Whereas not the largest piece of White Sox-related information on Wednesday, the membership’s extra fast piece of short-term enterprise is discovering a brand new supervisor. James Fegan and Josh Nelson of Sox Machine report that Tigers bench coach George Lombard and Padres particular assistant A.J. Ellis are two of the candidates being thought-about in a still-evolving search.
This isn’t the primary time that the 49-year-old Lombard has been linked to a managerial opening, as he beforehand interviewed with the Pirates in 2019 (earlier than Derek Shelton was employed) and for the Tigers in 2020. Although Detroit ended up going with A.J. Hinch as its new skipper, the Tigers have been impressed sufficient by Hinch to carry him aboard because the bench coach quickly after Hinch was employed, and Lombard has subsequently spent the final 4 seasons within the function.
Lombard’s taking part in profession noticed him seem in elements of six seasons from 1998-2006, and he hung up his cleats following a 2009 season spent within the minors and in unbiased ball. He then labored within the Purple Sox farm system for the subsequent six seasons as a coach, roving coordinator, and supervisor — a two-season stint with the Purple Sox rookie league affiliate in 2011-12 represents Lombard’s solely expertise as a supervisor. After a number of months working with the Braves as a minor league coordinator in 2015, Lombard shortly moved onto a brand new job because the Dodgers’ first base coach and spent the 2016-20 seasons as a part of the L.A. teaching workers.
In a coincidental overlap, Ellis was nonetheless taking part in for the Dodgers in 2016 throughout Lombard’s first season. Ellis spent 9 of his 11 MLB seasons with the Dodgers, after which after retiring following the 2018 season, stayed within the NL West by taking up an assistant function throughout the Padres’ baseball operations division. The particular assistant title is a nebulous one which tends to differ enormously in obligations based mostly on the person’s specialties and the membership’s wants, however Fegan writes that Ellis has carried out “loads of roving participant improvement work” over his six years in San Diego.
Shifting into an everyday job within the dugout would subsequently symbolize a wholly new frontier for the 43-year-old Ellis, who has no formal managerial or teaching expertise. In fact, Ellis’ lengthy profession as a catcher shouldn’t be discounted, given the lengthy line of ex-catchers shifting into managerial roles. As Fegan notes, Ellis had a popularity as a pacesetter on the sphere throughout his taking part in days, and the White Sox could possibly be serious about seeing if Ellis could make as clean a transition from catching to managing as Stephen Vogt did for the division rival Guardians.
Neither Lombard or Ellis have ever crossed paths with Chicago GM Chris Getz as a teammate or co-worker, nor have been Lombard or Ellis ever former members of the White Sox group. This suits with Getz’s prior assertion that the White Sox have been wanting to herald a brand new voice because the membership’s subsequent supervisor, although interim supervisor Grady Sizemore would obtain some consideration.
Past these names, former Angels supervisor Phil Nevin, Rangers affiliate supervisor Will Venable, and Cardinals bench coach Daniel Descalso are identified to be on Chicago’s listing of candidates. Whereas the Sox nonetheless wish to speak to some coaches on groups at the moment taking part in within the postseason, some preliminary culling has already began to happen, as Fegan writes that the White Sox have already eradicated some candidates from consideration. A supply tells Fegan that former Marlins supervisor Skip Schumaker is “nonetheless alive” within the search, which is not any shock provided that Schumaker has lengthy been seen as a most well-liked selection for the job.
