3 good Frank Menechino replacements for White Sox hitting coach

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The Chicago White Sox have had an abysmal offense all season long. This comes after a few years where they were one of the more exciting groups in the league. Now, they just seem like an uninspired version of the team that we once knew.

This team is in desperate need of a new hitting coach. Ever since Frank Menechino took over, the approach has clearly changed and it has been for the worse.

They don’t hit a lot of home runs but bat for a very good average. In the year 2022, that is not a good approach to winning baseball. Every other team in the league seems to be ahead of them in that department.

If they were to make a change to this coaching position, they should do it as soon as the season ends so that 2023 isn’t affected. These three good replacements for Frank Menechino:

1. Jim Thome

The White Sox could hire an old friend that would help everyone improve.

Jim Thome is one of the greatest hitters in both White Sox history and MLB history. He is 8th on the all-time home run list with 612. Of course, power was the name of his game as he had a career OPS of .956.

He is actually the type of Hall of Famer that the White Sox should consider for a job. He knows what it takes to be a great hitter in this league and he knows what it takes to play well for the White Sox.

There is no doubt that he has the credentials needed to be a hitting coach in the big leagues. Thome is someone that already works with the White Sox now so becoming the hitting coach would only get him more involved. It would be a great idea.

(Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

2. Ken Griffey Jr.

The White Sox could consider bringing “The Kid” to be their hitting coach.

One of the strangest times in the history of the Chicago White Sox was the short stint that Ken Griffey Jr. had with them. He was someone who became one of the greatest players in the history of the sport that just so happened to have a cup of coffee on the south side.

We talked about Jim Thome, who played for the White Sox just like Griffey, as the man who is 8th all-time in home runs. Well, Griffey is one slot ahead of him at seventh with 630 career home runs. He played in a very home run-heavy time and was one of the very best at it.

Griffey Jr. was just named to be the hitting coach for Team USA at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He will be around Tim Anderson who will be on that team as well as some of the great all-stars of today’s MLB. That kind of experience could turn him into a great MLB hitting coach.

If he wanted to join a club after that tournament is over, he should really consider the Chicago White Sox. There is a tie there because of his short stint with the team along with the idea that he will get to know Tim Anderson in the World Baseball Classic. If the White Sox wants to add someone smart for this job, this guy is it.

3. Chris Johnson

The next Chicago White Sox hitting coach might already be in the organization.

Another easy answer would just be to look at the rest of the all-time home run list and see who has a tie to the Chicago White Sox. You could also just look at the great retired White Sox hitters of the last 20 years like Paul Konerko, Frank Thomas, or AJ Pierzynski and hire them as well.

However, the smartest decision that they can make might be right under their nose and that is Chris Johnson. He currently serves as the hitting coach for the Charlotte Knights which is the AAA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. He knows a lot about the players on the team and could do good work.

We have seen players go down to AAA and get their swings back to where they need to be. Right now, Yasmani Grandal (on rehab assignment) and Jake Burger (before his weekend injury) are down there and have had major success hitting the ball.

Something about Johnson’s approach to hitting has really been useful to a lot of players which is something that they could use at the MLB level. He was hired to be Charlotte’s hitting coach ahead of the 2021 season and has done really well.

Firing the current hitting coach isn’t just going to solve all of their problems offensively but it could very much help. We will see if the White Sox decide to go in a different direction or keep steady with this very poor offense that they have right now.

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