Coaching staff completed

[ChiTownTrojan]

https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/...699056641?s=20

Main takeaways:

• Menechino will stay on as hitting coach
• McEwing and Boston will be sticking around as 3B and 1B coaches, respectively
• They've added a new position for "Analytics Coordinator", which is going to Shelley Duncan (yes, son of Dave - cue the nepotism rants)

[Dumpjerry]

Analytics Coordinator is another term for "Trevor Brauer recruiter."

I was told by the LaRussa Hate Club that TLR is old school and hate analytics and will scare off any free agents under the age of 55 years old.

[Chez]

Glad Joe McEwing is sticking around. Daryl Boston played for TLR when he was the Sox "can't miss" prospect. Also, Curt Hasler named as assistant pitching coach and Howie Clark named as assistant hitting coach.

[FourGoldGloves]

Glad Joe McEwing is sticking around.

I hope he is the manager in 2022. Does his being 3rd base coach rather than bench coach make that more or less likely? Dunno.

[berwyn]

I hope he is the manager in 2022. Does his being 3rd base coach rather than bench coach make that more or less likely? Dunno.

Might be manager in 2021 if the team starts badly and Tony gets cold feet. Could happen.

[Chez]

Might be manager in 2021 if the team starts badly and Tony gets cold feet. Could happen.

I'll bet you a lemon cookie that it doesn't.

[Mohoney]

I, for one, will not miss Nick Capra at all.

[thomas35forever]

Frank Menechino: "It's World Series or bust."

[TDog]

Analytics Coordinator is another term for "Trevor Brauer recruiter."

I was told by the LaRussa Hate Club that TLR is old school and hate analytics and will scare off any free agents under the age of 55 years old.

Tony La Russa was the first manager to adopt analytics seriously in the dugout, so I have no idea what these people are talking about, unless some are upset that he doesn't rely exclusively on analytics, weighing what they tell him and what he knows. That's true for any solid successful manager. There is more information than there used to be. Some managers have put the burden to sort through it on their bench coaches, the role of which varies widely among the managers who hire them. If you're going to factor analytics into your decisions, consider them for what they're worth based on your judgment, it's not such as bad idea to have a coordinator.

As for this leading to the reflexive La Russa bashing here, someone who grew up around baseball before playing major league baseball, the son of a former White Sox coach and someone whose abilities La Russa knows, is probably a good choice. Managers generally hire former players and coaches they know, and who they know they can work with. That tends to be the case with most managers.

Finally, the third-base coach has more to do with the outcome of games than the bench coach. He has to see relay signs to the offensive players on the field and has to react to the quickly developing game in front of him and make decisions. It isn't a small role. It isn't uncommon for a bench coach to move to coaching third base. The most recent example I can think of was Ron Wotas who did that for the Giants after the 2017 season after serving as bench coach for, I believe, the entire 21st century up to that point. It's common to see minor league managers coaching third base. When I was younger, I was told that 1959 Chicago White Sox third-base coach Tony Cuccinello cost the team the World Series. But I don't know nearly enough to argue that point. Regardless of his level of responsibility, I don't believe an analytics coach could have helped him.