What we learned from Will Venable's Chicago White Sox introduction
The Chicago White Sox got one of the most coveted manager candidates on the market in Will Venable.
The former Texas Rangers associate manager was so highly regarded, he turned down the New York Mets last offseason.
This time around, Venable talked it over with his family and they decided it was time. In fact, Venable called the chance to lead the White Sox a "no brainer."
"This is a great opportunity with a White Sox organization that is putting a lot of good things into place and laying a solid foundation for the future," Venable said during an introductory Zoom call Thursday. "It's exciting to be part of that process to help get back to the type of baseball White Sox fans are used to seeing."
The White Sox are in the midst of a massive rebuild from the bottom up. Venable has plenty of work ahead of him.
He welcomes it.
"I don’t think there’s one managerial job that is easy," Venable said. "All these jobs come with their unique challenges and I’m excited about the challenges that are presented here with this group."
Here's what we learned from Will Venable's introduction on Thursday, where we found out about the hiring process and more.
The White Sox left no stone unturned
Chris Getz said he had already started his list of managerial candidates in early August. That list, Getz revealed, was lengthy.
"At one point, we had 60 plus candidates," Getz said.
That list went from 60, to 20, to five. Venable stood out with some intangibles he displayed.
"What really stands out for him is the person," Getz said. "He’s someone that grew up in the game."
Venable is a baseball lifer. His dad, Max Venable, was also a big league player. Venable played for nine years in the majors himself before getting into the front office and coaching soon after.
Being around the game taught Venable how to manage himself. That was evident to Getz.
"He can control his emotions, and it makes him an effective communicator," Getz said Thursday. "When we're talking about managing a Major League club, regardless of the state of the organization, there's always obstacles, there's always adversity. He's got the leadership qualities to be consistent throughout a season but also through consecutive seasons."
New Chicago manager Will Venable takes over White Sox team that set modern record for season losses
Venable was hired by the White Sox after they set the modern major league record for most losses in a season, going 41-121. The team made the announcement on Thursday, hours after the World Series ended.
Grady Sizemore's status with the team is…
To be determined, but the White Sox are actively trying to find a place for the interim manager.
Getz talked Thursday about keeping Grady Sizemore on the White Sox coaching staff. Getz said Venable thinks highly of Sizemore, who led the White Sox as the interm manager after the franchise fired Pedro Grifol.
Sizemore is under contract, so he'll be on the White Sox coaching staff until the team parts ways with him in some capacity. Sizemore finished the final two months of the 2024 season with a 13-32 record.
What that looks like, Getz said, will be up to Venable.
"I will say that he’s admired," Getz said. "Will had known that about Grady. He respected him as a player, he’s heard really good things and watched from afar. We’ve continued to have conversations on how Grady can fit and certainly take advantage of the skill sets and the traits that Grady has, and see if he can be part of improving this culture and getting us where we need to go. But I know that Will certainly holds Grady in high regards."
Venable has taken specific lessons from his biggest mentors
One of the reasons that Venable was such a sought-after candidate was because of his prior experiences.
He worked under Joe Maddon with the Cubs, Alex Cora with the Boston Red Sox and Bruce Bouchy with the Rangers.
Venable called Maddon "an unbelievable leader" on Thursday. and learned ways to be creative and innovative within the game of baseball. Venable said Cora taught him how to have an understanding of what players need and how to form that personal relationship with them. Under Bouchy, Venable said he learned to value input from other members of the coaching staff.
All of those lessons come together to form Will Venable's manager style, which is the kind that Sox fans are hoping can lead a successful rebuild.