OAKLAND, Calif. — White Sox manager Tony La Russa has been cleared by his doctors to travel to Oakland to participate in Sunday’s pregame ceremony retiring Dave Stewart’s uniform number for the Oakland Athletics.
While it serves as a potential stepping stone for a return to the dugout, La Russa’s doctors haven’t cleared him to manage, although La Russa will travel with the team to Chicago following Sunday’s game in Oakland.
La Russa, 77, has undergone medical tests in Phoenix and has missed the Sox’ last 11 games.
In his absence, the Sox are 8-3 with bench coach Miguel Cairo serving as acting manager, enjoying their best stretch of a disappointing season and keeping them on the heels of the AL Central leading Guardians.
“As far as winning percentages he’s the winningest manager in White Sox history, right?” closer Liam Hendriks noted with a grin after the Sox scored five runs in the ninth inning to defeat the struggling Athletics in perhaps the most riveting win of the season.
While La Russa hopes to return, and it remains to be seen if he’ll get clearance to jump into the high-stress work of running a baseball team during a September pennant race, he is also conscience about disrupting a good thing.
“I’m sure looking from the outside it’s tough to ignore,” third base coach Joe McEwing said, “that we’ve been playing extremely well, that we’ve been playing as a unit, playing with energy. And every day, we’re coming to the ballpark expecting to win.”
The Sox are enjoying a good thing, and while it has as much to do with hitting more homers, scoring more runs and getting good pitching, there’s no getting around the vibe players are talking about while the upbeat Cairo is at the helm.
“It’s a combination of all of it,” McEwing said. “It definitely helps that you’re winning, a snowball effect where you start believing as a team, believing individually, and you don’t want to let anyone down. We’re playing extremely well. The energy has been there day in and day out. Guys have stepped up in every way.”
“We want Tony to get better and healthy and make sure we’re firing on all cylinders,” closer Liam Hendriks said after the team’s 5-3 win Saturday night, “but Miggy stepped up admirably into that role.”
Players have also stepped up since a team meeting held shortly after La Russa departed. More accountability and challenging each other, Hendriks said, have come into play. The coaching staff, meanwhile, is working cohesively, Cairo said.
Cairo on Saturday said he doesn’t know how much longer things will remain as is. The Sox are off Monday before opening a two-game series at home Tuesday against Colorado.
“I’m managing today,” he said. “Tomorrow is another day. I just go day by day.”
La Russa was getting ready to manage the Sox’ game against the Royals on Aug. 30 in Chicago when he was instructed by doctors not to. Following a medical evaluation the next day in Chicago, he went to Arizona for tests ordered by his personal physicians.
Cairo and McEwing were both encouraged to know La Russa’s health is well enough to allow him to be in Oakland Sunday. He is expected to talk with media Sunday.
“He’s flying today and excited to see him and to hear that everything is well and he’s healthy,” Cairo said. “So looking forward to seeing him. I’ve been with him for two years so I’m excited to see him and I know the team is excited to see him.”
“It’s definitely a positive and [his health is] what’s on our minds,” McEwing said.
La Russa managed the Athletics from 1986-95. A number of his former A’s players will attend the ceremony on Sunday, which was planned for when the Sox played the A’s.
