CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox stayed in the family Thursday, naming Robin Ventura as their manager. Ventura, 44, agreed to a multiyear deal with the club after working the past season as a special advisor to... director of player development Buddy Bell. "When I met with the media as our season ended, I identified one person at the very top of my managerial list," general manager Ken Williams said in a statement. "I wanted someone who met very specific criteria centered around his leadership abilities. Robin Ventura was that man. His baseball knowledge and expertise, his professionalism, his familiarity with the White Sox and Chicago and his outstanding character make him absolutely the right person to lead our clubhouse and this organization into the seasons ahead."
Ventura, known for his slick fielding, clutch hitting and left-handed power, has a good sense of humor and a well-rounded perspective on the game. Ventura batted hit .267 with 294 home runs and 1,182 RBIs over his career. His 18 career grand slams are tied for fifth in major league history.He appeared in 1,254 games over 10 seasons with the White Sox, hitting .274 with 171 home runs and 741 RBI. He ranks among the White Sox career leaders in grand slams, walks, homers, RBIs, extra-base hits and runs scored.Ventura led Oklahoma State to the College World Series and still holds the Division I record with a 58-game hitting streak.
Ventura said he’s familiar with what transpired last season, adding that once spring training gets under way in Glendale, Ariz., everything will be in the past and it will be a fresh start. For him, too. “I started to put my foot in the water with Buddy. I was easing my way back in,” Ventura said. “Not it seems I’ve jumped all the way back in. I jumped right in the deep end. I can swim, though.”
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