For loyal listeners of the "Nothing Personal with David Samson" podcast, you have been given a nice Halloween treat courtesy of MLB teams making some big name moves. In his second episode of the day, Samson dishes on the Detroit Tigers bringing in former Astros manager A.J. Hinch and the Chicago White Sox bringing in actual Hall of Famer Tony La Russa.
Both managers understandably have some hang ups pertaining to the situation they're each going into. Hinch served as the manager of the Houston Astros and was implicated in the biggest cheating scandal in modern baseball history. His year-long suspension ended as soon as the World Series ended earlier this week. Per Samson, the team was able to overlook the scandal part, and sign him because of his ability to work with young talent and win -- which, as a result of MLB's response to the cheating, is something Hinch has accomplished without a real asterisk.
La Russa is more of a case of potential cultural clash, given La Russa's advanced age and how a potentially old school approach may fit in 2021. What's also a problem is that rumors, as Samson states in his podcast, dictate that owner Jerry Reinsdorf was the only person who really approved of the idea. At the same time, Samson believes that it ultimately doesn't matter what people have to say about the hire so long as Reinsdorf wants it to happen -- he brings up a hypothetical situation where the White Sox owner shows off his rings a-la-Pat Riley to solidify his choice.
For the entirety of the show, check out the link below.
