Anthony La Russa Jr. is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. His Major League Baseball (MLB) career has spanned from 1963 to 2022, in several roles. He is the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox. In 35 seasons as a manager, La Russa guided his teams to three World Series titles, six league championships, and 13 division titles. His managerial total of 2,884 MLB wins is second only to Connie Mack's.
As a player, La Russa 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. After a shoulder injury during the 1964–65 off-season, he returned to college and received a degree from the University of South Florida before playing much of the remainder of his career in the minor leagues until retiring in 1977. He then earned a Juris Doctor degree from Florida State University.
Named manager of the White Sox in the middle of the 1979 season, La Russa guided the team to an American League West division title four seasons later.