May 12, 2008 – A major-league infielder with three teams, Tony La Russa appeared in 132 games over six seasons between 1963 and 1973. He also spent all or parts of 15 seasons in the minors. Inquisitive as well as competitive, the native of Tampa took advantage of all that experience by closely studying the intricacies of the game and becoming a major-league manager. He learned so well that by the time he retired in 2011, only Connie Mack and John McGraw had won more games.

In 1973, when La Russa was in his 12th year in professional baseball and aware of his limited future as a player, he began to pursue a law degree. Taking classes during the offseason, he obtained his degree in 1978. But that same year the Chicago White Sox hired him to manage their Double-A affiliate in the Southern League. One hundred and six games into the 1979 season he was named manager of the parent club at age 34, beginning an uninterrupted string of 33 consecutive seasons as a major league skipper. As manager of the White Sox, Athletics, and Cardinals between 1979 and 2011, he led his teams to 2,728 wins, six pennants, and three World Series titles. In 2021 he was lured out of retirement and returned to manage the Chicago White Sox, leading them to the AL Central Division title. Voted Manager of the Year four times and finishing second five times, he is one of two managers to win the World Series in both leagues.

La Russa was an innovator in a game that treasures tradition. Intensely focused and detail-oriented, he was driven to find even the slightest edge over his opponents. No less significant than the wins and titles he accumulated was his lasting impact on the way the game is played. His best known, and most enduring influence was his modification of relief pitching, using specialty relievers in late innings to take advantage of situational match-ups and defining the role of closer as a ninth-inning specialist. While his relentless competitiveness, not to mention frequent pitching changes, made him a polarizing figure at times, his innovations and strategical brilliance earned him the respect and admiration of his peers and baseball analysts. In 2013, his first year of eligibility, La Russa was unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame by the Expansion Era Committee.