When Chicago White Sox fans reminisce about the 2022 season, someone will invariably ask his friends if they remember the time that Tony La Russa decided to intentionally walk a hitter with a 1-2 count. After Friday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians, there will be only one accurate response to that question — “which time?”
In a June game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, La Russa elected to intentionally walk Trea Turner when a wild pitch opened up first base. This was even though Turner was down 1-2 in the count. While that move backfired spectacularly, La Russa vehemently defended it. As it turns out, that defense was not just lip service. La Russa really felt it was the right move. We know this because, on Friday, he did it again.
With Cleveland’s Oscar Gonzalez at the plate, Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez successfully attempted a double steal. While that put runners on second and third, Chicago’s Jake Diekman was still up 1-2 on Gonzalez. But true to form, La Russa elected to fill the open base, issuing a free pass to Gonzalez.
Tony La Russa has intentionally walked another batter on a 1-2 count
The White Sox were already down 5-2 pic.twitter.com/BHnLONyJ3B
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 20, 2022
This time, the move didn’t backfire so badly. La Russa also brought in Jimmy Lambert to pitch. He got the next hitter, Owen Miller, to fly out and end the inning.
Still, La Russa’s decision drew a mountain of criticism.
i don’t care if we “got out” of tony la russa walking a player AGAIN on a 1-2 count to load the bases. that was still a terrible move and he is a terrible manager and nothing will change until he is gone https://t.co/xyp6lNpPJ0
— hannah lamotta (@hannahlamotta) August 20, 2022
TONY LA RUSSA DOES IT AGAIN?!? 1-2 COUNT TO JUST SOME GUY WHO IS ALREADY 0-3…. JUST WOW.
— DJ (@WhiteSoxDJ) August 20, 2022
#WhiteSox manager Tony La Russa just intentionally walked Oscar Gonzalez on a 1-2 count.
Gonzalez has struck out 39% of the time he’s faced a 1-2 count this season and has gotten out 88% of the time after facing that count. #ChangeTheGame
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) August 20, 2022
Tony La Russa when he has a chance to intentionally walk a batter on a 1-2 count #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/aiG6rIpGU7
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) August 20, 2022
La Russa gives us the intentional walk on a 1-2 count (again) to make this half inning a true microcosm of a frustrating White Sox season pic.twitter.com/fIGGpHPcJX
— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) August 20, 2022
If anything, we can pretty safely say now that La Russa was not lying recently when he shot down speculation that he used a pinch runner based on a nearby fan’s suggestion. When La Russa has his mind set on something, he does it — regardless of how much sense it actually makes.