Ventura named new White Sox Manager

[NV]

mlb.com

Robin Ventura on Thursday was named manager of the Chicago White Sox, agreeing to a multiyear deal to lead the team for which he starred for a decade.

Ventura, 44, becomes the 17th former White Sox player to manage the club. No. 16 was Ozzie Guillen, with whom the club parted ways following the 2011 season.

Ventura has no prior managerial experience and will return to uniform after rejoining the club on June 6, 2011 as a special advisor to director of player development Buddy Bell.

"When I rejoined the White Sox, I said this was my baseball home and that part of me never left the White Sox organization," Ventura said. "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 am excited to begin my career as a manager surrounded by former teammates, staff, media and White Sox fans I know very well. I already am looking forward to talking to our players, to this offseason and to getting things under way at Spring Training next February."

Ventura, a line-drive hitter best known prior to his Major League career for a 58-game hitting streak for Oklahoma State that remains the NCAA Division I record, spent the first 10 seasons of his 16-year career with the White Sox. He also played with the New York Mets (1999-2001), the New York Yankees (2002-03) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2003-2004).

In 2,079 career games, Ventura hit .267 (1,885-7,064) with 294 home runs and 1,182 RBI. His 18 career grand slams are tied for fifth in Major League history.

"When I met with the media as our season ended, I identified one person at the very top of my managerial list," said Ken Williams, White Sox general manager. "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."

Didn't even know he was an option to be completely honest.

 

[Mexi]

i dont normally like giving it to guys who have ZERO experience

being a player is different than being a manager

at least guys like don mattingly and kirk gibson and even ozzie back in 2004 were coaches

good luck to him though. i like robbie ventura

 

[elcheato]

I thought they would hire Sandy Alomar

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Interesting shit.

In addition to learning that Robin Ventura’s contract with the White Sox runs through 2014 another interesting tidbit from his introductory press conference as manager today is that general manager Ken Williams admitted he considered first baseman Paul Konerko for the job before settling on Ventura:

"It was considered long enough for me to realize that Paul is a very cerebral person and he would probably drive himself nuts right now playing and managing at the same time. But that’s the kind of respect I have for him that, yeah, I did consider it. Then I thought I think I would rather him be focused more on hitting third or fourth in the lineup and driving in 100 runs rather than trying to worry about 25 other guys in addition to it. We are trying to win."

Suffice it to say Ventura’s lack of managerial experience didn’t really bother Williams if he was thinking about giving the job to someone who wasn’t even finished playing yet. Pete Rose was the last player/manager for the Reds in the mid-80s, and before that Frank Robinson and Joe Torre also filled the dual role.

Konerko is 35 years old and has two seasons and $25.5 million remaining on his contract, so if the Ventura gamble doesn’t pay off for the White Sox presumably Williams will consider him a whole lot more seriously come 2014 or so.

I think it would have been pretty cool to see the Player/Manager re-emerge. Not saying it would be successful, just saying it would be cool.