My wife and I have watched our fair share of movies in our 24 years together. The two of us have seen some duds, but we also have a list of gems we have been privileged to come across. "The Shawshank Redemption" is definitely on that list. The scene where Tim Robbins, having just survived crawling through the prison sewage pipe, raises his hands out as the rain cleanses him is one of my favorite movie moments, and it's one of the most famous examples of redemption and second chances.
Speaking of second chances, a former White Sox manager has now received his own shot at a second chance. Pedro Grifol today was named the new skipper of the Florida International University baseball team. Yes, THAT Pedro Grifol. The man who was at the helm in 2024 when the Southsiders tied a still-standing American League and franchise record of losing 21 straight games. He was in charge for more than half of the season when the White Sox that year set the MLB record for losses in a season at 121. The White Sox clubhouse was a complete mess in 2023 and 2024 with Grifol in charge and the product on the field matched it.
Former White Sox manager Pedro Grifol will be the new head coach at Florida International University in Miami, sources tell @TheAthletic
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 23, 2026
Despite big league failures, Grifol has been successful at other levels
Hopefully, Grifol will learn from his past mistakes. He's had success at other levels in the past. As a minor league manager, he has an overall record of 198-170. He guided the Class A Everett Aquasox, affiliated with the Mariners, to second and third place finishes in the Northwest League in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Then, in 2012, he did his best coaching job to date, leading the Class A High Desert Mavericks to first place in the California League.
Grifol's predecessor at FIU, Rich Witten, was let go after a 19-35 overall record in 2026, with a 10-20 mark in Conference USA play. The Panthers missed out on the conference tournament for the first time since 2018. While there was significant roster turnover last year with 26 players leaving and 29 joining the team, Grifol does have some talent to work with. Sophomore outfielder Andrew Ildefonso followed up a 2025 All-CUSA Freshman Team season to lead the team with 17 multi-hit games. He also finished second on the team in doubles (13) and RBIs (44). Junior infielder Mario Trivella was first on the team in home runs (15) and RBI (50) to go along with a .384 OBP%. Another junior infielder, Cooper Rasmussen, was tops on the team with a .295 batting average. Grifol's biggest challenge will be to turnaround a pitching staff that posted a 7.59 ERA and a WHIP of 1.82.
The biggest thing that Grifol, a Miami native, will have going for him though is the man holding the purse strings or lack there of. He will NOT have to deal with Jerry Reinsdorf, an owner who has proven that he historically couldn't care less about the product on the field as long as he makes money.
Pedro Grifol's managerial skills didn't work out at the big league level, but maybe they'll work better at the college level. Only time will tell.
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