New Manager Could Be Announced Before World Series; Bell Not In Mix
By Adam Hoge-
CHICAGO (CBS) White Sox general managerKenny Williams said Tuesday that a new manager will not be hired this week, but it could happen before the World Series.
Asked if he had a preferred candidate on a list he called "very short," Williams said: "I absolutely do."
Williams then said the outcome of the playoffs could affect the hiring of a new manager.
"We have to wait and see who the players are in the World Series and maybe there's someone on a playoff team that I might ultimately want to talk to and it might have to drag on a little bit," he said.
That seems to suggest the primary candidate is someone like Rays bench coach Dave Martinez who could be headed to the playoffs, but it's also possible Williams just wants to cover all his bases and interview all candidates, even if his primary candidate doesn't go to the playoffs. Many believe Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. is the favorite for the job.
One candidate you can eliminate is White Sox minor league director Buddy Bell.
"Buddy is very happy where he is right now and he's not interested," Williams said.
Williams said the hiring process will go the same way it did when he hired Ozzie Guillen eight seasons ago. He'll pick the candidate and submit him to Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf for final approval.
Status Of Current Coaches
As expected, bench coach Joey Cora will follow Ozzie Guillen to Florida and did not even return to the ballpark for the White Sox's final two games.
Cora was reportedly fired via text message by Williams on Tuesday, but the general manager called that report "bullsh—."
Williams said he heard from someone that Cora thought he was mangaging the last two games so he texted him to make sure he knew Cooper would be the interim manager. Cora then asked if that meant he didn't have to come to the ballpark Tuesday.
"So I picked up the phone and called him and we had a conversation where we mutually agreed that he's likely to go with Ozzie and it would have been awkward for him to be here -- in his words, 'awkward for him to be here' – so I said, 'That's not a problem. I get it. Good luck.' We exchanged pleasantries and that was the end of it. Three-minute conversation."
Meanwhile, the White Sox extended pitching coach Don Cooper and first base coach Harold Baines on Tuesday, and Williams confirmed they both got four-year extensions.
"The pitching has been as consistent over the last decade as some of the best teams in baseball, and that's a testament to our scouting department, our player development department and to Don Cooper directly and his direction. It's something that is well-deserved and I'm happy, thrilled, to know that he's going to be on board here for the next four years."
Williams said he expects Baines to have a larger role on the next coaching staff that is put together and said he would elaborate further when the new manager is announced.
As for the other coaches, Williams had no updates, but it's doubtful hitting coach Greg Walker returns.
