On October 12th, 2020, the Chicago White Sox decided to part ways with manager Rick Renteria. It is not the first time that Renteria ended up as a stop-gap manager. Once his team is good enough to make playoffs, it is time to move on. This time around, Renteria did get a taste of managing in the playoffs after the White Sox made it to the Wildcard round. Despite what GM Rick Hahn said at his press conference, I think Renteria sealed his fate with his poor executive decision making in the postseason and the weeks leading up to it.
The moment the White Sox left Oakland, rumors abounded as to who could replace Renteria. Rick Hahn did dismiss one candidate immediately; former manager and current pre and post-game host Ozzie Guillen was immediately out of the running. Now that Hahn has eliminated my #1, I have thrown together a shortlist of candidates thrown around in the Twittersphere.
Tony La Russa-5097G 2728W 2365L .536% 3WST
Mr. La Russa got his managerial start with the White Sox (1979-86). He then moved on to manage the Oakland (1986-95) and finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1996-2011). Yes, this man has a wealth of experience and is a Hall of Famer, but how in-tune will he be with a young 2021 baseball team after a ten-year hiatus? I also don’t know how flexible La Russa would be with players who feel strongly about social reform and an MLB that supports the Black Lives Matter movement. La Russa’s words toward 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick were not kind when he chose to bring national attention to social injustice by protesting in 2016. As impressive as La Russa’s resume is, I hope the White Sox take a look at other factors needed to manage a team in the times we are all living in.
A.J. Hinch-1022G 570W 452L .558%
Hinch won a World Series in 2017 with the Houston Astros, but this past offseason, a huge cheating scandal got him fired and suspended for the 2020 season. From a baseball aspect, Hinch would be the hottest manager to go grab. He has won 100+ games per season for three seasons in a row (2017-19). Of course, this stat now comes with an asterisk; is he a winning manager, or was it the cheating? I think what Hinch allowed to happen in Houston was disappointing, but there does seem to be some synergy between Hinch and the White Sox.
SP Dallas Kuechel, a former pitcher with the Astros under Hinch, has vastly improved the White Sox pitching staff and provided some much-needed veteran leadrship. This could be viewed as a reflection of what Hinch could provide. A bonus, Hinch could lure some Astros over to the south side. Both OF George Springer and DH Michael Brantley look like they will become free agents and could fill some positions of need. I feel that Hinch would be a great hire, and it could be a chance for redemption.
Bruce Bochy-4032G 2003W 2029L .497% 3WST
Bochy boasts the worst winning percentage of the three candidates, but from 2010-2014, he won three World Series titles with the San Francisco Giants. He retired in 2019, so he has only been away from baseball for one year. Bochy doesn’t have any glaring red flags compared to La Russa and Hinch but one could argue that he was on the decline.
The Giants teams Bochy managed didn’t come close to the amount of talent Rick Hahn has infused into the White Sox. Bochy understands the game and players, but the big thing that Bochy has and the White Sox needs is a big-time postseason manager. The postseason was always when you saw the best from Bochy, and he never seemed to panic in the face of big decisions. Bochy has let it be known that he is willing to talk with the White Sox, and I think they will see that he is the best candidate. I think Bochy can take the White Sox to where they want to be.
Best of the Rest: Alex Cora, A.J. Pierzynski, Omar Vizquel, Sandy Alomar Jr.