The Chicago White Sox will reportedly hire Pedro Grifol as their next manager.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, they will be making it official on Thursday.
Grifol has been with the Kansas City Royals organization for almost a decade, and was part of the team when they won the 2015 World Series against the New York Mets.
Grifol has Cuban heritage and is helping the White Sox make history in MLB.
“The Chicago #WhiteSox are formally announcing the hiring of manager Pedro Grifol on Thursday morning. He will be the White Sox’s fourth Latino or Black manager hired in the past 20 years, easily the most of any team in #MLB,” Nightengale tweeted.
Chicago #WhiteSox are formally announcing the hiring of manager Pedro Grifol on Thursday morning.
He will be the White Sox’s fourth Latino or Black manager hired in the past 20 years, easily the most of any team in #MLB.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 2, 2022
The White Sox Have Hired Managers Of All Races
The White Sox had Venezuelan Miguel Cairo lead things from the dugout for a brief time last season.
They also hired Mexican-American Rick Renteria in 2017.
Before that, Venezuelan Ozzie Guillen was in charge of the team from 2004 until 2011.
He won the 2005 World Series against the Houston Astros, then in the National League.
Jerry Manuel was also hired by the White Sox, from 1998 to 2003.
Lately, the subject of MLB teams hiring diversity candidates as managers has brought controversy, as the vast majority of skippers in the league at the moment are White.
The White Sox, however, have made sure not to discriminate at any time: they have hired White, Black, and Latino managers without distinction over the last two decades, prioritizing their baseball knowledge and communication skills above everything else.
We can’t say for certain if every other team in the league has done the same.
Grifol will be tasked with returning the White Sox to the postseason after a disappointing 81-81 campaign under Tony La Russa.
