Scioscia is baseball’s longest-tenured manager and is signed through 2018, but after the Angels signed Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton to huge, multiyear deals over the past two offseasons, the pressure is on to win now.
However, the man Scioscia succeeded to become the longest-employed manager in MLB says he’s not interested in the Angels job should it become available.
According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, “industry speculation” for a potential Angels managerial opening has focused on former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. But La Russa, who has a very good relationship with Pujols from their days in St. Louis, not only says he wouldn’t take the Angels job, but flatly won’t ever be returning to the dugout.
“I’m not going to manage again,” La Russa said on Wednesday. “I’m going to work for a team someday. But it won’t be managing.”
Coincidentally, La Russa had planned to attend this weekend’s series in Anaheim between the Angels and Tigers. However, he says he considered staying home so as to not cause any undue speculation.
“My plan is to be there [in Anaheim] because of Jim [Leyland] and Dave [Dombrowski] with the Tigers and because of Albert,” La Russa said. “I hesitate because of my respect for [Scioscia].
“The truth is, there is and cannot be anything to this. It bothers me that I’m hesitating to [attend the series].”
