The Chicago White Sox have seen immediate success following the departure of Tony La Russa due to his health scare. He was not a great fit for this team at pretty much any point but it is even more obvious now.
Of course, everyone should be wishing Tony La Russa well as he deals with this heart condition that caused him to need a pacemaker. The most important thing through all of this should be his health. With that, it is time for the White Sox to move on.
Miguel Cairo will almost certainly be considered for the job full-time but they will certainly do their due diligence on that hiring process. There are plenty of good people for them to consider when the time is right.
Former players are always considered and there is one that sticks out above the rest right now. Paul Konerko has been out of the game as a player for a while now and it might be time to bring him back as the manager of this team.
Paul Konerko might be someone to consider for Tony La Russa’s replacement.
There is no doubt that Konerko is one of the top two or three greatest players to ever put on a Chicago White Sox uniform. It would be really cool to see him put that jersey on again in a manager’s role as they desperately need a good managerial situation.
Konerko hasn’t managed yet in the league but you’d think that the time might be coming soon. He was a very good player that could have a mind strong enough to be a manager in this league.
The wealth of experience that he brings would also be extremely valuable in addition to the knowledge of the game. He was with the White Sox through thick and thin.
The highlight of his career is obviously the World Series ring that he won with the White Sox in 2005. That experience is obviously something that you can’t teach someone. However, he would be able to help guys deal with what it takes to go far in the playoffs.
Konerko isn’t young enough to be a player obviously but he is much younger than most managers in the game which is something that could be perfect for this team.
If he is interested in joining the spotlight of being involved with the White Sox again, he should be someone that they at least consider once they make that decision with Tony La Russa.