The White Sox stayed in the family and named Chris Getz as their new general manager Thursday.
It’s kind of the Sox’ way, but chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said hiring someone from the outside would have taken an outsider a year to learn the organization, delaying the job of putting a winner on the field. With Getz, who was promoted from his post as assistant general manager and director of player development, a return to respectability would come sooner.
That’s the theory, anyway.
The Sox’ farm system under Getz has not impressed in terms of prospect rankings and winning baseball, and manager Pedro Grifol — who will return next season, Getz confirmed — has been outspoken about this season’s 53-81 team’s fundamentals shortcomings.
Reinsdorf has had a hard time watching it, he said. He hopes Getz can make things more watchable.
A disgruntled fan base can only hope.
“I wanted baseball taught in the minor leagues a certain way where people understand what they’re doing and understood what’s the right thing to do in certain situations, but nobody ever did it right until Chris came along,” Reinsdorf said Thursday. “And this I observed a couple years ago, I was thrilled with it.”
Reinsdorf has viewed the 40-year-old Getz, a former Sox player who assumes a title of senior vice president/general manager as a GM candidate for years. Getz is in his seventh season with the Sox front office, including the last three as assistant GM. He has overseen player development the last seven years.
“This is an opportunity I do not take lightly,” Getz said at a press conference at Guaranteed Rate Field, “and there’s a lot of work to do. I am not naive to the expectation that things need to change. The fans deserve different, I am different, we will be different.”
With such a poor product on the field, fans clamored for leadership from outside the organization, so Getz embarked on his job as the top decision maker below Reinsdorf under much scrutiny. He knows he has something to prove.
“I am an internal hire and I’ve got to bear that burden,” Getz said.
Reinsdorf said it’s Getz’s call to bring in an assistant to help with the daily operation.
“I’m open to bringing in people I feel can be positive resources to our group,” Getz said. “I know some names have been thrown out there. We haven’t had those discussions yet but are open-minded in terms of strengthening our group.”
Grifol, who attended the press conference, will return for a second season. He and Getz go back to their Royals years together.
“It’s important to provide stability to our players,” Getz said.
The White Sox stayed in the family and named Chris Getz as their new general manager Thursday.
It’s kind of the Sox’ way, but chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said hiring someone from the outside would have taken an outsider a year to learn the organization, delaying the job of putting a winner on the field. With Getz, who was promoted from his post as assistant general manager and director of player development, a return to respectability would come sooner.
That’s the theory, anyway.
The Sox’ farm system under Getz has not impressed in terms of prospect rankings and winning baseball, and manager Pedro Grifol — who will return next season, Getz confirmed — has been outspoken about this season’s 53-81 team’s fundamentals shortcomings.
Reinsdorf has had a hard time watching it, he said. He hopes Getz can make things more watchable.
A disgruntled fan base can only hope.
“I wanted baseball taught in the minor leagues a certain way where people understand what they’re doing and understood what’s the right thing to do in certain situations, but nobody ever did it right until Chris came along,” Reinsdorf said Thursday. “And this I observed a couple years ago, I was thrilled with it.”
Reinsdorf has viewed the 40-year-old Getz, a former Sox player who assumes a title of senior vice president/general manager as a GM candidate for years. Getz is in his seventh season with the Sox front office, including the last three as assistant GM. He has overseen player development the last seven years.
“This is an opportunity I do not take lightly,” Getz said at a press conference at Guaranteed Rate Field, “and there’s a lot of work to do. I am not naive to the expectation that things need to change. The fans deserve different, I am different, we will be different.”
With such a poor product on the field, fans clamored for leadership from outside the organization, so Getz embarks on his job as the top decision maker below Reinsdorf under much scrutiny. He knows he has something to prove.
“I am an internal hire and I’ve got to bear that burden,” Getz said.
Reinsdorf said it’s Getz’s call to bring in an assistant to help with the daily operation.
“I’m open to bringing in people I feel can be positive resources to our group,” Getz said. “I know some names have been thrown out there. We haven’t had those discussions yet but open-minded in terms of strengthening our group.”
Grifol, who attended the press of conference, will return for a second season. He and Getz go back to their Royals years together.
“It’s important to provide stability to our players,” Getz said.
