The Chicago White Sox fired manager Pedro Grifol on Thursday, ending an era that seemed doomed almost from the start.
The decision came after the team had a record 21-game losing streak and after Grifol denied reports of locker room feuds. Now with 28 wins and 89 losses, the team is on track to challenge the 1962 New York Mets’ record of 120 losses, the most in history.
Grady Sizemore, a former baseball player and current member of the White Sox coaching staff, has been named interim manager.
“I had some very tough conversations this morning, starting with Pedro, and his dismissal as our manager,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said in a video conference call with reporters. “I want to start by commending Pedro for his professionalism, his care, his passion for the game and the White Sox and how much he has put into it. …
“However, the performance was poor. Now it is our duty to turn the page and move forward and create a suitable environment for the players we currently have on this roster and for the younger players who will move to the big leagues here soon.”
The team also announced three coaching changes on Thursday: Charlie Montoyo (bench coach), Eddie Rodriguez (third base) and Mike Tosar (assistant hitting coach) were fired. They were replaced by Doug Sisson, Justin Gerschel and Mike Gillinger, respectively. Drew Butera will be co-bench coach with Sisson.
But Getz said the current staff would not be a contender for the full-time manager’s job.
“I think it’s important that we bring in a new voice, a new voice, that may have been exposed to areas of this game that we don’t currently have in our organization,” Getz said. “I’m very curious to learn more about some of these individuals and then we’ll get to the finish line and announce the next director.”
Getz, a former big-league player who was promoted from farm manager to general manager late last season, has built a team from outside the Sox organization, each with his own connections and favorite coaches. He’s also been updating a personal list of potential managers he’s been targeting for years. Getz said they won’t rush into the search.
“We will be doing a very broad search when it comes to finding the next director, and the interview process will be comprehensive, so obviously every candidate will be different based on personality and resume,” Getz said. “We will find the right person, so I think it’s premature to say who that person is or what that person looks like.”
go deeper
Why Grady Sizemore Took a $15/Hour Internship to Kickstart His Coaching Career
Grifol, 54, was hired in November 2022 to replace veteran manager Tony La Russa, who resigned after the 1981-81 season and faced health issues that forced him to miss the final 34 games of the season. When then-general manager Rick Hahn unveiled Grifol at an introductory press conference, he told reporters they would see him “smile a little bit more than he has over the past year.”
Instead, the White Sox finished the 2023 season with a 61-101 record and Hahn was fired along with executive vice president Ken Williams last August.
Griffol joined the White Sox after 10 seasons with the Kansas City Royals in the Major League. He previously worked in player development and as a second-league manager for the Seattle Mariners.
He was spared a one-year term by chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, the ultimate decision maker, and Getz, who previously worked with Grifol in the Royals organization. But the White Sox’ decision to embark on a new rebuild left little hope for a turnaround in 2024. Grifol finished his career with an 89-190 record as White Sox manager.
“We know the flaws in this roster, but still, we expected to win more games, and that’s what happened. Those factors led to this decision,” Getz said.
The White Sox opened the year losing 22 of their first 25 games, tying the 2022 Cincinnati Reds and the 2003 Detroit Tigers for the worst 25-game start in the modern era. Only the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, who started the season losing 23 games, had a worse start.
Things didn’t get much better. The White Sox began their record slump on July 10 against the Minnesota Twins. When that slump reached 16 games against the Royals on July 30, Griffol denied a report from a Chicago radio station that he had told the White Sox players they would be held accountable if they broke the MLB record for most losses.
The White Sox, who began play in 1901, have lost 100 games only five times, including 106 losses in 1970.
Is Getz focused on avoiding the ignominy that might come with breaking the Mets record?
“Well, it’s definitely something we want to avoid,” he said. “Nobody wants to be associated with a record like that. Now, with that being said, it wasn’t a top priority for us, as we had just passed a trade deadline and passed on players who were clearly attractive to other clubs. But our main focus was and will continue to be on the future of this organization.”
As for why an experienced coach or manager like Miami Marlins manager Skip Shoemaker, who will be a free agent after the season, would want to work with the White Sox, Getz is optimistic about the future of his organization.
“Going back to when I was hired and focused on building something special from the ground up, those were the selling points and those were the conversations I had with people from the outside who came into our organization,” Getz said. “Even though we had a disappointing major league season, the mission hasn’t changed. The message hasn’t really changed. We have a farm system that’s rising to the top. I think it’s a consensus top-10 farm system in the game and some of them are even higher than that. I expect to add to that as time goes on here. We’re looking to build something special.”
More White Sox Coverage
go deeper
Greenberg: Pedro Grifol, White Sox better off without each other
go deeper
Are the 2024 White Sox in danger of becoming worse than the 1962 Mets: Can they avoid infamy?
go deeper
White Sox snap 21-game losing streak: ‘It’s just a sigh of relief’
go deeper
Who will succeed Pedro Grifol as White Sox manager?
(Pedro Griffol photo: Nuccio DiNozzo/Getty Images)