Former Chicago Cubs coach gets first managerial job at Crosstown Rivals

The Chicago Cubs made a shock move last season when they announced the firing of manager David Ross and the hiring of Craig Counsell.

Not only was it surprising because the front office and ownership group had just given Ross full support before moving on from him, but the Cubs also hired Counsell away from their division rival. Milwaukee Brewers making him the highest-paid skipper in Major League Baseball history.

The hope was that this would get the most out of this underperforming group that has missed the playoffs every year since 2020, and while that didn’t happen this past season, Chicago is confident they have the right guy to help them in the upcoming will lead for years to come. .

While the game of baseball is ultimately decided by the players on the field and the front office putting together a roster, it is important to have the right manager during the long Major League Baseball season.

That’s exactly what the Chicago WhiteSox what we were looking for after leaving Pedro Grifol.

And according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, they’re hiring Texas Rangers associate manager Will Venable to take over and lead the franchise into the future.

Venable has been with the Rangers under legendary captain Bruce Bochy since he was hired in November 2022, and during his first year in that role, he helped them win their first-ever World Series title.

The 42-year-old got his start with the Cubs in 2017 when he was hired as a special assistant to then-president Theo Epstein. After one season in that role, he was hired as first base coach for 2018 and 2019 before moving to third base in 2020.

Venable was then hired by Alex Cora of the Boston RedSox to serve as his bench coach, the position he held until Bochy brought him in.

The White Sox hope this hire will be the stabilizing force at the managerial position for them after only one skipper has had a winning record since Ozzie Guillen’s departure in 2011.