The White Sox have been preparing themselves for manager Ozzie Guillen’s exit as far back as September of 2010, and general manager Ken Williams said he had a very short list of candidates. But that was before the Red Sox’s monumental collapse denied them an American League playoff berth for the second consecutive season and they parted ways with Francona on Friday.
Part of the Sox’s coaching staff for the next two years is set, thus limiting some of the freedom Guillen’s successor will have in selecting a group of coaches. Guillen was allowed to select his own coaches, many of whom he knew dating back to his playing days (although he fired Tim Raines and Razor Shines after the 2006 and 2007 seasons, respectively).
Furthermore, coach Harold Baines will have input on the new staff, Williams said last week. But that, too, was before a manager of Francona’s stature became available.
The new staff could include members of the organization who are currently members of the player development department, such as Triple-A Charlotte manager Joe McEwing, who will manage the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League that starts play Tuesday. In 2009, McEwing was selected as the top managerial candidate in a Baseball America poll of Class-A South Atlantic League managers.
McEwing, Charlotte hitting coach Tim Laker and roving minor league coordinator Jeff Manto have received praise from Guillen and the previous staff for the improvement of Alejandro De Aza and Tyler Flowers during the second half of an otherwise disappointing 2011 season.
Francona does have an association with team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf from his years managing in the White Sox farm system and he served on the coaching staff of farm director Buddy Bell when Bell managed the Tigers in 1996 before Francona left to become the Phillies’ manager.
The Sox are hoping to name a manager before the start of the World Series, which opens Oct. 19. But they appeared willing to wait as long as possible if they deem a candidate involved in the postseason worthy of an interview.
EXTRA BASES
Frank McCourt could know by mid-November whether he can retain ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a schedule set Friday by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Judge Kevin Gross set a four-day hearing to decide the key issues in the case and said he expected McCourt and commissioner Bud Selig “to testify in person.”
