As the baseball world continues to react to the White Sox hiring Pedro Grifol, more and more positive reviews of Grifol continue to roll in. This time, it’s Eduardo Perez who provided additional reinforcement – and this is before he even knew Grifol was getting the job.
In an interview with the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast, Perez was asked about the current state of the managerial position in baseball. While he provided some really interesting insights that are definitely worth listening to, he also offered his thoughts on the White Sox’s managerial position and who he thinks would be great managers in baseball.
Note: This interview takes place before Pedro Grifol was named the next White Sox manager.
Eduardo Perez first discussed the White Sox’ managerial position and its attractiveness:
“… what I can tell you is that whomever they pick… they’re going to inherit a team that is going to be ready to win. A talented team that maybe they need to get a little more discipline, maybe they need a communicator that can do well with the vast amount of minorities they have there. How do you get a leader to be able to do it? I think they’ll have to go with someone who has been at all stages of the game… it’s going to be interesting to see who Rick Hahn chooses in Chicago.”
Perez was also asked about some qualities that he considers incredibly important in a manager. He stated the following qualities: “the ability to lead through delegating… the ability to allow your coaches to do what they know how to do really well…” In addition, he talked about the need to empower the players without entitling them.
Given these qualities, Perez was asked to name three people he would interview if he were hiring someone to be a manager. The three names he mentioned? Barry Larkin, Carlos Beltran, and Pedro Grifol, who he had some true words of praise for:
“One guy who I know would kick ass right now as a manager. And I know because I’ve seen his work and I see how he deals with people on and off the people… not a common household name, [but] he would kick ass as a manager.”
Certainly some high praise for Grifol, given that Perez has an extensive resume of his own. A 13-year veteran, Perez has been an excellent analyst with ESPN since his playing days. He has also served as the Marlins’ hitting coach (2012) and Astros’ bench coach (2013) and first base coach (2014) before stepping away to spend more time with his family. He has also managed in the World Baseball Classic and Puerto Rican Baseball League.
With the White Sox officially announcing Pedro Grifol to the media today, it’s great to continue to hear people from around baseball speak highly of what Grifol is going to bring to the South Side.
You can listen to the full interview here with the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
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Featured Image: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
This is definitely an attribute Sox fans want to see in their new manager after the 2022 disaster.
Perez played with Grifol at Florida State.