Back in the Saddle

     

     This morning, Kenny Williams shocked White Sox fans by hiring former All-Star 3B Robin Ventura as the Chicago White Sox new manager.  Ventura will replace Ozzie Guillen, who was released after serving as manager for 8 seasons.  Ventura has a lot to live up to, as Guillen led the team to hte playoffs multiple times, and brought a World Series championship to the Windy City for the first time in 88 years. 
     Chicago met the Ventura deal with mixed reactions.  To say that the third baseman was loved while in Chicago would be an understatement.  Beyond his exceptional play, he was a voice of reason in the clubhouse, and advocate of team camaraderie, and all-round nice guy; it goes without saying that Sox fans are happy to see him once again don a White Sox jersey.  Additionally, Ventura has always claimed Chicago as his baseball home, and his loyalty to the team is rock solid.  There is no person tied to the major leagues who would put more effort into the making the team strong.  In terms of this, Kenny Williams made a smart decision to keep it in the family.
      Robin Ventura, throughout his career, was consistently known as a nice guy;  quiet and subdued, and easy to get along with (save for one highly publicized run-in with a certain Texas pitcher.)  His demeanor is a stark contrast to the outspoken, highly visible personality of Ozzie Guillen, whose style was endearing at the beginning, but was grating towards the end (in some fans' eyes.)  Ventura and his personality will certainly be a breath of fresh air and a perfect change for a good team who is concern is lacking in direction, rather than talent.
      The 800 LB elephant in the room is Ventura's obvious lack of experience.  There were many candidates, such as Davey Martinez and Sandy Alomar Jr., who were also brought up in front room discussions.   Many people also thought that newly unfettered Terry Francona,  two time World Series Champion manager for the Red Sox, would sign with the Goodsox.   The fact of the matter is that there were lots of candidates for the manager position, and Ventura had less experience than all of them.  He has never been at the helm of a team, and there is no empirical evidence of his potential.  This does not necessary mean failure though, as the talent is on the field for October play.  What the team needs is someone who is capable to motivate them to perform their best.  Ventura is a person who can do that.
     Clearly the hiring of Ventura is a risky move, and this multi-year deal could prove to be nothing more than a failed experiment.  At this point, however, the Sox have very little to lose.  Morale seems to be low, and any change, at this point, would be for the better.  Fans will always love Ozzie, but its time for the moon to change phases, and Ventura is a good person to take the reigns and bring the best out of the team.