Wait, the White Sox hired Tony La Russa? Why it will or won't work and what those across MLB are saying - ESPN

Sarah Spain voices her concerns in the White Sox's hiring of Tony La Russa, citing his traditionalist point of view compared to the team's young roster.

After 34 years, Tony La Russa is back as the Chicago White Sox manager.

Why would the White Sox choose Tony La Russa.

Schoenfield: Given the lack of precedent here -- not just La Russa's age, which makes him just the third manager along with Connie Mack (who owned the team) and Jack McKeon to manage at 75 years or older, but his decade removed from managing -- it certainly is a shocking hire, even if La Russa is a Hall of Famer.

Reinsdorf has called it his biggest mistake as White Sox owner, as La Russa went on to win six pennants and three World Series with the A's and Cardinals?

But maybe a little old-school approach is what the White Sox feel they need to get to that next level, because the talent is there to compete for a World Series title.

What is La Russa really like as a manager compared to other managers in today's game.

When he managed the Cardinals to the 2011 World Series title, he was also an early innovator in starting pitcher usage.

What has La Russa been doing since he managed last.

Schoenfield: It's important to note that he's been around the game since he retired after that 2011 World Series.

As he alluded to in his media conference on Thursday, he knows the amount of pregame preparation is much more involved now, but La Russa was always regarded as one of the most prepared managers in the game (and a manager has a lot more help these days, with more coaches, so a lot of the work gets passed down to the coaching staff).

In other words, even if you consider him an old-school manager, he won't be telling Tim Anderson to lighten up on the bat flips, but he will stress playing the game the right way.

No one can know what current-day Tony will bring to the table.

Schoenfield: Hey, Jack McKeon was 72 when he managed the Marlins to the 2003 World Series title.

I think the interesting dynamic here is that most of these White Sox players won't know anything about La Russa.

Remember in the 2011 World Series in Game 5 when the Cardinals made two odd choices with the bullpen that made no sense.

After the game, La Russa blamed the noise level in the park, saying that bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist had misheard him (in one case, meaning Jason Motte didn't get warmed up, and in another that lefty Marc Rzepczynski had to stay in to pitch to lefty masher Mike Napoli).

"I saw Lynn, and I went, 'Oh, what are you doing here?''' La Russa said after the game, which the Cardinals lost.

It's not a very good setup," Lynn said after the game?

Rogers: Since his name was initially floated, there has been a total pushback in all forms toward even the idea of La Russa becoming the next White Sox manager.