This morning, the White Sox officially named Will Venable their 44th manager in team history, completing a months-long search that, according to Chris Getz, originally started with over 60 candidates. Today, Venable and Getz had an introductory Zoom press conference, with a more formal introduction expected to occur next Friday following the General Manager Meetings.
Here are some of the highlights from that press conference regarding Venable’s desire to take the job, the team’s potential coaching staff, and much more! The video of the full press conference can also be found below.
As mentioned, expect more to come in the next week following the GM Meetings.
Chris Getz discusses the process that led to Will Venable
Getz began the press conference by highlighting what was truly an extensive process to find a partner for this next wave of the White Sox that resulted in Venable’s hiring. It appears he backed up his word and did everything he and the front office could to find who they deemed to be the best man for the job.
Will Venable discusses his view of analytics and why he took the managerial job
Venable then shared part of his vision for the White Sox, and most importantly, that he believed in what Chris Getz is doing enough to take this multi-year job. The former Cubs coach and front office member also mentioned he was thrilled to be back in Chicago.
Considering he had turned down interviews for other organizations before, it appears to speak to the work Getz is doing with the White Sox that Venable was convinced by Getz’s vision for a 121-loss team and its future.
Chris Getz discusses filling out Venable’s coaching staff, status of Grady Sizemore
The natural question for many has been Grady Sizemore’s status within the organization. The team’s interim manager was considered a finalist for the job and has been spoken of very highly by Chris Getz. Getz didn’t offer many specifics about either Sizemore or the rest of the coaching staff, saying that it will be left up to Will Venable whether or not Sizemore returns to the organization. The rumored expectation is that, in some role, he will remain around, however.
Other Press Conference Highlights
Full Press Conference Video
If you have the time, here is the video of the full press conference!
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