Meet the New Boss?

It’s early, I know, but new White Sox manager Will Venable is starting to sound more than a little like old White Sox manager Mickey Mouse, and that’s not a good thing. Yesterday, Jonathan Cannon labored through 3.2 innings in a 7-4 loss to the Tigers; Cannon threw 88 pitches. But talk about a glass full. “He did a nice job getting ahead and just wasn’t able to put guys away, and the pitch count got up on him,” Venable in spin mode told reporters after the game. Oh, and Cannon “did a nice job dealing with some traffic,” as in three hits, three walks and two hit-by-pitch. [quotes in today’s Tribune] Down at Triple-A Charlotte, heir apparent at shortstop Colson Montgomery continues to struggle. Last night, Montgomery went 1-for-3, which raised his average to .087, with sixteen strikeouts in 23 at-bats. According to Venable, not to worry. It’s early, a weekend hot streak will give him good numbers. Montgomery “left spring training in a good spot. I don’t think anyone’s going to look too deeply at 20 [now 23] at-bats.” [quote in today’s Sun-Times] Ah, Skipper, Montgomery was not in a good spot at the end of spring training, because he got sent down instead of opening the season at shortstop for the Sox, as just about everybody—including you, I’m sure—expected. He didn’t hit well last year at Triple-A (.214), so the worry is, or should be, that this is a continuation of that. There’s a difference between accentuating the positive and living in an alternate reality, where Mouse pitched his tent for close to two years before getting what he so richly deserved. Do you really want to join him?