For a brief time in September, the Chicago White Sox were competitive and actually had a chance to fight for the AL Central division title with the Cleveland Guardians under Miguel Cairo, who acted as the interim manager when Tony La Russa had to step down for a few days with a medical issue.
Cairo left a good impression on the front office and fans, and is actually one of the candidates to take over as the White Sox’s manager in the offseason.
La Russa announced he is stepping down and retiring to attend to his health, leaving the position up for grabs.
Cairo announced he will be interviewing for the position, but there will be other candidates too.
Cairo Praised And Thanked La Russa
In any case, Cairo made it clear he is extremely grateful for his time under La Russa’s wing, and he considers him his mentor.
“Miguel Cairo was emotional talking about Tony La Russa stepping down. “He’s my mentor. I learned so much from him.” He said he’s honored for the chance to interview for the manager job and is going to keep calling La Russa for advice,” The Athletic’s White Sox reporter James Fegan tweeted.
Miguel Cairo was emotional talking about Tony La Russa stepping down.
“He’s my mentor. I learned so much from him.”
He said he’s honored for the chance to interview for the manager job and is going to keep calling La Russa for advice
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) October 4, 2022
La Russa proved that modern baseball trends and approaches were too overwhelming for him, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the best managers in the history of the sport.
Having the chance to call him for advice is a luxury that not everyone can afford.
He is still a baseball man with vast knowledge about the sport, and Cairo knows this.
Hopefully, the Venezuelan can blend La Russa’s knowledge with analytics and modern trends to form his own unique style if given the chance.
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