White Sox, Renteria part ways
Manager out despite club making playoffs
The White Sox and manager Rick Renteria agreed to split following a disappointing finish to a breakout season in which the team made the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.
The White Sox announced Monday that Renteria won’t return after he led them to a 35-25 record in his pandemic-shortened fourth year. They ended a string of seven consecutive losing seasons with their first playoff appearance since 2008.
The team and longtime pitching coach Don Cooper also agreed to part.
The White Sox held a threegame lead in the AL Central before losing seven of their final eight to finish tied for second with the Indians at 35-25, one behind the Twins. The White Sox then got knocked out by the AL West champion A’s in three games in their wild-card series.
Renteria drew criticism for some questionable decisions down the stretch. And now, he and the White Sox are moving on.
GM Rick Hahn described Renteria as a “fantastic baseball man” and “better person” whose “fingerprints” will be all over the White Sox if they win a championship.
“This is not how we wanted this to end,” 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, 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.”
Hahn said Renteria’s replacement likely will come from outside the White Sox. He would like someone who has worked for a championship organization, though major league managing experience is not necessarily a requirement. Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, 76, who hasn’t managed since 2011, was mentioned as a possibility in a USA Today story.
Renteria became the franchise’s 40th manager when they promoted him from bench coach to replace Robin Ventura in October 2016. He led the White Sox to a 236-309 record and helped establish a winning culture that fostered the development of the team’s young players.
Renteria also managed the crosstown Cubs in 2014 and drew praise for his work with their young players. The North Siders planned to bring him back, only to let him go once Joe Maddon split with the Rays.
Maddon led the Cubs to the playoffs in four of his five seasons and managed the 2016 team to the franchise’s first World Series championship since 1908.
Renteria never had a contender until this year.
The next manager will inherit a team that appears poised for long-term success.
They have a core of young players on team-friendly deals, starting with shortstop Tim Anderson. Veteran José Abreu put himself in the running for AL MVP by driving in 60 runs. Ace Lucas Giolito pitched his first career no-hitter.
Eloy Jiménez hit .296 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs. Luis Robert, who agreed to a six-year, $50 million contract in January, showed star potential in a rollercoaster rookie year.
Yankees broadcaster had virus:
YES Network broadcaster Jack Curry missed the Yankees’ postseason after contracting COVID-19.
Curry tweeted a video Sunday and said he had recovered and would have returned to work for the AL Championship Series had the Yankees advanced.
Curry said he tested positive following the regular season, which ended Sept. 27.
“It was a scary and surreal time, but I’m happy to report that I’m feeling a lot better,” he said.
Curry, 55, has been with the YES Network since 2010 and is a regular on YES pregame and postgame studio shows wrapping around Yankees broadcasts. He was a reporter for The New York Times from 1987-2009.
“I took all of the precautions, plus 100 more, and this virus still found me,” he said.