Are White Sox fans overreacting, or does Rick Renteria have a problem?

Lately, Rick Renteria’s lineups and general decision-making have been hot topics on social media. With the White Sox naturally receiving more attention as a result of trying to contend, such an occurrence was expected. Are White Sox fans being overly-critical, or is there truth to their concerns?

I have never had a strong opinion on Renteria in either direction, perhaps because the White Sox did not have playoff-worthy rosters during his tenure before this season. Nevertheless, there have definitely been warning signs. For example, in 2017 and 2018, Renteria’s approach was heavily based on hustle. Players who did not hustle were typically benched. The idea sounds simple and agreeable in theory, but it was not always enforced fairly.

For example, in a 2018 game, Tim Anderson lined out to the third baseman and started to return to the dugout. It turned out, however, that the third baseman might not have caught the ball before it hit the ground, and Anderson was thrown out at first base as a precaution. Despite this, it was fairly clear that the third baseman did in fact catch the ball, and a replay review would have supported this. Regardless, Anderson was benched for “not hustling”. This particular benching was indefensible to me: what did Renteria truly want? When you are a hitter and you line out to third base, it is completely natural to stop running and return to the dugout. In fact, to continue running would look rather ridiculous. Did Renteria prefer that players run around the bases on routine plays, even once they are out? Is that really “hustle”?

Of course, Renteria has strengths. He is bilingual, players seem to enjoy playing for him, and he oversees an uncontroversial clubhouse. I believe that managers do not have significant effects on the outcome of games, provided they start their best players. The problem I have with Renteria is that he fails to meet that lone criterion.

I was not necessarily upset upon learning that Yoan Moncada was sitting out in today’s game. I understand that he did not have much time to prepare for this season, and that rest is essential for avoiding injuries. But then, Renteria offered clarification that backfired.

Again, I was fine with Moncada’s absence until this quote, because it frankly does not make any sense. If Moncada needs a day off from throwing, that is acceptable. Yet, he also happens to be the best hitter in the lineup, so why not use him as the designated hitter? Edwin Encarnacion is plenty talented himself, but Moncada is both better at the plate (at this point in their careers) and matches up well against Twins’ starter Kenta Maeda, who is lethal against right-handed hitters but rather average against left-handed hitters.

Finally, this brings me to my last concern. I have a lot of respect for Jose Abreu, and I think he receives unfair criticism from a vocal portion of the fanbase. That said, he should not automatically be handed the #3 spot in the lineup each day, both because the team has many talented hitters and because his performance against right-handed pitchers has slowly faded over the last few years. While he should still play most games, I do not think it would hurt to drop him a bit in the lineup against right-handed starters, and to give him occasional days off against pitchers who are particularly tough on right-handed hitters.

Today was the perfect time for a day off. As stated earlier, Twins’ starter Kenta Maeda’s weakness is left-handed hitters. Since Abreu has both regressed (in recent seasons) against right-handed pitchers and Maeda is exceptional against right-handed hitters, today was the ideal scenario for Zack Collins to receive playing time at first base. Maeda walks nearly 10% of left-handed hitters, and walks are Collins’ speciality. He also has looked quite good at the plate over the past few weeks, and he destroyed right-handed pitching in the minor leagues and in his brief September stint with the White Sox last year. If there was ever a time for Collins to receive some plate appearances, it was today.

Overall, Renteria seems to be a genuinely good person who has some tactical flaws. His decisions may often have rational justifications, but he does not do the greatest job of properly communicating those reasons to the media. His managing will likely not be so terrible that it costs the White Sox a playoff spot, but it does have the potential to cost the team a game or two. In a shortened season, this will be something to keep an eye on.

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