When the Chicago White Sox hired Tony La Russa as manager this offseason, the overwhelming reaction to the move was to question why on earth a team would hire a 76-year-old unwritten rules stickler to manage one of the most diverse, exciting rosters in baseball.
It took less than two months for La Russa to validate those concerns.
The story began Monday evening, when White Sox designated hitter Yermín Mercedes walked up to the plate. His team was up 15-4 against the last-place Minnesota Twins, and the game was so far gone that Twins catcher Willians Astudillo was on the mound.