3 reasons White Sox will regret retaining Robin Ventura
Aug 10, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura (23) comes to the mound for a pitcher change. starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) leaves the game in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Even as another disappointing season winds down, the Chicago White Sox want to keep manager Robin Ventura. Here are three reasons they will regret doing it.
The Chicago White Sox have won five games in a row entering Thursday’s action, but their record still sits at 77-81 and they’ve long been out of playoff contention. Four remaining games against the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins (all at home) gives the Pal Hose a chance at finishing .500, but 2016 will absolutely go down as a disappointing season.
Manager Robin Ventura’s contract is set to expire after the season. He has been on the hot seat off and on as the White Sox have underachieved, so it seems like a foregone conclusion a change would be made with the convenience of an expiring contract. But not so fast, apparently.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the White Sox want Ventura back in 2017. Negotiations apparently have not seriously started, but the team reportedly intends to extend Ventura a contract extension. The only possible hold-up seems to be his desire to return, but it’s safe to say Ventura would be open to keeping his job all things considered.
Ventura is not the only one to blame for the White Sox struggles, with a healthy dose of criticism to be put on general manager Rick Hahn. But making any further commitment to Ventura is a bad course for the future, and here are three seasons the White Sox will regret not making a managerial change.
3. A Downward Trend
The White Sox finished 85-77 (second in the American League Central) in 2012, as Ventura finished third in American League Manager of the Year voting in his first season at the helm. But a drop-off came quickly, with a 63-99 mark in 2013 followed by 73-89 in 2014 and 76-86 in 2015. This year will bring his second-best record in five seasons as White Sox manager, even if the team loses out.
A 23-11 start this year looked promising on the surface, but a closer look revealed some cracks and things quickly dissolved into more mediocrity on the south side of Chicago. With a 373-472 record, Ventura has the worst winning percentage (.464) of any White Sox manager that has lasted at least three seasons. That says it all, and Nightengale noted the White Sox have only had six managers last longer than five seasons in their history.
The clamoring of White Sox fans for a managerial change should not tip the scales for management regarding Ventura. But a run of fourth-place finishes in the AL Central, with no real sign of a quick turnaround, is more than enough to avoid any further commitment to mediocrity.
Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
2. Misplaced Loyalty
Ventura spent 10 of his 16 seasons as a player as the White Sox third baseman, with one All-Star selection and five Gold Glove over that time. He was a fan favorite, and presumably a favorite of upper management. Despite having no previous managerial experience, then White Sox general manager Ken Wiliams picked Ventura from among some other rumored candidates with arguably far better resumes.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf also owns the Chicago Bulls, and he’s generally headed that organization with a results-driven approach. That hasn’t always been the case with his baseball property, and the White Sox have frankly seemed like a red-headed step child compared to Reinsdorf’s involvement with the Bulls.
Williams now serves as Executive Vice President of the White Sox. Though they never played together he, like Ventura, played for the team. Some loyalty from Williams could be expected based on that, and his level of authority in the organization could be leading the apparent deflection of blame away from Ventura.
Overriding loyalty, without results, gets people fired in pro sports before too long. Reinsdorf may not be levying any mandate for a change in manager, but Williams should consider his own employment status if he wants to maintain a status quo.
Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-Getty Images
1. Ready To Move On
Nightengale’s report cited a “high-ranking White Sox official” professing the team’s desire to bring Ventura back next season. The added element of waiting for Ventura to express a desire to return reflects a veiled attempt at loyalty, and putting the ball in Ventura’s court will lead to a collective shrug of acceptance from the White Sox organization if he chooses not to return. A desire to change managers lingers below the surface, that’s for sure.
Ventura has deflected speculation about his future, most recently saying he won’t address his situation until the end of the season. In mid-August Ventura said he wanted to manage the team beyond this season, but before this week’s series against the Tamp Bay Rays he did not re-affirm that stance.
Ventura may not be a great manager, but he may be ready to move on to another opportunity elsewhere if there’s one out there to be a hitting coach, bench coach etc. The White Sox clearly don’t want to fire him, or else they already would have, and they won’t have to now with a contract that will expire. A outwardly amicable parting of ways seems likely, which would be best for both Ventura and the White Sox.
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