Ventura 2012

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

How great is it that Robin Ventura is the White Sox manager? And that going into today the White Sox were given no chance to compete and called the worst organization in baseball, but were in second place going into today's home opener (which they are winning vs. Detroit)? And that Joe McEwing is coaching 3rd base? And that Ventura had zero coaching experience at any level but was named manager because the org just liked the way he carried himself?

The White Sox are to be commended for making whacky and inspired choices for managers. They were the first org to have hired LaRussa, Lamont, Manual, Ozzie Guillen and now Ventura and even "used" managers they hired (Torborg and Fregosi) surfaced somewhere else after their Chisox career.

The only managerial dud in their last 30+ years was Terry Bevington.

Compare that with the Mets where inspired managerial choices are often the exception, because we'd prefer to trust the creative teams to find the candidates for us. I mean, I know its not easy and Willie was a bit of a leap on an unproven guy with good character, but all the same I'd like to challenge the Mets to replace Terry when it's time with a great manager, not just a good one.

[TransMonk]

I'd root for the White Sox if they weren't not the Mets.

[Ceetar]

I love when teams do something that's against all 'convention' but is well thought out.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Five different guys in the last 30 years were Managers of the Year for the White Sox: LaRussa (1983), Lamont (1993), Torborg (1990), Manuel (2000), Guillen (2005).

During that period, the Cubs have had 3 different MOYs (Fregosi 84; Zimmer 89; Pinella 08) and no other team any more than 2.

Even counting repeat winners, the White Sox still have more MOYs (5) than the next team, (Detroit: Anderson, Leland 2 each).

The Mets and the Brewers are the only teams to not have had a manager of the year in that time frame. Washington too, but Montreal had Rodgers and Alou.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

TransMonk wrote: I'd root for the White Sox if they weren't not the Mets.

Mmhmm. Not least because, y'know, cuck the Fubs.

[TransMonk]

My dad's a White Sox fan, so I guess I came pretty close to being one, too.

I like Robin, I like Super Joe, I like their stadium, I like the fact that they're not the Cubs...but I love the Mets.

[Edgy MD]

Davey Johnson and Bobby Valentine were managers of the year, even while they weren't Managers of the Year, but yeah. That's why I like the Niese signing --- very convention-bucking.

I guess, if you're looking for bold strokes with manager-making with the Mets, Hodges and Torre should count also.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Valentine. Controversial and brilliant at the same time.

[Fman99]

I hadn't realized that Super Joe was part of his coaching staff. Like I needed another reason to like these guys.

The White Sox have that "second most popular team in a big city" thing going that resonates with me, always has.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I became interested in the Sox after they claimed Tom, and claimed them as a secondary team after seeing a game at wonderful Old Comiskey. I've had some fun times with the Sox.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I guess I knew this but never really realized, that the 84 ChiSox would have had Kooz and Seaver but they made Kooz the PTBNL in a deal with the Phillies for Ron Reed, just days apart from their claiming Seaver.

[DocTee]

And Leyland started out as a coach on LaRussa's ChiSox staff too.

Wish they went back to the Fisk-Kittle era "pullover pajama" unis, though. those are the ones Seaver wore when he got 300. The black ones suck.

[Edgy MD]

Did I read that Ventura coached high school basketball last year?

The White Sox have had 39 managers (five with more than one tenure), 17 of them former Sox players.

[HahnSolo]

Jim Frey was the 84 Cubs manager.

[Edgy MD]

It seems that it's always the White Sox breaking new ground.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

When it comes to fan-engagement, they do seem in a Ligue of their own.

[MFS62]

At least it wasn't another Death to Disco Night.
Later

[G-Fafif]

Ike paid Robin's two grand slam doubleheader bizarro homage tonight.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Saw them for the first time today. I like what i saw.

Don't know if their rotation can go the distance, but if they acquire another starter they'll be very competitive.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

DocTee wrote: Wish they went back to the Fisk-Kittle era "pullover pajama" unis, though. those are the ones Seaver wore when he got 300. The black ones suck.

Ah, those were the days. I attended 5-6 games a year during the late 80's. My wife and I could walk to the Old Comiskey Park. We could hear the crowd noise and see the fireworks from the big diamondvision scoreboard whenever Kittle, Luzinski, Baines, or Fisk hit one out.

[ashie62]

I remember Kittle in shorts.

[Edgy MD]

You must have somebody else in mind. They only wore the shorts for three games in 1976, and Kittle didn't debut until 1982.







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[Edgy MD]

Looks like Matlack is going for the Mets that day.

[Edgy MD]

Yup, and it was a 1-0 complete game shutout!

Game time was 2:03. Might have gotten it in under two hours if they didn't send Mangual in to run for Joe Torre. On the other hand, they might still be playing if they hadn't sent Mangual in to run for Torre.

[Frayed Knot]

Your 1st place Chicago Venturas just won their 8th straight this afternoon by completing a sweep of 1st place Tampa which itself came right on the heels of their sweep of then-1st place Cleveland.
They're now 18-11 in May following an 11-11 April and currently have a 1.0 game lead on the seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" and a 5.0 game gap over heavily favored Detroit.

They've had some funky highlights this year too including Humber's perfect game and Chris Sale's 15K (in just 7.1 IPs!!) game just a few days ago.
Sale is their 6'6" skinny (listed at 190) lefty they drafted in 2010 and then called up after just 10 innings in the minors.

[Edgy MD]

They're winning today (despite two Ichiiro homers) and looking for their 10th straight.

[ashie62]

Aging catcher A.J. Pierzynski is up to 9 Homers and 35 RBI's