|
Two people with direct knowledge of the
decision confirmed the choice to The Associated Press on
Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the franchise hadn't
announced the move.
Venable, who turned 42 on Tuesday, is stepping in for Pedro
Grifol, who was fired in August with the White Sox on their way
to breaking the modern major league record for most losses in a
season. With Grady Sizemore serving as interim manager, the club
finished with a 41-121 record.
Venable was an associate manager for Texas for the past two
years. He handled daily schedule items and outfield instruction
as part of his duties with the Rangers, who won the World Series
in 2023.
Venable played baseball and basketball while studying
anthropology at Princeton. He was an all-Ivy League performer in
each sport.
He was selected by San Diego in the seventh round of the 2005
amateur draft. The outfielder played for the Padres, Rangers and
Dodgers in nine years in the majors, hitting .249 with 81
homers, 307 RBIs and 135 steals in 967 games.
After his playing career ended, Venable joined the Cubs' front
office in September 2017 as a special assistant to baseball
operations. He also was on the team's major league staff for
three years, spending two seasons as the first base coach and
one as the third base coach.
Venable also was the bench coach for Red Sox manager Alex Cora
for two years before joining the Rangers.
Venable comes from an athletic family. His father, Max, played
parts of 12 seasons in the majors, and also was a minor league
manager and coach. Will's brother, Winston, played college
football at Boise State and appeared in 12 games with the
Chicago Bears during the 2011 season.
All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
