The former Chicago White Sox World Series hero reacts to the hiring of a new manager

It was announced late Tuesday night that the Chicago White Sox would be hiring Texas Rangers assistant manager Will Venable as their next manager. The team had already released Pedro Grifol in August of this season.

ESPN's Jeff Passan posted the report on social media:

The Chicago White Sox are planning to hire Will Venable as their manager, sources tell me and @JesseRogersESPN.

It's no surprise that Venable is getting this opportunity as he has been one of the fastest risers in the coaching world in recent years. He was part of the Rangers team that brought a World Series to Texas in 2023. In addition to his work with the Rangers, he also coached the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. In recent years he has been interviewed for several leadership positions. He is only 42 years old.

As a player, Venable spent nine years in the major leagues (2008-2016), playing for the Padres, Rangers and Dodgers. He spent parts of eight years in San Diego and is certainly best known for his career there.

As an outfielder, he was a lifetime .249 hitter with 81 home runs, 307 RBI and 135 stolen bases. He stole more than 20 balls in four different seasons and hit a career-high 22 home runs in 2013.

Venable will certainly have his work cut out for him with the White Sox, who are coming off a terrible 41-121 season. They appear to be facing a multi-year rebuild and could trade away players like Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet this offseason.

After news of the hiring broke, former White Sox catcher and World Series champion AJ Pierzynski came forward responded to the news on the “Foul Territory” show. He called it a good move, citing Venable's demeanor and Ivy League background as solid core qualities.

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @FastballFN.