Multiple White Sox reporters are writing that manager Tony La Russa is not expected to return next year, citing health issues.

Why it matters: The 2022 White Sox were supposed to compete for a World Series, but are instead barreling toward a sub-.500 finish.

• The team has already been eliminated from the playoffs.

Context: The Sox started a rebuild in 2017, pointing to the Theo Epstein-led Cubs as a blueprint. They collected young talent full of swagger, including Tim Anderson and Eloy Jiménez.

• Two seasons ago, owner Jerry Reinsdorf fired manager Rick Renteria and shocked the league by hiring the then-76-year-old La Russa.
• The Sox won the AL Central last year but got trounced in the ALDS by the Astros.

What they're saying: "It's hard to remember a Chicago team that had an easier layup than winning this AL Central," CHGO Sports head of content Kevin Kaduk tells Axios.

• "The city has had bigger sports disappointments, but this is still near the top."

Zoom in: This season, La Russa made head-scratching lineup moves, in-game strategy blunders and even fell asleep in the dugout.

• He stepped away from the team for a medical issue this month and never returned.
• "Right when a winning edge was essential, the owner hired an energy vampire as manager, and he systematically sucked all the life from the clubhouse," 670 The Score host Matt Spiegel tells Axios.

Reality check: It's not all the manager's fault.

• The 2022 White Sox had multiple serious injuries to the seventh-highest payroll in baseball.
• And despite being a home run team, they don't have a single player who has hit 20 this season.

What's next: Beyond reportedly selecting a new manager, The Sox must make decisions about star first baseman Jose Abreu and the glaring holes in their lineup.

💭 Justin's thought bubble: It's baseball, and sometimes the best teams lose. But this? This season is worse than the year Sale cut up his jersey.

• Sox fans know that's bad.

Today is the 40th anniversary of first of the Tylenol murders.

What happened: Seven people died after ingesting cyanide-laced pills from Tylenol bottles bought in local drugstores.

• The murders led to a nationwide panic and recall that later prompted drug companies to create safety-seal packaging.
• The killer was never caught.

Yes, but: Investigators are urging prosecutors to take another look at longtime suspect all these years later, according to the Tribune.

• They're pointing to former Chicago resident James Lewis, who was convicted of extortion after he sent a letter to Tylenol parent company Johnson & Johnson demanding $1 million to stop the killings.
• But there is no physical evidence linking Lewis to the crime, and he has always denied the allegations.

Worthy of your time: The Tribune is exploring this anniversary with an eight-part podcast hosted by investigative reporters Christy Gutowski and Stacy St. Clair.

Highland Park shooting survivors are suing the shooter, the shooter's father and the gun manufacturer. (ABC 7) 

🚨 A man was charged in last weekend's attempted kidnapping in the West Loop. (Tribune)

🎒 Chicago Public Schools is no longer the third-largest school district in the country. Due to declining enrollment, CPS has fallen behind Miami-Dade County. (Chalkbeat)

🏟️ Northwestern plans to tear down Ryan Field and build a modern, smaller-capacity stadium. The project, which would need the City of Evanston approval, would cost $800 million. (Crains)

The Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards handed out their top prizes at a ceremony in Beverly last weekend.

Why it matters: Gardening has exploded since the pandemic began, and these awards celebrate folks who make Chicago a greener, healthier and better place to live.

How it works: The CEGA committee gave out 67 honors this year in categories including school, community, container, vegetable and specialty gardens.

• The 39th ward, where Monica grew up and her mom still gardens, harvested the most prizes.
• Wards representing Chatham, Dauphin Park, Brighton Park/Garfield Ridge, Avondale, Hermosa, Edgebrook and Edison Park tied for second with three prizes each.

What they're saying: "The diversity of the gardeners was matched by the diversity of their gardens," CEGA co-founder Mike Nowak tells Axios.

• "The backyards, parkways, community and rooftop gardens exploding with food and beauty seemed to express the pent up energy of more than two years of pandemic finally released."

Watch the awards

💼 Check out who’s hiring now.

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👋 Hey, it's Monica. Last weekend I rode my bike down to the Museum of Contemporary Art to catch the stunning "Nick Cave: Forothermore."

Why it matters: This multimedia retrospective of the local artist delivers stunning visual statements on race, alienation and hope for renewal.

• Plus, I was bowled over by the magical hall of dangling mobiles and some of the coolest suits I've ever seen.

The bad news: The show closes this weekend, so you'll need to smoosh in with the other last-minute Larrys to catch it.

The sweet news: You can reserve a taste of Cave's whimsical, hopeful art in the form of Eli's Cheesecake.

• The artist has designed a line of Eli's tiny, chocolate-enrobed cheesecakes called Cuties for a limited run.
• Eli's is taking orders now for deliveries of a box of 10 Cuties starting Nov. 1 ($125).

What they're saying: "This rainbow package contains an extremely delicious collection of life tenets chosen and designed by myself and created by the extraordinary team at Eli's, as a response to my exhibition titled Forothermore," Cave said in a statement.

• "I see these tenets as guideposts as well as filters that warm and connect us to each other."