"If you think about it seriously, there is no way that you can apply Moneyball-type analysis to people that are involved in a competition against other people. The basis of Moneyball is very important […] But […] the individuals that are competing literally change from day to day […] they sometimes change within the game itself." - Tony LaRussa

Tony was born in Florida, the grandson of Sicilian immigrants (paternal). As a player, he made his major league debut in 1963 and spent parts of five major league seasons with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs - his career limited by shoulder injury and poor hitting.

Tony LaRussa is one of the winningest managers in the history of baseball. Tony was a manager for 33 years with the White Sox, Athletics (winning three consecutive American League championships from 1988 to 1990 and the 1989 World Series title) and Cardinals, where he led the team to three National League championships and the 2006 and 2011 World Series titles. Overall, Tony managed teams to the playoffs 14 times, to the World Series 6 times, and winning three championships. Tony has a Juris Doctorate degree from FSU. In 2020, he was hired to manage to the Chicago White Sox for the 2021 season.

In a sport where tradition reigns and change may be viewed as heresy, Tony LaRussa was considered an insurgent within the ranks of major league managers. Especially with regard to relief pitching, he experimented with innovative strategies, some of which have become standard practice. His most notable contribution was his role in the development of the one-inning closer, which became the norm throughout baseball.

(excerpted from SABR, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)