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Tina goes 1-on-1 with new White Sox manager Will Venable
What's harder: learning the Princeton offense or hitting a curve ball? Tina Nguyen asked that and more in her one-on-one with new White Sox manager Will Venable who played both baseball and basketball at Princeton.
CHICAGO - Managing the 2025 Chicago White Sox will have to be a test of patience.
The team is going to struggle. It'll most likely be a young team, too. There will be missteps and frustration will follow that.
We learned on Friday that the 44th manager in White Sox history isn't a big fan of struggling in baseball. But, he's learned one of the most important lessons in facing some of the worst times head on.
"My dad could tell you, I didn't handle the adversity great," Venable said. "It's something I've learned over time. It's something I continue to learn and continue to take value from."
Venable has to handle adversity in Chicago. This is a franchise that has the blankest slate perhaps in the history of the major leagues. After losing a modern record 121 games, there's literally nowhere to go but up.
Given his two meetings with the media in a week, with Friday serving as his formal introduction, Venable has preached his White Sox team will be known for competing consistently.
Venable was the guy who was so sought after in league manager openings, he might have had his pick of destination. Maybe he chose Chicago because of that extremely blank slate or low expectations. No matter what reason you choose, Venable being in Chicago is the right move.
After just one week, no matter what scenario you can envision, Venable is the right man to lead the Chicago White Sox.
"I certainly feel like we're in a much better position than we were a year ago," White Sox General Manager Chris Getz said. "It's more than just bringing in new people and press go. It takes time to shake the leadership ability of each individual."
In his meetings with the media, Venable has explained the kind of coach he's become. He's been molded by World Series winning managers.
We knew about Joe Maddon, Alex Cora and Bruce Bouchy. On Friday, he added another name to that list in Dave Roberts, who just won his second World Series ring last week with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In his moves and actions, Venable has exuded confidence in himself and the notion that he knows where he wants to go with this team.
Last week, Getz said he wanted interim Sox manager Grady Sizemore to have a place on the 2025 White Sox. They'd just need to find it.
On Friday, Venable told reporters there would be a place for Sizemore within the franchise. Even if he can't name what it will be, he's going to find a spot for him.
The White Sox clearly played for Sizemore. The respect in the clubhouse was too apparent. Having him on board will be a benefit, and Venable isn't afraid to call his shot and say he's going to figure it out.
After all, that aligns with what he said he learned under Bouchy: how to align with the coaches on staff and find solutions. That skill was apparent to Getz in the hiring process when he went from 60 candidates to five.
"I feel like we're going to be able to work through anything," Getz said.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 08: New Manager Will Venable of the Chicago White Sox poses with Vice President and General Manager Chris Getz during a introductory press conference at Guaranteed Rate Field on November 08, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Ph …
The White Sox clearly have a lot to do.
They're starting with putting their coaching staff together, which is a process Getz said he won't put a time frame on but expects it to resolve itself in the next couple of weeks.
After that, they need to put a roster together of players that will develop into the long term future mixed with players who can bring success now.
Granted, anything Venable does in year one can't be as bad as 2024. Even if he loses 100 games in 2025, it's still a 21-game improvement from 2024.
There are multiple reasons it's easy to believe in Venable. The most obvious one is how he not only turned down the Mets last year – who went to the NCLS this past year – but was a finalist for other open jobs this year.
The second is how he's been around baseball his entire life. His dad, Max Venable, played and coached baseball for 20 years. He learned to love the game so much he chose baseball over basketball.
The biggest one to me, however, shows he clearly believes in himself. He knows where his feet are – a baseball cliché I've heard a lot – which is something that can only be contagious in a clubhouse that needs that jolt of energy.
He believes he can find success in Chicago. That's something that hasn't existed among Sox fans since the 2021 season.
"This opportunity is not lost on me," Venable said. "That's something I'll bring with me every day to this job."