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Latest On White Sox Managerial Search

By Mark Polishuk | October 17, 2024 at 12:04pm CDT

TODAY: The White Sox also have interest in Rangers bench coach/offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker and Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann, Fegan and Nelson report.  Chicago may have to wait until the NLCS is over to speak with Lehmann or another reported target in Los Angeles first base coach Clayton McCullough, who 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine cited as “a leading candidate” for the White Sox job back in September.

OCTOBER 16: While not the biggest piece of White Sox-related news today, the club’s more immediate piece of short-term business is finding a new manager.  James Fegan and Josh Nelson of Sox Machine report that Tigers bench coach George Lombard and Padres special assistant A.J. Ellis are two of the candidates being considered in a still-evolving search.

This isn’t the first time that the 49-year-old Lombard has been linked to a managerial opening, as he previously interviewed with the Pirates in 2019 (before Derek Shelton was hired) and for the Tigers in 2020.  Though Detroit ended up going with A.J. Hinch as its new skipper, the Tigers were impressed enough by Lombard to bring him aboard as the bench coach soon after Hinch was hired, and Lombard has subsequently spent the last four seasons in the role.

Lombard’s playing career saw him appear in parts of six seasons from 1998-2006, and he hung up his cleats following a 2009 season spent in the minors and in independent ball.  He then worked in the Red Sox farm system for the next six seasons as a coach, roving coordinator, and manager — a two-season stint with the Red Sox rookie league affiliate in 2011-12 represents Lombard’s only experience as a manager.  After a few months working with the Braves as a minor league coordinator in 2015, Lombard quickly moved onto a new job as the Dodgers’ first base coach, and spent the 2016-20 seasons as part of the L.A. coaching staff.

In a coincidental overlap, Ellis was still playing for the Dodgers in 2016 during Lombard’s first season.  Ellis spent nine of his 11 MLB seasons with the Dodgers, and then after retiring following the 2018 season, stayed in the NL West by taking on an assistant role within the Padres’ baseball operations department.  The special assistant title is a nebulous one that tends to vary greatly in responsibilities based on the individual’s specialties and the club’s needs, but Fegan writes that Ellis has done “plenty of roving player development work” over his six years in San Diego.

Moving into a regular job in the dugout would therefore represent an entirely new frontier for the 43-year-old Ellis, who has no formal managerial or coaching experience.  Of course, Ellis’ long career as a catcher shouldn’t be discounted, given the long line of ex-catchers moving into managerial roles.  As Fegan notes, Ellis had a reputation as a leader on the field during his playing days, and the White Sox could be interested in seeing if Ellis can make as a smooth a transition from catching to managing as Stephen Vogt did for the division rival Guardians.

Neither Lombard or Ellis have ever crossed paths with Chicago GM Chris Getz as a teammate or co-worker, nor were Lombard or Ellis ever former members of the White Sox organization.  This fits with Getz’s prior statement that the White Sox were looking to bring in a new voice as the club’s next manager, though interim manager Grady Sizemore would receive some consideration.

Beyond these names, former Angels manager Phil Nevin, Rangers associate manager Will Venable, and Cardinals bench coach Daniel Descalso are known to be on Chicago’s list of candidates.  While the Sox still want to talk to some coaches on teams currently playing in the postseason, some preliminary culling has already started to take place, as Fegan writes that the White Sox have already eliminated some candidates from consideration.  A source tells Fegan that former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker is “still alive” in the search, which is no surprise given that Schumaker has long been viewed as a preferred choice for the job.

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Chicago White Sox Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres Texas Rangers A.J. Ellis Clayton McCullough Danny Lehmann Donnie Ecker George Lombard Skip Schumaker

Latest On Marlins’ Managerial Search
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Dodgers Notes: Rojas, Hernandez, Hudson
View Comments (58)
Post a Comment

58 Comments

  1. User 2952162988

    10 months ago

    Sergio Santos or bust!

    2
    Reply
    • Dumpster Divin Theo

      9 months ago

      You like the cut of his jib doya

      Reply
    • letitbelowenstein

      9 months ago

      I rather think not.

      Reply
  2. Steinbrenner2728

    10 months ago

    Ned Yost on line 1!

    1
    Reply
    • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

      9 months ago

      Ned’s done he is one of those guys that retires for good

      2
      Reply
    • 84LeFlore

      9 months ago

      Ned’s dead, baby. Ned’s dead.

      Reply
  3. IronBallsMcGinty

    10 months ago

    No previous managerial experience = affordable.

    The last manager without any managerial experience had two consecutive 100+ loss seasons.

    8
    Reply
    • nrd1138

      9 months ago

      Yep, that and any self respecting manager would want some autonomy to make baseball decisions (like who is playing and who is not and feedback as to who to bring in) and not want the GM or owner meddling. That’s is not going to happen on Jerry-atric’s watch.

      1
      Reply
    • CarverAndrews

      9 months ago

      And yet it is therefore quite strange that the vast majority of commenters on here with zero experience managing and probably almost no experience with the game above a Little League level are so dead certain that they know how to manage ever so much better than even Hall of Fame track major league managers and GM’s.

      7
      Reply
      • Samuel

        9 months ago

        CarverAndrews;

        Perhaps.

        But consider this…..

        Most don’t buy tickets to watch games; don’t sit through them on a media device as they prefer to watch the highlights; and can look up WAR – so if a team just replaces a guy that has X WAR with a guy that has X+ WAR – the team will win the division….but the owner’s too cheap.

        Think I’m exaggerating / off-base? I read posts every day – including today – that demean managers that took their teams to the playoffs and WS recently.

        LOL

        1
        Reply
        • CarverAndrews

          9 months ago

          I believe, Samuel, that I not only considered but was strongly implying the same…

          1
          Reply
      • Dumpster Divin Theo

        9 months ago

        Samuel’s gonna Samuel

        8
        Reply
    • CKinSTL

      9 months ago

      Should they bring back Tony LaRusa? He’s got a lot of experience, haha

      Reply
  4. steven st croix

    10 months ago

    Austin Peay legend, AJ Ellis

    1
    Reply
  5. em650r

    10 months ago

    AJ Ellis the guy who spread false rumors about Puig

    1
    Reply
  6. HiredGun23

    9 months ago

    …Though Detroit ended up going with A.J. Hinch as its new skipper, the Tigers were impressed enough by Hinch to bring him aboard as the bench coach soon after Hinch was hired…

    Did he get 2 checks?

    1
    Reply
  7. avenger65

    9 months ago

    A brief summary of the Sox for you, Lombard and Ellis: a roster of has-beens and low level prospects who are as good as they’re gonna get; a cut in an already low payroll; a GM that won’t get you the players you need because he doesn’t know what a good player is; and a future that, for the time being, will be run by the bane of baseball, tlr. Run, don’t walk, away from this train wreck of an organization.

    3
    Reply
    • mlb1225

      9 months ago

      I mean hey, at least they get the benefit of having next to no expectations. Only possible one I can think of is not be historically bad again.

      1
      Reply
  8. Dumpster Divin Theo

    9 months ago

    “Impressed by Hinch enough to bring him aboard as bench coach soon after Hinch was hired”. So he gets paid as both ?

    2
    Reply
    • NYCityRiddler

      9 months ago

      A. Hinch manages, J Hinch is the bench coach. Everybody wants a piece of Hinch these days. Ahahaha!

      1
      Reply
  9. Chicken In Philly?

    9 months ago

    Does Jason Varitek’s name ever come up in organizations besides the Red Sox? He’s been with the Red Sox for over 25 years, but he’s clearly being groomed to be a manager.

    1
    Reply
    • Dumpster Divin Theo

      9 months ago

      He comes up in Arod face

      6
      Reply
    • Rsox

      9 months ago

      It might, but maybe he tells teams he’s not interested in leaving in Boston.

      2
      Reply
    • letitbelowenstein

      9 months ago

      Varitek should be managing right now. In Boston. But with Henry running the circus, Cora’s safe.

      1
      Reply
      • Chicken In Philly?

        9 months ago

        I don’t dislike Cora, but I agree that Varitek has been prepared for a long time. I ask this question because I would hate to see him jump ship for another opportunity.

        Reply
  10. User 3222006999

    9 months ago

    I’m sure the Sox are interested in lots of guys. But is it mutual? Or do they wait to see who it is on the answering machine before they pick up and then don’t call back.?

    Reply
  11. Jean-Claude

    9 months ago

    Wrong AJ. Pierzynski would be an excellent choice.

    1
    Reply
    • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

      9 months ago

      If aj was a manager there would be brawls in every single game, mlb would become WWE which would boost ticket sales

      Why do people hate aj again?

      Reply
      • Jbigz12

        9 months ago

        Samuel this isn’t rotisserie WWE baseball! Aj Pierzynski needs to stay in the press box where he belongs.

        He has many rotisserie leagues that need attending to’

        Reply
        • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

          9 months ago

          Pierzynski being in the press box is a danger by itself

          1
          Reply
    • Samuel

      9 months ago

      Jean-Claude;

      He’d be better for the Pirates.

      A decent amount of young talent (not enough though) that needs to be shaken up some to play baseball the right way.

      Reply
    • letitbelowenstein

      9 months ago

      A.J. couldn’t manage his temper. You want him to manage players? Then what? Pitching coach Carlos Zambrano?

      1
      Reply
  12. thickiedon

    9 months ago

    Wow, HINCH used three times in one sentence.

    Reply
  13. warnbeeb

    9 months ago

    As a Tiger fan I’d hate to see Lombard running the White Sox. They will be better with him. OTOH, he deserves a manager gig. He’s earned it…even if it is the White Sox.

    2
    Reply
    • dkhits20

      9 months ago

      I’d be surprised if Lombard went to the Sox for two reasons: 1. He’s highly regarded around the league and will almost certainly get other managerial opportunities in the future. There shouldn’t be urgency on his part to leave a winning culture for a total disaster of an organization, just for a higher position. 2. From what I know of Reinsdorf, my gut tells me he’s not going to be willing to pay the price to poach someone from another organization. I think it’ll probably end up being Sizemore or Santos.

      1
      Reply
      • 84LeFlore

        9 months ago

        Agree. George should stick with a winner for a year or two. His profile will get even better. He should avoid a train wreck like the Sux.

        1
        Reply
  14. Pads Fans

    9 months ago

    Do they hire a former OF or former backup catcher. I am going with the backup catcher.

    1
    Reply
    • Acoss1331

      9 months ago

      Maybe neither. I’m not sure they’ll take the job. Chris Getz is going to have to get creative with incentives to convince them to join the White Sox.

      1
      Reply
  15. BlueSkies_LA

    9 months ago

    Whoever they hire for that job had better stock up on their Wheaties.

    2
    Reply
    • Acoss1331

      9 months ago

      Only if it’s the knock off brand of Wheaties. Jerry won’t pay for the original.

      1
      Reply
      • BlueSkies_LA

        9 months ago

        It’s the Breakfast of Chumpions.

        1
        Reply
  16. RBFSSolution

    9 months ago

    Why do the White Sox come up with these Fruit of the Loom guys!
    The best thing that ever happened to the White Sox was pitchers throwing the Roger Beshens Football Slider.

    1
    Reply
  17. RBFSSolution

    9 months ago

    Pierzynski should just say Roger Beshens Football Slider and play the 48 minute video of him and Strom in the Dbacks Clubhouse, May 23 especially the part pertaining to OH Ryne Nelson doesn’t do that.

    Reply
  18. WhiteSx2024

    9 months ago

    Should be a mass murderer or Crusty the Clown

    1
    Reply
  19. Rsox

    9 months ago

    I suppose the good thing for whoever gets the job is there’s nowhere to go but up after last seasons spectacular disaster. That said, you must really, really want to manage in the big leagues to consider and actually accept the job.

    3
    Reply
    • Acoss1331

      9 months ago

      Whoever does get the job, it might be a short stint if the team does get sold. Who knows what the new ownership group decides to do.

      Reply
  20. Slider_withcheese

    9 months ago

    I could see Don Mattingly. His connection to Stewart is tight and at one point (maybe he still is?) was part of Stewart’s team of investors.

    3
    Reply
  21. C Us Sink

    9 months ago

    Scott Servais, at your service…

    1
    Reply
  22. User 2770661946

    9 months ago

    Jerry Manuel was the greatest white Sox manager in history until he fell victim to cancel culture and had no choice but to go to New York and start a new life

    Reply
  23. User 2770661946

    9 months ago

    Never going to post again. Lamest site on the internet besides Grindr

    7
    Reply
  24. MadmanTX 2

    9 months ago

    Bobby Valentine! You’re up!

    Reply
  25. gold masters

    9 months ago

    I already knew that nfl and nba are wwe
    I knew mlb was also
    Thanks to rigged sports, I now know the players in mlb are also in on the script as well as the mgr
    Never knew that fielding errors and walks were intentional
    And how the pitcher serves it up, like batting practice
    Sho lie sure got served alot of cookies this year
    I used to wonder, why did you bring in that reliever. It’s because they want to loose. Dusty baker 02 giants, taking out Ortiz in game 5.
    Why did the angels loose, so many games, after the break? To force arte to get the check book out.

    Reply
  26. DarkSide830

    9 months ago

    Martín Maldonado for manager.

    Reply
  27. Jump 84

    9 months ago

    Possible new owner might want a say in this. Don’t stop now boys.

    Reply
  28. Tom the ray fan

    9 months ago

    Lou brown?

    Reply
  29. The Saber-toothed Superfife

    9 months ago

    Bill Murray and Jim Belushi are still available…..but I think they both have more of a Cubbie thing….

    They might both be good coaches.

    BMc no longer available.

    Reply
  30. GarryHarris

    9 months ago

    Does anyone here think the ChiSox have the ability to hire a good fit manager?

    Reply
  31. C4Luke

    9 months ago

    Cardinals fire Oli, sign Skip, Chisox get Oli.
    Cardinals get a better guy who can lead us through a semi rebuild, and Oli can work to prove himself on a team that doesnt expect to win

    Reply

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