Fan Interference

The Chicago White Sox have dismissed manager Rick Renteria after 4 seasons at the helm. The announcement came with laudatory statements about him and about how it’s not about the last week or so of the regular season nor the playoffs. Instead, it was supposedly about the nebulous idea of how to “take the next step.” The team went 35-25 (and lost to the A’s 2 games to 1 in the first round of the playoffs) this year after posting losing records the first 3 seasons under Renteria while they went through a complete roster overhaul. In signaling they were ready to start trying to be competitive this year, they signed a number of free agents last offseason to add to their promising young core. They also let pitching coach Don Cooper go; he’d been with the team since 2002. There is no word on who might be the next skipper although the GM did say Ozzie Guillen is not a candidate.

Of note, the team crushed left handed pitching this year, and went undefeated against lefty starters…but had a losing record against righty starters. Whoever the GM ultimately hires, if he wants the new manager to succeed, a bit more balance in the lineup might be a good idea.