Robin Ventura is the Anti-Ozzie

As the position players started to come in Manager Robin Ventura began to field questions about some of his veterans who struggled last season. He knows in order for the White Sox to compete this season players like Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham are going to have to improve on their efforts from last year. Still Ventura is not putting any pressure on them early on, he proving to people he is the anti-Ozzie.

Ozzie Guillen had no problem calling out his players in the media. He would tell reporters within shouting distance who on his team needs to pick it up. Whether it worked or not is no longer relevant. He’s gone. What is relevant is that Robin Ventura will not manage his team like that.

It is almost like a breath of fresh air. The players seem to be coming in to camp with a more relaxed feel. Not in the sense of not working hard but more like having their guards down. Being able to just focus on baseball instead of worrying about what your manager will say about you is important. Ozzie’s antics waned heavily on last year’s team ad it showed.

Don’t be confused, Ventura still has a no nonsense approach. His demeanor is one that is tough but fair. He comes off as the kind of guy who will run a very tight ship but keep any and all issues in house. He will not coddle his players and treat them like adults.

Whether his approach works remains to be seen. At this point though from a fan and player’s perspective the anti-Ozzie angle seems to be working. Let’s just say it will make for a quieter spring trainer where everybody can just focus on baseball. What a concept…