Renteria out despite run to playoffs
CHICAGO — Rick Renteria fostered a culture that allowed young players to develop into stars. And just like the last time, he lost his job after helping start a turnaround.
The White Sox and their manager agreed to split following a disappointing finish to a breakout season in which they made the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.
Chicago announced Monday that Renteria won’t return after he led the White Sox to a 35-25 record in his pandemic-shortened fourth season. They ended a string of seven consecutive losing seasons with their first playoff appearance since 2008.
“This is not how we wanted this to end,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “We wanted it to end with Ricky leading us to championships. That was the intent from the start. Over time, through very candid and quite frankly personal conversations about where this organization is, what our time horizon is, what we need to do to win in October and get to that final, ultimate goal, it became evident that it was time to make a change.”
Don Cooper, who had been pitching coach since July 2002, also was let go. He had spent more than three decades with the organization.
PADRES’ PHAM STABBED
Padres outfielder Tommy Pham was stabbed in the back in San Diego this weekend, ultimately requiring surgery, the San Diego UnionTribune reported.
Pham saw two strangers arguing by his car and asked them to leave, and one of them stabbed him.
Pham was leaving a strip club in San
Diego when he came across the argument, according to the report.
“While it was a very traumatic and eye-opening experience for me, I’m on the road to recovery and I know I’ll be back to my offseason training routine in no time,” Pham said in a statement.
DENNIS YOUNG
METS GET TOP-10 PICK
The Mets will get a top-10 pick for their last-place finish, while the Yankees’ erratic season netted them the 20th overall selection. Major League Baseball confirmed the 2021 draft order on Monday.
The decision to keep reverse-order maintains MLB’s usual standard draft positioning; the league was considering combining 2019 and 2020 records due to the brevity of the 60-game season. The Pirates will pick first overall, with the Rangers, Tigers, Red Sox and Orioles rounding out the top five.