Baseball Hall of Famer and former Arizona Diamondbacks chief baseball officer Tony La Russa will leave the D-backs organization at the end of the month, the D-backs announced in a statement Wednesday.
The 73-year-old La Russa served as the D-backs' chief baseball officer from 2015-16 and was the team's chief baseball analyst last season.
“I am grateful to everyone in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for the opportunity to complete my baseball education,” La Russa said in a statement. “After years in uniform and working with the Commissioner and many special members of Major League Baseball, being a part of the D-backs was both exciting and educational.
"The challenges facing baseball operations, player development and scouting are unique, as it’s a 24-7, 12-month job and more demanding than I ever realized. The success in 2017 was a complete team effort throughout the organization -- including great support from our fans -- and with the current leadership in place, we can expect it to be the foundation for many winning years to come.”
As a manager, La Russa is a three-time World Series champion -- once with the Oakland A's and twice with the St. Louis Cardinals -- and was a four-time Manager of the Year. He joined the D-backs' front office in 2014, the same year he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“I would like to thank Tony for all of his contributions to our baseball operations and our community during his time here,” D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement. “Having his Hall of Fame credentials, vast experience and knowledge of the game as resources to rely upon and learn from has been tremendous. The transition to the new leadership team has been smooth and flawless with his willingness and positivity. I will forever value his hard work and our friendship.”
