With Tony La Russa’s retirement now official, the search is on for the next White Sox manager.
During Monday’s press conference, Rick Hahn touched on the frustration felt by the organization this past season and the qualities they will be looking for in their new manager. Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman responded to one of the presser’s highlights and vouched for former White Sox player Willie Harris to take over the helm.
Harris, 44, is obviously well-known by the fanbase for his time with the White Sox during the 2003-05 seasons. Versatility and speed were his biggest strengths, as he appeared all around the diamond during his stint on the South Side. Perhaps his most memorable moment came in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series when he notched a pinch-hit single and later scored on a game-winning RBI single by Jermaine Dye.
Now the current third base coach for the Cubs, Harris has not been shy about wanting to take the next step in becoming a major league manager. Just recently, he spoke with NBC Sports Chicago’s Gorden Wittenmeyer on the White Sox managerial search and expressed his interest in the position.
“I don’t know what their plans are,” Harris said. “You have to wait and see. I think I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do. I’ve checked all the boxes. Went through the minor leagues. I’ve done everything. My resumé speaks for itself. I feel like I’m ready for the opportunity. Now, you just have to wait.”
Even the North Side’s skipper, David Ross, has expressed his own confidence in Harris as a potential manager.
“He’s got a lot more experience than I did when I took this job,” Ross said in an interview with Wittenmeyer. “And I don’t know if I would ever say you know exactly what this job entails until you get in it.”
“I know Willie works his butt off. The players respect him. The players love him,” added Ross. “He’s got a ton of experience. He’s been on a world championship team, in this city.”
Since La Russa’s announcement, news outlets have flooded feeds with potential manager names and Harris has been rightfully mentioned plenty. Per Rick Hahn, the White Sox will be looking for the following qualities as part of managers to be considered within the interview process:
- Recent experience in the dugout with a team that has experienced championships.
- Managerial experience is NOT a requirement.
- Excellent communicator who understands the way of the game; has grown and evolved but has “old school sensibilities.”
- Having a history with the White Sox is not a requirement, but Miguel Cairo will receive an interview.
Just because the organization isn’t confining itself to someone having a “White Sox DNA” doesn’t mean that Harris won’t get his shot. The former player exhibits plenty of other attractive qualities and even got his start in coaching within the organization, serving as the hitting coach of the Great Falls Voyagers in 2016 and manager of the High-A Winston-Salem Dash in 2017.
Following his time with the White Sox, he moved to the Giants’ organization as the manager of the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels in 2018. In 2019, Harris was named the baserunning and outfield coordinator for the Cincinnati Reds, and since 2020, he’s served as the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs.
No matter where he’s gone as a coach, Harris has been held in high regard as a future manager, which is evident above. With the White Sox needing a change in “accountability” according to acting manager Miguel Cairo, Harris is considered an individual who could get the best out of players and guide them to play with the spark they need.
Should the Sox not make Harris their manager, it wouldn’t be surprising to see another staff add him as their manager – or, perhaps, the White Sox could name him their next bench coach, given how highly he is regarded within the organization and around baseball.
As more information comes out on the team’s search, be sure to keep it locked on our socials @SoxOn35th for more information!
Featured Photo: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
