CHICAGO -- A glitch in a graphic file that was emailed to some fans announcing the Chicago White Sox's hiring of new manager Tony La Russa on Thursday contained a signature of AJ Hinch on a picture of La Russa.
The mistake was due to multiple variations of the graphic being prepared for various candidates, according to a team source, although Hinch, the former Astros manager who was suspended for the 2020 season because of the team's sign-stealing scandal, was never interviewed.
The file ended up in the finished product that was emailed on Thursday as part of the La Russa announcement.
@whitesox email announcement appears to have AJ Hinch Signature. Looks like it was corrected on Twitter. @SoxOn35th @SouthSideSox @SoxMach_pnoles pic.twitter.com/m64LcrshZG
— Gabe (@GabeNotDave) October 29, 2020
Hinch, a rumored candidate for the job, was likely on an initial list of candidates that got folded into the graphic-making process.
Sources told ESPN's Buster Olney on Thursday night that the Detroit Tigers have made progress in finalizing a deal with Hinch to be their next manager, although the agreement is not finalized.
The White Sox later tweeted a corrected version of the picture with La Russa's signature on it.