(670 The Score) As the White Sox begin their search for a new manager following Tony La Russa's resignation, veteran closer Liam Hendriks isn’t aware of which specific candidates are currently on the market, but he does have a belief regarding what the team needs in its next leader.
“As a unit, we need an authoritarian,” Hendriks said Monday. “I think we need someone who’s going to be a little harsher on some things, not let things slide.”
For his part, Hendriks added he doesn't want to give input to White Sox brass as they search for a new manager, but he was responding to a question he received from reporters Monday.
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The 33-year-old Hendriks realizes the challenges of being a manager go well beyond just making decisions throughout the course of a game.
“It’s such a tricky job because you got so many different types of personalities,” Hendriks said. “You got guys who have the confidence and the bravado and then you have guys who are more shy and in the background and they just want to go about doing their thing quietly. You got to be a chameleon as a manager. You got to be able to leech out certain different traits in everybody because at the end of the day, some people need to be less confident and some people need to be more confident. Some people need to kind of shift back a little bit and some people need to open up a little more.
“It’s just a very difficult position to have, and I don’t envy whoever becomes a manager because I feel it’s just a pain in the ass.”
La Russa, who turned 78 on Tuesday, announced in a statement that it would be “impossible” for him to return as manager as he deals with two health matters, including a heart issue. The White Sox have had a disappointing season, missing the playoffs and sitting at 80-80 entering play Tuesday as two games remain in the regular season.
“I am sincerely disappointed that I am leaving without the opportunity to finish what I was brought in to do,” La Russa said in a statement. “I still appreciate the chance to come back home to the White Sox and leave today with many more good memories than disappointments.”
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