RENTERIA AWARE OF POSSIBLE PERILS
Renteria, coaches know they’re most vulnerable to virus
Excuse White Sox manager Rick Renteria if he has seemed just a tad subdued.
Maybe we’ve seen or read more into what has been seen on Zoom and heard on the radio from Renteria leading up to the first day of summer camp Friday.
Sure, he’s ready to roll after a three-month absence from managing because of the coronavirus, and he’ll undoubtedly have the usual bounce in his step Friday. He’s all in on getting his team into shape for a 60-game season, and he’s riding the crest of where the Sox are in their rebuild, on the precipice of stepping forward from playing meaningless games in the context of the American League Central standings to games that matter. The Sox should have enough talent and pitching depth to win in 2020 — finally.
But this could be treacherous territory baseball is stepping into, with unknowns about risks from a national pandemic presenting hazards not seen before.
Renteria is a genuinely caring man, and those close to him know he’s more than a little concerned about the health of his coaching staff, probably more than he’s letting on. Pitching coach Don Cooper is 64, assistant pitching coach Curt Hasler is 55, third-base coach Nick Capra is 62 and first-base coach Daryl Boston is 57. Bench coach Joe McEwing is the youngest coach at 47. Renteria is 58.
On Wednesday, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, 38, revealed he had the coronavirus. On Monday, the Twins said 68-year-old bullpen coach Bob McClure and 66-year-old major-league coach Bill Evers wouldn’t be working games due to coronavirus fears.
Renteria knows the drill: Proceed with caution and common sense.
“All of the parameters that are necessary for us to try to mitigate the chances of infection are going to be in play, so we all have to be very careful with how we’ll proceed,” Renteria said. “It’ll be different, not just for me, for everybody. And we’ll do the best we can.”
The virus is nothing to toy with, especially for the elderly, who have been affected more than any other age group.
“I look at it this way, and it’s as simple as I can put it: I consider our existence here to serve each other,” Renteria said. “So if I do my best to make sure that I don’t put somebody else in peril, I’m going to do that. If that means I’ve got to wear my mask, I’ve got to keep my distance — everything we’re trying to do and everything that’s been put forth, all the protocols, is to obviously mitigate infection and to try to avoid [infection].”
Players will work in shifts. Home, visitors and umpires dressing rooms will be used and places will be assigned in dugouts for spacing 44 players and staff. Food will be packaged. Hand sanitizer will be next to all eight pitchers mounds and batting cages. Myriad steps have been taken by Sox stadium operations chief Terry Savarise.
Will they work?
“It’d be foolish for me or anybody to say that someone won’t become ill,” Renteria said. “We hope that that doesn’t happen. But we’re going to do everything we can to minimize the potential for that occurring.”
Renteria’s biggest challenge might be encouraging players to not make any bodily contact. Renteria’s a hugger and pat-on-theback guy. Placing a fatherly hand on the side of a player’s face or neck, which he has been known to do, will be off limits.
He’s going to have to control his emotions. His players will, too.
“Be aware of why we are doing it, and, truthfully, keeping your fellow man out of harm’s way as best you possibly can,” he said. “That’s something we’re going to have to try to do. It’s respect for somebody else’s space and trying to do what we can to make sure we can stay on the field for as long as possible.”
The camp will last about three weeks.