HOFer La Russa to leave D-Backs organization
Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa, who spent the last few seasons as a prominent member of the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office - most recently in the role of Chief Baseball Analyst - announced Wednesday he'll be departing the organization at the end of October.
"I am grateful to everyone in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for the opportunity to complete my baseball education," La Russa said in a statement.
Chief Baseball Analyst Tony La Russa will depart the Dbacks at the end of October. He served as the club’s Chief Baseball Officer in ‘15-16. pic.twitter.com/I0eGVQapdE
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) October 18, 2017
La Russa joined the Diamondbacks' front office in 2014 under the title of Chief Baseball Officer, a position he held through the end of last season. He was instrumental in the hiring of Dave Stewart - who played for La Russa in Oakland - as the team's general manager.
Following Arizona's disappointing 2016 campaign that saw the team lose 93 games after making some blockbuster offseason acquisitions, Stewart was fired and La Russa was moved from Chief Baseball Officer to his role as a chief analyst. In this new role, he served as an adviser to the man who replaced Stewart as GM, Mike Hazen, and also worked with the club's president and CEO.
La Russa is most famous for his 33-year managerial career with the White Sox, Athletics, and Cardinals. The 73-year-old won six pennants and three World Series titles in the dugout, and his 2,728 wins are third-most in baseball history, trailing only John McGraw and Connie Mack.