He had 2,728 regular season wins, ranking third all-time. He also had 70 postseason wins, ranking second.

La Russa became the first manager in MLB history to retire right after winning a World Series title. Even after retiring, he managed the National League All-Stars in the 2012 MLB All-Star Game. The National League won the game.

Return to the Chicago White Sox (2021–2022)

After working in various executive roles, La Russa returned to manage the White Sox on October 29, 2020. At 76, he became the oldest manager in MLB. He was also the first manager to return to managing after being elected to the Hall of Fame as a manager.

On June 6, 2021, La Russa passed John McGraw for second place in all-time managerial wins. He led the White Sox to their first AL Central division title since 2008. They lost in the ALDS to the Houston Astros.

In 2022, La Russa was 77 years old and the oldest manager in baseball. He retired on October 3, 2022, due to health reasons.

Managerial Record Overview

Tony La Russa's career as a manager is impressive. Here's a summary of his teams' performances:

Executive Roles in Baseball

After retiring from managing, La Russa took on different roles in baseball.

• He worked for MLB, helping with on-field rules and decisions.
• In 2014, he became the Chief Baseball Officer for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He oversaw all baseball operations for the team.
• In 2017, he joined the Boston Red Sox as a special assistant. He helped with player development and advised coaches.
• In 2019, he became a senior advisor for the Los Angeles Angels.
• In 2023, he returned to the White Sox as an advisor.

Tony La Russa's Legacy

Tony La Russa is a true legend in baseball.

• He is second in major league history for wins as a manager (2,884). Only Connie Mack has more wins.
• He managed 5,097 games, making him one of only two managers in American sports history to reach 5,000 games.
• He is one of only four managers to win the Manager of the Year award in both the American League and National League.
• He is the winningest manager in St. Louis Cardinals history, with 1,408 wins.
• He also holds the record for most wins by an Athletics manager since the team moved to Oakland.

Tony La Russa's number 10 was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012.

In 2012, La Russa became the second manager to lead the All-Star Game after retiring. He was also the first manager to win an All-Star Game in both leagues.

Personal Life and Interests

Tony La Russa and his wife, Elaine, started the Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation. This organization helps abandoned and injured animals. They also have programs that bring animals to help children, hospital patients, and seniors. La Russa is a vegetarian. He and Elaine have two daughters, Bianca and Devon.

La Russa is friends with famous people outside of sports, like musician Bruce Hornsby and jazz bassist Christian McBride. Bruce Hornsby even wrote a funny song about him called "Hooray For Tony."

La Russa has Italian and Spanish family roots. He speaks fluent Spanish. He was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. He also joined the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2008.

The La Russa family had a small role in the movie Angels in the Outfield. Tony La Russa also appeared on the game show To Tell The Truth in 1980.

Books and Video Games

In 2012, La Russa released his book, One Last Strike. It tells the story of his final season managing the St. Louis Cardinals and their amazing journey to win the 2011 World Series.

In 2005, sportswriter Buzz Bissinger wrote a book about La Russa called Three Nights in August. It looks at La Russa's managing style during a series between his Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.

La Russa also helped create a series of successful video games called Tony La Russa Baseball (1991–1997). These games used special statistics to help players manage their teams.

Images for kids

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  La Russa at an Animal Rescue Foundation fundraiser in 2017

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  Tony La Russa at Busch Stadium in 2002

See also

In Spanish: Tony La Russa para niños