“When I met with the media as our season ended, I identified one person at the very top of my managerial list,” general manager Ken Williams said in a statement. “I wanted someone who met very specific criteria centered around his leadership abilities. Robin Ventura was that man. His baseball knowledge and expertise, his professionalism, his familiarity with the White Sox and Chicago and his outstanding character make him absolutely the right person to lead our clubhouse and this organization into the seasons ahead.”
Ventura replaces Ozzie Guillen, who left the Sox for the Florida Marlins.
“When I rejoined the White Sox this June, I said this was my baseball home and that part of me never left the White Sox organization,” Ventura said in a statement. “My family and I are thrilled to be returning to Chicago. Managing a Major League Baseball team is a tremendous honor. It’s also an opportunity and a challenge.
I’ve checked Ventura’s bio and this appears to be his first ever coaching job.
Discuss.
…Adding… He may be a rookie manager, but he does have some fire in his belly. Trouble is, he ain’t much of a fighter. Remember this one?…
Like I said in my advice letter, this is all on you. First move out of the gate and you leave most of us fans with, “hmm, that’s an interesting choice.” Skepticism is not your friend buddy.
Maybe he can play third base too. Sheesh, Kenny sure didn’t leave many stones unturned to find this untested gem. A very odd pick, but I guess Kenny would have felt threatened by a real manager.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Ventura as a player, going back to his OK State days. But wow, a big league manager? I don’t think so.
It’s being reported on Gaper’s Block that Thomas is the new hitting coach. I haven’t found it anywhere else though.
- What planet is he from again? - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:37 pm:
Considering some of the people with short resumes who get elected to high office (some of whom, coincidentally enough are also named “Ventura”), why not manager of a baseball team? After all, experience is no guarantee success, and lack of experience is no guarantee of failure.
I suspect someone’s goofing. He’s the only member of the infield not current or former on the staff (Ventura, 3B; Ozzie, SS; Cora, 2B) - only Frank is missing. And Fisk/Karkovice.
perfect pick! it allows Williams 3 years of re-building to rid the overpayed goofs he signed, taking the heat off him! but the true Sox fan knows both the Oz and KW should have gone, especially with Friedman and Epstein out there to be had !! bad move MR. R.
Ventura worked for the past year in player development with Buddy Bell. he’s been around for one season checking it all out because Kenny figured Ozzie was out….that’s what Kenny said in the phone press conference, done, they said, instead of tv presser because there was a leak about the news.
bench coach candidate from another team, asking permission from that team to discuss. LOVE Cheryl 44’s rumor on Frank as the hitting coach. Batman and Robin of the 90s return. Frank could have the meltdowns that we will miss from Ozzie.
more than anything else, Sox fans love Robin. we were sad when he left. Robin is a class act. he’s played for two teams in NYC and in LA. he knows big markets, and he was a college and major league star.
note to Cubs fans, this marks the second time the Sox have gone with team history. your goofs should have named Ryne last time. go ahead, get Theo for GM. who cares if this is a rebuilding year for the Sox. Robin is back and I think it’s awesome.
rich, thanks for posting that video! trip in the wayback machine, McDowell, Bo Jackson, Ozzie, big hurt, little hurt, Boomer and Gene. gutsy move by Robin to go after Nolan Ryan! god do I feel old….
I dislike the “white sox” but have a great amount of respect for many of their players especially Ventura, Ozzie, Thomas, etc. Wish Robin good luck especially after that gruesome ankle injury he suffered in New York. Rich, go find that video, his ankle is hanging off his foot. Makes me ill everytime I see it.
But I really wished he would have knocked Nolan’s head off his body. If a pitcher is purposely (a la LaRussa) going to use a baseball to throw at a guy’s head, I don’t want anything to do with him. Even if it’s the Great Nolan Ryan. Hit his butt but stay below the chest. I’m sorry but one of these days, someone will get killed and then what?
I think this means the Sox will certainly be looking at a much smaller payroll next year: letting Mark leave via free agency and the trade of Danks (possibly Floyd because he’s under contract for 2012 plus a “relatively” cheap option for 2013), obviously Jean Pierre will leaving too.
Lastly, Ryne would haven’t made ANY difference with this years team. We smart Cubs fans (insert Rich joke) knew that the window closed after the 2009 season. Like Lou last year, we’re just playing out the string with bad money. With old players getting older and costing a ton of money (Soraino $18mill, Dempster $14mill, Zambrano $18mill, Ramierz $15mill, Fukedome $13mill, I could go on…..John Grabow $4.5mill), they were finished. It may not be popular to say here but the Sox might be going through it the next 2-3 years too with Rios $12mill, Dunn $15mill for the next three years and Peavy $16mill next year too.
my first, second, and third reaction was “whaaaa?”. But this is where I give Ken W. the benefit of the doubt (maybe the last time, though). If what’s said above is true, welcome back Frank!!!!
Ventura is indeed a smart, classy guy. He is a solid choice and should please most Sox fans. After making us watch Dunn, Rios and Peavy all summer it’s nice that Kenny has thrown us this bone. Go Sox!
- Holdingontomywallet - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 8:27 pm:
Awesome Rich, I remember that like it was yesterday. He may be a smart guy, but you could tell he didn’t have his heart in it when he charged the mound. Ryan schooled him! I think he will be an excellent manager, but he better stay in the dugout during any bench-clearing brawls….
One of my favorite baseball memories. Robin hesitated before he charged, then the old Texas gunslinger pounded lumps on his head.
The only better fight in my memory was when Bill Buckner of the Cubs beat Gary Carter of the Mets like a mule down the right field line. Satisying.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Robin. But there was something refreshing about the way the old man put the wood to him.
To the choice, who saw that coming? If there was any doubt, Kenny is obviously in charge, and he doesn’t want to deal with any mouthy experienced manager.
I imagine Coop will run the pitching staff, which is a manager’s most important job. Still, I wonder what a lifer like Coop thinks about being passed over for a dude who’s never managed a game at any level.
This tells me that the Sox are going young. Buehrle is probably gone and Danks won’t we far behind. We are looking at a drought for a few years until they can rebuild. I still can’t quite figure why they would hire a guy without any coaching experience whatsoever.
A great choice a man who can run sentences together.Not a lot of drama but a good baseball
man.Lets hope the Sox keep Buehrle and Danks.
I think with Robin if Dunn and Rios don’t hit they
will watch most games from the bench.
I think this is a cynical move by Kenny Williams. The memory of Ventura is strong with Sox fans and they will cut him a ton of slack as the team goes young (and cheap). They won’t have to pay Ventura what they would have had to pay Francona (two World Series titles to his credit).
Not to mention that a veteran manager would not have accepted the given that Cooper and Baines were on the coaching staff no matter what.
As a Sox fan this makes me sad, but it is completely understandable as a defensive move by Williams. His big free agents (Dunn, Peavy and Rios) were all busts.
This move means they will ride out their contracts ($50 million a year total) and hope that the younger players develop while they are still making no real money.
Vinnie DelNegro had no coaching experience at all and he managed to end up with a .500 record in two seasons with the Bulls. If Ventura is at .500 after two years I will be surprised.
- Cubs - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:16 pm:
Perfect time for the Cubs to hire Ryne Sandberg!
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:17 pm:
My brother the Rangers fan is gonna have fun with this, I’m sure.
- Jaded - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:21 pm:
Sweet swinging Robin. I’m sure he’ll have sound advice to offer his players on charging the mound.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:22 pm:
Yeah, Jaded, he could definitely advise them to stay away from Nolan Ryan.
- walkinfool - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:24 pm:
OMG,a mild-mannered rookie in charge. My rating of Kenny W just took a major hit.
- Tom B. - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:25 pm:
Kenny,
Like I said in my advice letter, this is all on you. First move out of the gate and you leave most of us fans with, “hmm, that’s an interesting choice.” Skepticism is not your friend buddy.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:27 pm:
Maybe he can play third base too. Sheesh, Kenny sure didn’t leave many stones unturned to find this untested gem. A very odd pick, but I guess Kenny would have felt threatened by a real manager.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Ventura as a player, going back to his OK State days. But wow, a big league manager? I don’t think so.
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:30 pm:
Well I’m just thrilled to have a little eye candy out there for once. And who knows, I thought Ozzie was a bad choice and we got a WS out of him.
- Leroy - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:31 pm:
he goes to the headlock video literally on the day of the announcement..harsh!
- Bill F. - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:31 pm:
What the heck. I’m willing to give it a shot. Agree with Tom B. - if he fails miserably, Kenny’s got to go.
But hey, we’ll see.
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:31 pm:
Frank Thomas is the new hitting coach.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:33 pm:
Leroy, I wanted to get it over with.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:34 pm:
Cheryl44, please, don’t scare me like that. lol
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:35 pm:
It’s being reported on Gaper’s Block that Thomas is the new hitting coach. I haven’t found it anywhere else though.
- What planet is he from again? - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:37 pm:
Considering some of the people with short resumes who get elected to high office (some of whom, coincidentally enough are also named “Ventura”), why not manager of a baseball team? After all, experience is no guarantee success, and lack of experience is no guarantee of failure.
- Bill F. - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:37 pm:
I suspect someone’s goofing. He’s the only member of the infield not current or former on the staff (Ventura, 3B; Ozzie, SS; Cora, 2B) - only Frank is missing. And Fisk/Karkovice.
- railrat - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 4:57 pm:
perfect pick! it allows Williams 3 years of re-building to rid the overpayed goofs he signed, taking the heat off him! but the true Sox fan knows both the Oz and KW should have gone, especially with Friedman and Epstein out there to be had !! bad move MR. R.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 5:41 pm:
RE:It’s being reported on Gaper’s Block that Thomas is the new hitting coach
anything was better than greg walker
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 5:43 pm:
Ventura can use another video to teach his guys how not to slide into home.
Any word on whether Jack McDowell is in line to replace Cooper?
- amalia - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 5:49 pm:
Ventura worked for the past year in player development with Buddy Bell. he’s been around for one season checking it all out because Kenny figured Ozzie was out….that’s what Kenny said in the phone press conference, done, they said, instead of tv presser because there was a leak about the news.
bench coach candidate from another team, asking permission from that team to discuss. LOVE Cheryl 44’s rumor on Frank as the hitting coach. Batman and Robin of the 90s return. Frank could have the meltdowns that we will miss from Ozzie.
more than anything else, Sox fans love Robin. we were sad when he left. Robin is a class act. he’s played for two teams in NYC and in LA. he knows big markets, and he was a college and major league star.
note to Cubs fans, this marks the second time the Sox have gone with team history. your goofs should have named Ryne last time. go ahead, get Theo for GM. who cares if this is a rebuilding year for the Sox. Robin is back and I think it’s awesome.
- amalia - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 6:00 pm:
rich, thanks for posting that video! trip in the wayback machine, McDowell, Bo Jackson, Ozzie, big hurt, little hurt, Boomer and Gene. gutsy move by Robin to go after Nolan Ryan! god do I feel old….
- Doug - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 6:13 pm:
I guess us Rangers fans will get to enjoy seeing Nolan Ryan continue to kick Ventura’s a$$.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 6:20 pm:
I dislike the “white sox” but have a great amount of respect for many of their players especially Ventura, Ozzie, Thomas, etc. Wish Robin good luck especially after that gruesome ankle injury he suffered in New York. Rich, go find that video, his ankle is hanging off his foot. Makes me ill everytime I see it.
But I really wished he would have knocked Nolan’s head off his body. If a pitcher is purposely (a la LaRussa) going to use a baseball to throw at a guy’s head, I don’t want anything to do with him. Even if it’s the Great Nolan Ryan. Hit his butt but stay below the chest. I’m sorry but one of these days, someone will get killed and then what?
I think this means the Sox will certainly be looking at a much smaller payroll next year: letting Mark leave via free agency and the trade of Danks (possibly Floyd because he’s under contract for 2012 plus a “relatively” cheap option for 2013), obviously Jean Pierre will leaving too.
Lastly, Ryne would haven’t made ANY difference with this years team. We smart Cubs fans (insert Rich joke) knew that the window closed after the 2009 season. Like Lou last year, we’re just playing out the string with bad money. With old players getting older and costing a ton of money (Soraino $18mill, Dempster $14mill, Zambrano $18mill, Ramierz $15mill, Fukedome $13mill, I could go on…..John Grabow $4.5mill), they were finished. It may not be popular to say here but the Sox might be going through it the next 2-3 years too with Rios $12mill, Dunn $15mill for the next three years and Peavy $16mill next year too.
- foster brooks - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 6:22 pm:
RE:Any word on whether Jack McDowell is in line to replace Cooper
Cooper aint goin nowhere!
- Wensicia - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 6:33 pm:
I’ve always liked Ventura, even though I’m a Cubs fan, but I question hiring someone who’s never coached before for a MLB manager position.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 6:39 pm:
===I guess us Rangers fans will get to enjoy seeing===
See what I mean about my brother?
- park - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 7:02 pm:
my first, second, and third reaction was “whaaaa?”. But this is where I give Ken W. the benefit of the doubt (maybe the last time, though). If what’s said above is true, welcome back Frank!!!!
- John Etheredge - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 7:47 pm:
Ventura is indeed a smart, classy guy. He is a solid choice and should please most Sox fans. After making us watch Dunn, Rios and Peavy all summer it’s nice that Kenny has thrown us this bone. Go Sox!
- Holdingontomywallet - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 8:27 pm:
Awesome Rich, I remember that like it was yesterday. He may be a smart guy, but you could tell he didn’t have his heart in it when he charged the mound. Ryan schooled him! I think he will be an excellent manager, but he better stay in the dugout during any bench-clearing brawls….
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 8:36 pm:
Rich,
I just heard on the radio that before every Rangers home game, they replay that video.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 9:46 pm:
One of my favorite baseball memories. Robin hesitated before he charged, then the old Texas gunslinger pounded lumps on his head.
The only better fight in my memory was when Bill Buckner of the Cubs beat Gary Carter of the Mets like a mule down the right field line. Satisying.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Robin. But there was something refreshing about the way the old man put the wood to him.
To the choice, who saw that coming? If there was any doubt, Kenny is obviously in charge, and he doesn’t want to deal with any mouthy experienced manager.
I imagine Coop will run the pitching staff, which is a manager’s most important job. Still, I wonder what a lifer like Coop thinks about being passed over for a dude who’s never managed a game at any level.
- Stones - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 9:51 pm:
This tells me that the Sox are going young. Buehrle is probably gone and Danks won’t we far behind. We are looking at a drought for a few years until they can rebuild. I still can’t quite figure why they would hire a guy without any coaching experience whatsoever.
- mokenavince - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 10:04 pm:
A great choice a man who can run sentences together.Not a lot of drama but a good baseball
man.Lets hope the Sox keep Buehrle and Danks.
I think with Robin if Dunn and Rios don’t hit they
will watch most games from the bench.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 10:47 pm:
Save_Illinois, you’re banned for life, and so is any mention of your website. You should be ashamed for spamming a baseball thread with that nonsense.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 10:49 pm:
Also, moron, just so you know, all of your posts and all other posts pertaining to your website have been permanently deleted from all comments.
- DuPage Dave - Thursday, Oct 6, 11 @ 11:40 pm:
I think this is a cynical move by Kenny Williams. The memory of Ventura is strong with Sox fans and they will cut him a ton of slack as the team goes young (and cheap). They won’t have to pay Ventura what they would have had to pay Francona (two World Series titles to his credit).
Not to mention that a veteran manager would not have accepted the given that Cooper and Baines were on the coaching staff no matter what.
As a Sox fan this makes me sad, but it is completely understandable as a defensive move by Williams. His big free agents (Dunn, Peavy and Rios) were all busts.
This move means they will ride out their contracts ($50 million a year total) and hope that the younger players develop while they are still making no real money.
Vinnie DelNegro had no coaching experience at all and he managed to end up with a .500 record in two seasons with the Bulls. If Ventura is at .500 after two years I will be surprised.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 7, 11 @ 12:39 am:
DD, I hate to say it, but I agree.