As White Sox’ rebuild starts to get exciting in majors, Will Venable ‘deserves a lot of credit’
Chris Getz’s trade of All-Star lefty Garrett Crochet has reaped quick rewards for the White Sox, who are seeing positive major league contributions from infielder Chase Meidroth and catcher Kyle Teel, while outfield prospect Braden Montgomery has been one of the farm system’s biggest success stories.
But perhaps the most important addition Getz made last offseason hasn’t taken a swing or thrown a pitch this season.
Still, as the Sox exploded out of the All-Star break and have had a far more successful second half than first half, there’s credit to be heaped upon Will Venable’s shoulders, whether the deferential manager wants it or not.
“He deserves a lot of credit,” general manager Chris Getz said of his first-year skipper Friday. “Every series, every day, he creates a pathway to victory. … There are no highs and lows with him. And in this game, when you’re playing a 162-game season, consistency is so valuable in a leadership role like the manager.
“That was one of the biggest reasons why we targeted Will, and [we were] very fortunate to be able to bring him in here, because I knew that he was going to be such a steady, respected leader in this clubhouse.
“We’re starting to see some really positive results. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen overnight. But we’re in a period where we’re getting some wins and we’re feeling good and the vibes are solid.”
Certainly, there’s more to managing than just vibes, but it’s a big part of the job. Ask around the Sox’ clubhouse, and the most frequent compliment given to Venable is the environment he’s created by being the consistent presence Getz described.
“That’s really all I’ve tried to do, create an environment where [the players] can be themselves, and they’ve taken this thing and done the rest,” Venable said Saturday. “With what we’ve created in our culture, that’s those guys and the way they communicate and hold each other accountable, the way they decide to do their work on a daily basis, the things they commit to and the way they continue to fight on the field. That’s all them.
“[Their play on the field is] the feedback I need. For us, we want feedback, but it usually comes in the form of something we need to adjust for them, which we always want [to hear] from them. But just the way that they play and continue to battle, the things they do down here and the way they prepare, that’s the feedback that I need and I want.”
The winning has been slow to come, as expected, and even in this current era of good feelings, the Sox are just one game over .500 since the break, at 10-9. But seeing those results has reinforced the work of Venable and his staff is making a difference.
It’s a sign, perhaps, that Getz’s installation of Venable in such an important position could have the positive impact on the team’s long-term future the general manager aimed for.
This season was supposed to be about progress, not a pennant race. And seeing young players like Meidroth, Teel, catcher Edgar Quero, righty starter Shane Smith, shortstop Colson Montgomery and righty reliever Grant Taylor have success in their first exposure to the major leagues is progress.
Those are organization-wide wins. But Venable is the bench boss at the big league level, and he figures to be as important as anyone in getting the Sox back to contention.
So far, pretty good. Just don’t call him satisfied.
“We know we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Venable said Saturday. “Our effort to get better is ongoing every day. And for our young guys to be able to have the positive results they’ve had while continuing to develop and make the adjustments that we’re asking them to make and go out there and do it on the field has been great to see.”