THIS IS AGE APPROPRIATE
Questioning 76-year-old La Russa’s ability isn’t ageism, it’s skepticism
The last three times I’ve written about White Sox manager Tony La Russa, I’ve mentioned that he’s 76. So make that four in a row.
I’ve always used his age in context, usually along the lines of, “Will the 76-yearold La Russa be able to relate well to young players?” It’s not germane to anything if a journalist writes, “La Russa, 76, said Liam Hendriks is an excellent closer.’’
But I did go through a period of selfexamination after the third time I pointed out the number of years the manager has walked on the planet.
Does his age remain an issue the more times it shows up in print or on a computer screen? Does it become a bigger issue with each mention? Am I attaching some dark meaning to advanced age just by dutifully chronicling La Russa’s? Is writing “La Russa, 76, …’’ any different than writing, “La Russa, who likes to dress up as a clown in the privacy of his own home, ...”?
In reality, aren’t I saying, “This guy is way too old to be managing the Chicago White Sox!”?
Then I told myself to snap out of it. Age is important in sports. We measure everything by numbers, and age is one of those measurements. We lauded Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady not for winning the Super Bowl this season, but for winning it at
43. At no point did anyone say it was in bad taste to talk about his age.
We look at a worn-down Ben Roethlisberger and can’t help but think he’s finished. We agree that it’s because of the hits he has taken as the Steelers quarterback, but also that, by turning 39 on Tuesday, he’s getting up there.
It’s not just sports. We praise Mick Jagger for still being able to dance like a crazed rooster at 77. And we marvel at the human body’s resilience when we say that Keith Richards, against all odds, remains alive at
77.
Everything is relative, and that’s why context needs to be attached to age. The truth is, we don’t know how La Russa is going to deal with the rigors of an extremely stressful job. I get tired just thinking about the travel that comes with 81 road games. Working nights, trying to eat healthy and getting enough sleep is hard enough for a 56-year-old manager.
A 76-year-old manager doesn’t have to know every pop-culture reference his