Chicago – In an interview with The Athletic, the Hall of Fame manager admitted the idea for him to become White Sox manager in 2021 stemmed from a ‘substantial’ gambling debt that White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf owed him as a result of a high stakes private poker game in Arizona. Reinsdorf floater the idea of giving LaRussa the opportunity to come back and manage again as payment for the debt. Both sides agreed and shocked the sports world in October 2020 that the then 76-year old would return to manage his former team.
LaRussa and Reinsdorf both reside in Arizona and played in a high stake poker game with Stef Bando’s father. Stef has now fallen for a LaRussa April Fools joke in back to back seasons.