La Russa responds to advice from Chicago fans

With runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the 11th inning of Tuesday night’s marathon on the South Side, the few thousand fans remaining began shouting unsolicited advice to Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa, writes

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was at the plate against Vince Velasquez, and fans called for an intentional walk to load the bases.

Did La Russa hear the fans’ advice?

“I didn’t think they liked walks,” he said with a grin before Wednesday’s game.

La Russa, of course, was referring to the infamous intentional walk he ordered for Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner with a 1-2 count on June 9, a move widely panned by baseball experts and fans alike. The Dodgers’

Max Muncy then homered, seemingly upset at La Russa’s decision to pitch to him instead of Turner.

A couple of weeks later he can laugh about the uproar, which put the 77-year-old La Russa in the national spotlight and made him a moving target for his most vocal critics.

Guerrero wound up grounding to third to end the 11th, making the decision not to walk him a good one. Had it not worked out, La Russa no doubt would’ve heard it from the crowd. “Fire Tony” chants had already sounded out during the Blue Jays’ three-run eighth.

As he stated previously, La Russa doesn’t mind hearing it from opinionated Sox fans.

“I’ve said it 100 times, man, I like that they’re here and they care,” La Russa said. “And if they’re displeased and it’s with me, I’d rather them be here and care than not care and not be here. In that particular (situation) I know some coaches went to the top step and yelled back, like, ‘Whaddaya say now?’ or something like that.”

La Russa didn’t name the coaches, then asked aloud: “You know what the guy on deck

(Alejandro Kirk) is hitting against us? Gee whiz, he’s a killer. We have a tough time getting him out.”

Kirk had a .353 average (6-for-17) against the Sox this season with three home runs and a 1.362 OPS. (He’s now 8-for-22, .363, with four HRs.)

After the Sox came back to win, 7-6 in 12 innings, La Russa walked from his office to his news conference. A few dozen fans waiting for him to pass so they could exit their scout seats began chanting, “Tony, Tony.”

No word on whether La Russa heard the noise.