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Last week the White Sox filled their managerial void by hiring former Sox 3rd baseman Robin Ventura to replace Ozzie Guillen. Now, some Sox fans were disappointed by General Manager Kenny Williams’ decision to hire Ventura when guys like Terry Francona are available, especially since Ventura has no prior experience as a manager. Ventura had been employed with the White Sox in their Player Development Department since 2010. He had been working with the Sox minor league players.
Ventura was one of the most talented players the South Siders have ever had. But he has not proven himself as a coach or manager. And after the departure of Ozzie Guillen, Sox fans were hoping for a proven manager with a winning track record. It seems obvious that the White Sox front office did not want to spend top dollar for a manager, something that has angered the south side faithful. And while Kenny Williams and Owner Jerry Reinsdorf deny it, Sox fans believe that the organization has raised the white flag and is planning to rebuild.
With that being said, there is still a chance that former Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona could still come to Chicago. The Cubs have not yet decided if they will keep current Manager Mike Quade. And with the Cubs seeking a new general manager, there’s a good chance that changes will be made within the Cubs dugout. In my last article, I had mentioned what Terry Francona brings to the table: http://q101.com/2011/10/is-terry-chicago-bound/
Any team would be lucky to have Terry Francona under contract. But after the disaster that was the 2011 season, the Cubs would be a perfect fit for Francona. I also touched on this in my previous article. So there is still hope that Terry Francona could still end up managing in Chicago. But in the meantime, Mr. Francona will be in the broadcast booth for Fox’s coverage of the American League Championship Series.
You can follow me anytime on Twitter @GabeSalgado82, you can also friend me on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/GabeSalgado82 you can even find me on Myspace athttp://www.myspace.com/gws1182. And I hope you had a chance to check out the latest film from Deb Renner: www.composedthemovie.com
Look, Q101.com realizes it has more shirtless men on our site than The Pride Parade's Flickr account...but this one was TOO good to pass up!
Ozzie Guillen is out as White Sox Manager, Mike Quade’s future is in doubt as the Cubs make changes in their front office, so why not bring in a manager that has 2 world series rings? Terry Francona managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997-2000 and the Boston Red Sox from 2004-2011. His best years were in Boston, and during his time there he broke the Red Sox Curse of the bambino by winning the World Series in both 2004 and 2007. His record as a manager stands at 744 wins, 552 losses, with a winning percentage of .574
His postseason record alone stands at 28 wins, 17 losses, a .622 winning percentage, and the 2 aforementioned world series championships. Both the Cubs and White Sox would be ideal fits for Francona, and here’s how: Both teams will {hopefully} pay top dollar to get him in their clubhouse. The fans on both sides of Chicago tend to idolize winning managers. After the success of Ozzie Guillen, the White Sox could really use another successful, big name manager to re-establish a winning tradition.
The White Sox haven’t had a 700 win manager in their dugout since Paul Richards back in 1976 back at Old Comiskey Park. They last won the World Series in 2005, so bringing in Francona would be a historic move in some regard. Lou Piniella was the Cubs most recent 700+ win manager. However he was unable to bring a world series title to Chicago, the Cubs last won it all in 1908. And since Francona broke Boston’s curse, perhaps he can be the man to finally break the Curse of the Billy Goat.
Aside from winning, Francona is also known for maintaining solid pitching staffs. As the Red Sox manager, Boston had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. With the Cubs needing an overhaul with their pitching, and the White Sox possibly needing to replace both Mark Buehrlie and Jake Peavy, Terry Francona is the man for Chicago. Francona also has a reputation for having multiple .300 hitters in his lineups every year.
This year alone he had David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jose Iglesias, and Adrian Gonzalez all batting with an average of .300 or better. Terry Francona could help Adam Dunn get back to his game as a solid hitter, and improve the White Sox batting overall. In 2011, only Reed Johnson, Aramis Ramirez, Starlin Castro, and Carlos Zambrano were .300 hitters for the Cubs. Ramirez and Zambrano will not be back in 2012 and are rumored to be heading to Miami to join Ozzie Guillen with the Florida Marlins.
But with Alfonso Soriano and Marlon Byrd still on the payroll {for now}, and with Starlin Castro as the face of the franchise, Francona will still have something to work with should he join the Cubs. So either team would be a win win situation for Terry Francona. And one way or another, Chicago will have a winning and possibly championship contending baseball team in 2012. So let the bidding wars begin for Terry Francona’s services!
By Q101.com Blogga Gabe Salgado
You can follow me anytime on Twitter @GabeSalgado82, you can also friend me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GabeSalgado82 you can even find me (really) on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/gws1182. Gabe: And I would like to give a shout out to my homegirl Deb Renner, check out her latest movie: www.composedthemovie.com
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