In what is likely to be the worst season for many White Sox fans, there haven’t been many positives to hang your hat on. However, today the White Sox can make fans forget about the losing for a minute, as they make a long overdue move.
According to the White Sox, they have dismissed Pedro Grifol as the team’s manager. This was much needed, as the White Sox had one of the worst records in major league history at the all-star break, yet they still kept Grifol around.
Now, after 21 losses in a row and before the Cubs come into town, the White Sox finally make the move. In his one and a half seasons, Grifol has a 89-190 record, which is good for a measly .319 winning percentage. He doesn’t qualify to be on any of the worst winning percentage standings, but if he did, he would be third worst all-time.
While this move should have been done in the offseason, White Sox fans can at least be grateful that the move happened at all, as there have been many managers that stayed their welcome longer than Grifol did.
While in the official announcement the White Sox did not name an interim manager, the replacement is likely to be Charlie Montoyo, the current bench coach. Montoyo was the coach of the Blue Jays from 2019-2022, leading them to an exact .500 winning percentage, as his record was 236-236.
The White Sox did note that they are currently looking for their replacement, and he will be named after the conclusion of the 2024 season. Hopefully it is someone with absolutely no ties to the organization, as they need to get rid of everyone involved with this losing streak. Some interesting names have been floated around, such as AJ Pierzynski, Terry Francona, and Skip Schumaker.
While there have been a bunch of names thrown around for the position, we will see who ends up with the job, as Jerry is sure to be involved in the hire. It would be in their best interest to pick a younger candidate that can grow and relate to the current and future White Sox roster.
As of right now Chris Getz is off the hook, as Grifol was not his hire. Now, whoever he hires is his responsibility. He better make sure it’s the right choice, as if this losing continues over the next few years, he could be out the door just like Grifol.
