Robin Ventura Named White Sox Manager

[southsider2k5]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...e-who-i-am.html

 

What fans, media and White Sox employees saw Tuesday of Robin Ventura was a down-to-earth, centered and steady former star putting on the same No. 23 jersey he wore as a popular Sox player.

 

They also saw a husband and

father of four who wouldn’t know a Twitter account if it tweeted him in the butt.

 

A little dry around the edges but not without humor, Ventura talked about his new job as the 39th Sox manager without a word that would have to be bleeped out of your evening sportscast or morning paper.

 

Ventura is no Ozzie Guillen, his friend and former teammate. And that is precisely what general manager Ken Williams — and perhaps the entire organization — wanted and needed after the Guillen era came to an end two weeks ago after eight seasons.

 

‘‘I totally respect what Ozzie did,’’ Ventura said during his introductory news conference at U.S. Cellular Field. ‘‘He was a great manager. They got a World Series out of it. I don’t sit here thinking I’m going to fill those shoes as far as

being in the media and saying things. That’s just him. And, believe me, I enjoyed it just as much as anyone.

 

‘‘But I just have to be who I am. I know the shrug doesn’t work well.’’

 

What Ventura lacks in flamboyance was more than compensated for by the shock value of being Williams’ and chairman Jerry Reinsforf’s choice. To underscore how far out of the box Williams was thinking, he revealed he was considering first baseman Paul Konerko as a player/manager.

 

Without even interviewing any of the top available candidates, such as Dave Martinez, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Terry Francona, Williams gave Ventura — who has no experience as a manager or coach — a three-year contract to run the Sox.

 

‘‘He’s a thinker,’’ Williams said. ‘‘He’s a cerebral guy that thinks through situations. He has insight that a lot of people don’t have. He sees the game from a lot of angles that a lot of people don’t have. It’s a rare quality.

 

‘‘In addition to that, he has a dry sense of humor combined with a discipline that is again unique in terms of how he’s going to be able to lead a team. And I want a team out there that is disciplined, that is a working team, that is fundamentally capable.’’

 

As for Ventura’s style of managing, no one knows because he hasn’t done this before. All he could promise is to be who he is.

 

‘‘Just being truthful, being upfront, honest and fair, really,’’ Ventura said. ‘‘I think everybody’s

accountable. As a player, [i know] guys like that. Guys know what to expect. As a manager, I don’t change day-to-day, and I think that’d be part of the draw. I’m pretty much the same every day, and they’ll know what to expect.’’

 

Asked if he has a cure for what ailed Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham during their poor 2011 seasons, Ventura said he knows the first step. And they are taking it now.

 

‘‘I think for right now they need a break,’’ Ventura said. ‘‘The mental

grind of baseball is probably the toughest of any sport because it’s daily. It’s daunting, especially if you get yourself in a hole. I don’t think it’s anything I can do right away.’’

 

Ventura said his biggest concern is handling a pitching staff, but he will rely heavily on his coaches.

 

‘‘In my situation, I obviously have to rely on a lot of people,’’ he said.

 

If it’s any consolation to Sox fans, Ventura said he has been thinking like a manager for a long time.

 

‘‘As a player, you sit there and watch how managers do things, moves they make,’’ he said. ‘‘Every player, in their mind, will sit there and go, ‘Hmmm, I don’t know about this.’ Every guy that plays does it. They might not say it, but they do it.

 

‘‘I would be lying to say [managing] never crossed my mind. But thinking it would actually happen? Probably not.’’

 

Williams said the rest of Ventura’s coaching staff would be

announced soon. He also said first-base coach Harold Baines would get more involved with hitters, particularly on the mental side.

[witesoxfan]

I don't think he's a horrible interview at all. It's just hard to provide answers for the real reason he was hired without throwing Guillen under the bus. I think it's clear in reading everything that's been written that Ventura was hired by chairman Reinsdorf first and foremost to get a dysfunctional clubhouse in order and provide leadership. Everyone involved in the hiring, Ventura especially, has to dance around that or risk Guillen going off.

 

I don't believe that any of this is wrong and I look forward to seeing how Ventura actually handles the rigors of managing everyday.

[Dick Allen]

I wasn't the one who made a post concerned about one of his boring answers today. I was responding to it.

I prefer funny showmen like Ozzie, but Ventura deserves our support even if he is very very very bland.

Not that it really matters, but he's actually a good interview and very funny. The only bland thing about him is his delivery. If you listen to what he says, he's wise and funny. With Ozzie, he was all about the delivery.

 

I was shocked and happy when they announced this move. I'm even happier about it after hearing Robin speak about the job. He'll make mistakes, every manager does, but I really think the players are going to love him and will play hard and be accountable. Once he gets a hang on using his bullpen, he may turn out to be one of the better managers in baseball.

[mcgrad70]

Great post. Glad to see you admitted that. Refreshing post.

 

That is the danger of hiring a former player. It's why the Royals wouldn't let Brett or White ever manage.

Ventura will be hated at some point just as Ozzie is despised.

That is a given.

Hopefully he'll win a WS though as that will give him some love no matter what. But it will end badly. It almost always does.

 

I will never hate Robin.

But I am disappointed that he allowed himself to get caught up with an organization at the threshold of a steep decline.

He's never shown any interest in managing.

He should have spent at least a season cutting his teeth at the minor league level to see whether this was appealing to him.

Unfortunately, with the sorry of state of affairs on the South Side, Robin Ventura was all we were getting.

Robin won't save us - only new ownership that comes in and completely changes the culture will.

Edited October 13, 2011 by mcgrad70

[mmmmmbeeer]

Not that it really matters, but he's actually a good interview and very funny. The only bland thing about him is his delivery. If you listen to what he says, he's wise and funny. With Ozzie, he was all about the delivery.

 

I was shocked and happy when they announced this move. I'm even happier about it after hearing Robin speak about the job. He'll make mistakes, every manager does, but I really think the players are going to love him and will play hard and be accountable. Once he gets a hang on using his bullpen, he may turn out to be one of the better managers in baseball.

 

 

Well said. I remember when this was announced I was in a bad mood the rest of the evening....couldn't believe the Sox went cheap and this inexperienced. After letting this whole deal simmer in my mind a bit, listening to KW's reasoning, listening to Robin's approach and recognizing that he's a very, very sharp guy with a ton of experience as a player, I actually have begun to like this hire. I think the clubhouse was ready for a change...I think there was a whole lot of respect lost for the folks in charge of running the show last season. To have a guy like Ventura come in, a guy who's fought the battles on the field and had a solid career, a guy who was known by teammates for being steady yet extremely competitive, a guy who basically walked away from baseball to see to the priorities of his family (isn't that what every player wants to do?), I don't see how the Sox don't improve next season. If you can't respect Robin Ventura, well, you don't respect the game of baseball. He's the epitome of what I think of when I think of a baseball player....smart, driven, competitive, classy, and thoughtful.

 

 

 

[greg775]

I will never hate Robin.

But I am disappointed that he allowed himself to get caught up with an organization at the threshold of a steep decline.

He's never shown any interest in managing.

He should have spent at least a season cutting his teeth at the minor league level to see whether this was appealing to him.

Unfortunately, with the sorry of state of affairs on the South Side, Robin Ventura was all we were getting.

Robin won't save us - only new ownership that comes in and completely changes the culture will.

 

I tend to lean toward your line of thinking.

We will find out this offseason what is up with the White Sox.

Will they tinker?

Or will the loss of Mark B start a firesale of sorts.

Seems like a team with Dunn and Rios would go on the cheap in all other positions.

Should be interesting to see what happens with the roster.

Nobody is really speculating yet.

[GoodAsGould]

Robin did say none of his daughters tweet so already an upgrade in that department.

[Texsox]

The quickest path back to the playoffs is retooling, it is also the most reasonable giving the contract situations. Ozzie, even with his WS wins and all the experience that the folks in Florida love, couldn't get this team into the playoffs. An approach 180 from his would seem like the best approach. Three years is also about the time some flexibility in contracts will happen and the team could either be doing well or able to rebuild, not just retool. I am liking the move. Robin is not trying to take the limelight away from the players which I hope means he will not be taking the responsibility away from the players. It isn't like his leadership and managing potential has not been noticed before.

 

He's had zero time actually doing the part of the job that everyone but Greg believes is the most important, managing players instead of the media. I'm looking forward to his crazy mistakes in spring training and how he does when they start playing for reals.

[southsider2k5]

Not that it really matters, but he's actually a good interview and very funny. The only bland thing about him is his delivery. If you listen to what he says, he's wise and funny. With Ozzie, he was all about the delivery.

 

I was shocked and happy when they announced this move. I'm even happier about it after hearing Robin speak about the job. He'll make mistakes, every manager does, but I really think the players are going to love him and will play hard and be accountable. Once he gets a hang on using his bullpen, he may turn out to be one of the better managers in baseball.

 

You don't have to say f*** a lot to be funny.

[Texsox]

Robin did say none of his daughters tweet so already an upgrade in that department.

 

 

I'll bet they do and he's not allowed to follow lol

[Texsox]

You don't have to say f*** a lot to be funny.

 

 

Will Robin bring in an inflata-mate and stuff bats into the openings? That's the sort of slumpbusters this team needs.

[Greg Hibbard]

A week later, I still hate this.

 

On paper, it's still one of the worst (if not the single worst) hire in White Sox history, and because he has no experience, paper is all we have to go on.

 

I like his quiet demeanor and personality, and loved him as a player. I can't imagine a scenario where putting a totally inexperienced manager in this particular situation makes any sense.

 

The umpteen million dollars we are committed to is a sunk cost, in economic terms. Whether we win 60 or 100 games in 2012, 2013 and 2014, we pay a ton of money towards funding problematic contracts. A manager doesn't need to be learning coaching ropes while simultaneously making tough day-to-day decisions about whether or not to bench Dunn or Rios, about which pitchers need to be in what roles, and on top of it all, having to deal with a big spotlight in a big market. Oh yeah, all this with a large, ex-teammate World Series-winning shadow. If we were the KC Royals, going young with a 30 million payroll, hiring a man like Ventura makes complete sense. Unless Robin succeeds against all odds, an extremely unlikely event given what we know about how difficult this job is, we are setting a class act of this organization, as well as the organization itself, up to fail, in the name of cutting costs by doing so. It's a raw deal, and frankly, I hate it.

 

What isn't certain is ticket revenue. I don't know of too many people who go to baseball games because they love the manager, and that's not going to change because Robin Ventura is in the dugout. If we compete and are in or near first place, people will start coming. If we're in third, count on 20k per night. I see three middling 79-85 win seasons in our near future, with the national audience and the broader chicago casual fan learning how to forget about the White Sox all over again. People will be as nonplussed as ever, while we blandly play out the string.

 

And the worst thing about that is when we're finally rid of all these contract in 2015, Jerry will simply say "fans didn't come, so we're paring back to $30 million".

 

Then it would make sense to hire Ventura, but we'll have already run him out of town on a rail, and alienated him from an organizational standpoint for years to come.

 

Yeah, I absolutely, positively, f***ing hate this.

 

 

[Milkman delivers]

A week later, I still hate this.

 

On paper, it's still one of the worst (if not the single worst) hire in White Sox history, and because he has no experience, paper is all we have to go on.

 

I like his quiet demeanor and personality, and loved him as a player. I can't imagine a scenario where putting a totally inexperienced manager in this particular situation makes any sense.

 

The umpteen million dollars we are committed to is a sunk cost, in economic terms. Whether we win 60 or 100 games in 2012, 2013 and 2014, we pay a ton of money towards funding problematic contracts. A manager doesn't need to be learning coaching ropes while simultaneously making tough day-to-day decisions about whether or not to bench Dunn or Rios, about which pitchers need to be in what roles, and on top of it all, having to deal with a big spotlight in a big market. Oh yeah, all this with a large, ex-teammate World Series-winning shadow. If we were the KC Royals, going young with a 30 million payroll, hiring a man like Ventura makes complete sense. Unless Robin succeeds against all odds, an extremely unlikely event given what we know about how difficult this job is, we are setting a class act of this organization, as well as the organization itself, up to fail, in the name of cutting costs by doing so. It's a raw deal, and frankly, I hate it.

 

What isn't certain is ticket revenue. I don't know of too many people who go to baseball games because they love the manager, and that's not going to change because Robin Ventura is in the dugout. If we compete and are in or near first place, people will start coming. If we're in third, count on 20k per night. I see three middling 79-85 win seasons in our near future, with the national audience and the broader chicago casual fan learning how to forget about the White Sox all over again. People will be as nonplussed as ever, while we blandly play out the string.

 

And the worst thing about that is when we're finally rid of all these contract in 2015, Jerry will simply say "fans didn't come, so we're paring back to $30 million".

 

Then it would make sense to hire Ventura, but we'll have already run him out of town on a rail, and alienated him from an organizational standpoint for years to come.

 

Yeah, I absolutely, positively, f***ing hate this.

 

I agree with the vast majority of your post, except for the bold part. But man, that is more agreeing with you than I've done in years

[BigSqwert]

I agree with the vast majority of your post, except for the bold part. But man, that is more agreeing with you than I've done in years

Ditto

[RockRaines]

Oh the irony. Message board posters talking about all it takes to manage a team because we are such experts while at the same time saying a guy whi played 2000 games wouldn't know how to deal with such issues.

[bmags]

They aren't sunk costs, you can rid yourself of them. You'll have to be creative as hell, but if we cloned kenny williams and made his clone the GM of another team, perhaps we'd find ourselves a bidder.

[Greg Hibbard]

I agree with the vast majority of your post, except for the bold part. But man, that is more agreeing with you than I've done in years

 

I exaggerated the numbers, obviously. I could see them paring back to 80 million, couldn't you?

[Greg Hibbard]

They aren't sunk costs, you can rid yourself of them. You'll have to be creative as hell, but if we cloned kenny williams and made his clone the GM of another team, perhaps we'd find ourselves a bidder.

 

I can't imagine a team who would take any part of Dunn or Rios no matter what 2012 they have.

[NorthSideSox72]

I'm actually not bothered much by the Ventura hire, I might even like it.

 

But... what does piss me off is what is happening after that. If you are going to hire a very raw manager - one who apparently has many of the necessary tools, but perhaps not the skills yet - I think that can work pretty well with the right person. The way it would work is for Robin to learn, and learn quickly, from the right people around him. What he desperately needs is a bench coach with loads of MLB experience. What he apparently will get is a guy with NONE. And that does piss me off, because it sets up a guy who might be a very good manager, to fail.

 

[southsider2k5]

I exaggerated the numbers, obviously. I could see them paring back to 80 million, couldn't you?

 

No. Not at all. The only way that happens is if the 2012 team wins about 65 games.

[Greg Hibbard]

No. Not at all. The only way that happens is if the 2012 team wins about 65 games.

 

I'm talking 2015.

[bmags]

I can't imagine a team who would take any part of Dunn or Rios no matter what 2012 they have.

 

That's fine, but that money isn't already spent, those commitments can at least be reduced if not outright eliminated.

[southsider2k5]

That's fine, but that money isn't already spent, those commitments can at least be reduced if not outright eliminated.

 

Unless you are trading for Barry Zito or Jason Werth like contracts, you aren't eliminating those contracts without picking up bad contracts in return. The only possible exception would be something like packaging Adam Dunn with Viciedo and Sale to move him.

[bmags]

Aware. But it's not guaranteed we need to pay off of those contracts. Those portions of that money could be moved. Somehow the blue jays were able to get out of vernon wells and alex rios. IF they play better, and a big market team needs a bat, there will be a sucker. We were the sucker most of the decade.

[southsider2k5]

Aware. But it's not guaranteed we need to pay off of those contracts. Those portions of that money could be moved. Somehow the blue jays were able to get out of vernon wells and alex rios. IF they play better, and a big market team needs a bat, there will be a sucker. We were the sucker most of the decade.

 

If they play better, heck even career average seasons, the need to move them lessens. After 2012, Peavy is all but gone, Rios has one more year, and Dunn has two.