May 23, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura (right) and former manager Ozzie Guillen chat during a ceremony on the day that the number of Paul Konerko was retired at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time since the year Ozzie Guillen quit on the team and forced a trade to the Miami Marlins, I would welcome a new man filling out the lineup card for the Chicago White Sox on a daily basis.
I thought Robin Ventura was an interesting choice following the 2011 season which saw the aforementioned Guillen take his talents to South Beach. He looked like an inspired choice after the 2012 season in which the White Sox finished 85-77 and only missed the playoffs due to a late-season collapse, losing the division by a mere three games to the Detroit Tigers.
Despite missing the playoffs as a rookie manager, Ventura held his own and seemed like one of the best young managers in the league. Since then however, things have taken a turn for the worse. Starting at the onset of the 2013 season, Ventura’s club holds a 164-226 record entering play Saturday, leading many fans to believe that given the talent acquired during the winter months Ventura should already be in the unemployment line.
While Ventura’s game management skills still are in question, I believe the bigger reason he should be on the chopping block is the general lack of excitement he exudes. This may be a team that responds to a more fire-in-his-belly type man at the top of the dugout.
Despite team owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s general disdain for hiring coaches with previous experience (both for the Sox and his basketball team at the United Center, the Chicago Bulls), some of the names that came to my mind have coached at the highest level before.
Next: A return of a familar face?