Tony La Russa shoots down Chicago White Sox being for sale rumor

Guess Chicago White Sox fans will not have to worry about Dave Stewart buying the team and possibly moving the franchise to Nashville.

It was reported last week that long-time owner Jerry Reinsdorf was considering selling the Sox, something fans have chanted throughout the season, and the former Oakland A's ace and Arizona Diamondbacks general manager was in discussions to purchase the Sox.

That sparked some fears that he would possibly relocate the franchise to the Music City based on his ties to being part of a group that was trying to get an expansion team there.

Stewart disassociated from that group, but it still did not stop speculation. Considering his financial backing could be coming from rich individuals that he was claiming he could get the finances to bring MLB to Nashville, it would make sense to think those people would be behind his bid to buy the Sox.

Stewart is a successful man after baseball, but not enough to purchase an MLB team on his own.

This story was also believed to be nothing more than a leverage play Reinsdorf was running in his hopes of obtaining public funding for the majority of his planned new stadium to be built in the South Loop.

It made sense since Reindsorf and Stewart share a mutual close friend in White Sox former manager, and now team advisor, Tony La Russa.

La Russa spoke with a local Chicago radio station to clear up the speculation.

He told WBBM Newsradio that Jerry Reinsdorf is not selling the team. He also clarified that Stewart was talking to Jerry about Dave's goal of becoming a baseball owner. It was not with the intention of Stewart becoming the owner of the White Sox.

That was one of the believed reasons for Reinsdorf speaking with the Nashville mayor at last year's winter meetings. Some think Jerry met with Nashville officials as part of the playbook he loves to run to get Illinois to build him a new stadium. Other think he was lobbying on behalf of Stewart due to Dave's close relationship with La Russa.

Tony was Stewart's manager when they won the World Series in Oakland in 1989. Both ran the Diamondbacks--into the ground--last decade.

Since Tony was the link between the two parties, and he is shooting down the team being for sale speculation, that pretty much puts a close on Jerry selling the team...for now.