Robin Ventura’s contract is up at the end of the season. Rick Hahn has been silent on his future but many believe the White Sox will have a new manager in 2017.
The biggest offseason storyline for the Chicago White Sox is definitely who will be their manager in 2017. With Robin Ventura’s contract up and the team struggling, conventional wisdom would tell us we’ll see someone new. However, this is the White Sox we’re talking about. And last time I checked, Jerry Reinsdorf is still the owner.
Reinsdorf is very loyal to his guys. It’s really his biggest downfall as an owner. He would rather keep guys around that he likes rather than making the necessary changes to ensure his teams are successful. If you are a White Sox fan this should scare the living daylight out of you. It’s well documented that Reinsdorf is very fond of Ventura and that fondness could be the reason we see him back on the South Side.
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If we look back at recent history, it’s not looking very promising for this team to make the right hire. After all, they didn’t even interview Terry Francona in 2011. Since then, Francona has turned the Indians into a playoff contender and the White Sox never showed interest in him. In fact, he has never had a losing season in Cleveland. But the White Sox wanted to stick to their plan and didn’t even ask him for an interview. Based off this alone there’s no way we can trust Rick Hahn, Kenny Williams and Reinsdorf to make the right decision.
What I would love to see is the White Sox do a proper managerial search and take their time with it. It seemed like they rushed into hiring Ventura in 2011 when there were other options available. Sandy Alomar Jr. was another name that was mentioned, who this team didn’t interview. Since then, Alomar has become a managerial candidate and is still with the Indians.
The next manager will have a profound impact on the direction of the organization. The brain trust cannot afford to screw this up or they’ll set the franchise back. With guys like Tim Anderson and Carlos Rodon they have a good core in place. They have two aces in Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. They have guys that can hit like Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu. What’s missing is a manager who is a good in-game tactician and who can get the most out of his team.
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There’s no doubt Ventura was a great player in his career. He’ll be remembered as one of the best 3B to play for the White Sox. But he’s just not a great manager and fans deserve a manager who can actually manage the game. This doesn’t mean you have to shun him from the organization. By all means keep him on as an advisor or some other role within the organization. But please don’t put him back in the dugout. Jerry we’re begging you. Do the right thing and make White Sox baseball great again.