Today’s Buzzy Twofer Tuesday features a couple of baseball managers for you.
Manager Tony La Russa recently retired at 78 years of age due to health concerns (click here.) So how is Tony a Twofer you may ask. Well, first off, this marked the second time that he has retired. After retiring in 2011, he came out of that retirement in 2021 to return as manager of the Chicago White Sox. His return to the Sox notched another Tony-twofer in that he had started his managerial career with them in 1979.
In between those two stints in Chicago, Tony won 2 World Series as the Cardinals’ manager and 1 World Series as manager of the Oakland A’s. Here is a summation of Tony’s managerial career. (Note the 10 year break before he returned to the White Sox in 2021 after he retired the first time in 2011.)
Although he was never able to take the White Sox to a World Series, he did so 6 times with the A’s and the Cardinals. He was the manager of the A’s when they went to 3 straight World Series 88, 89 and 90. Here are Tony’s accomplishments:
All totaled, Tony and his teams won 3 and lost 3 World Series. Surprisingly enough however, it was neither of those 3 World Series loses that Tony looks back on and regrets the most (click here.)
Haunting him is his first playoff series in 1983 when his White Sox lost to our Orioles. His White Sox won the first game of that Series, but the Orioles swept the next three games by completely shutting down the White Sox batters who only scored one run in those final 3 games (click here for game recaps.) (Note back then the ALCS was a best of 5 series whereas today it is best of 7.)
Tony’s retirement now leaves Astros’ manager Dusty Baker at 73 years of age as the oldest manager in baseball. Here are his managerial stops:
Dusty is in baseball’s history book for two reasons. First, on April 8, 1974, when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record of 714 homers, Dusty was on deck. It was Hank who was instrumental in having Dusty initially sign with the Braves.
Dusty’s second brush with fame is that he was the co-inventer of the high five. This from Wiki:
“It is believed that Baker played an integral part in the first-ever high five, which occurred between Baker and Dodgers teammate Glenn Burke on October 2, 1977, at Dodger Stadium, a story featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary The High Five (2014), directed by Michael Jacobs.”
As a player for the Dodgers, Dusty appeared in 3 World Series and won one. As a manager he has led 2 teams to the World Series but has lost both of them. With his Astros back in this year’s Series, it is about time he won one as a manager wouldn’t you say? Dusty’s due.
Music-wise there is some flail going on over the Astros’ opponents’ the Phillies using Swedish songstress Robyn’s Dancing on My Own (click here.) Evidently there are two versions of the song and Robyn’s fans are upset because the Phillies are not using her original. Check the two versions out here and see what you think. (I’m good with the Phillies’ choice.)