Levine: Hahn Non-Committal On Ventura's Status With White Sox
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The expression that garbage slides downhill is pretty accurate when it comes to baseball teams struggling to maintain a foothold on a season.
That appears to be the case with the Chicago White Sox, who have lost 20 of their last 26 games and fallen under .500 for the first time this season as they entered Thursday night's home game against the Nationals.
The team made a few moves Thursday, shaking up the roster by designating right-hander Mat Latos for assignment signing first baseman/designated hitter Justin Morneau, a former MVP and batting champion, to a one-year contract.
While nothing appears to be going right for the White Sox, general manager Rick Hahn and manager Robin Ventura were both asked about the status of Ventura's job during this free-fall from a league-leading 23-10 record to 29-30 in four weeks.
Hahn pointed out that he doesn't address individual organization employees in public statements.
"I don't think you have ever seen me telegraph any move or comment on any individual," Hahn said when asked about the status of Ventura. "The best thing you do (is) rally around the guys you have here. My job is to put them in the best position to win, with the people you have in this clubhouse."
Hahn was smart enough not to get caught up in a direct response on Ventura's status. That said, a vote of confidence for a manager means nothing when a team is going through such a brutal stretch of losing like the White Sox have been.
"That is always there," Ventura said when asked if he thinks his job is on the line. "You guys have been asking that all year. That part didn't change. It did not change four years ago. It's always there. The focus right now is playing the Nationals."
Ventura has been caught up in organizational change and continuous roster shakeups from 2013 to the present. Until this April, the team hadn't played over .500 for any long stretch of time since late September 2012. The hot start to the season had eased talk about his job status.
Ventura is in the final season of his contract. The only experienced manager on the White Sox staff is bench coach Rick Renteria, who managed the Chicago Cubs in 2014.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
