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Chicago White Sox Slide Puts Robin Ventura’s Job In Danger

By Ernest Shepard
Published on: 22:14 PST, May 29, 2016

Going 10-17 is not how the Chicago White Sox envisioned their month of May going. After a hot start that had the White Sox rise as high No. 2 in the ESPN Week 6 Power Rankings. At the time of the release of the rankings the White Sox were 24-14. They have gone a woeful 3-11 since then. The slide has many around Major League Baseball wondering if it is time to end White Sox manager Robin Ventura’s run with the team.

The highs and lows of MLB is reminiscent of a roller coaster ride. The White Sox know this well. Baseball was buzzing on both sides of Chicago. One team, the Chicago Cubs, were expected to be atop of the standings. The White Sox were the biggest surprise in baseball, but their ride have come to a screeching halt.

Somebody has to take the blame for the White Sox slide.

Is it the White Sox offense? Well, the White Sox were shutout 1-0 by the New York Mets.

Is it the White Sox starting rotation? The White Sox starting pitchers have performed well over the past two weeks. That includes the number four and five starters Matt Latos and Miguel Gonzalez.

Is it the bullpen? The relief pitching, once a strength for the White Sox, is now one of the sore spots of the team.

When it is all said and done the onus is on Robin Ventura. He may not be the reason why the White Sox are scuffling, but he has not provided the solutions to end the skid.

What was supposed to be a four-game series with the Kansas City Royals, became an abbreviated three-game trip this weekend. Rain caused the first game to be postponed and it may have ruined the routine that the White Sox had going. The pitching matchups were pushed back a day, which could have thrown things off. But it is baseball and those things happen. It is on Robin Ventura to make adjustments. Adjusting does not seem to be his specialty.

Look no further than the games on Saturday and Sunday.

Going into the later innings in both games it appeared that the White Sox were well on their way to victory. They held the lead, only for the bullpen to give it up. Robin Ventura gets a failing grade because he stuck with his relievers too long. Saturday’s game was the biggest indictment.

A 7-1 lead going into the ninth inning should be safe. Ventura sent closer David Robertson to the mound in an effort to keep him fresh. Once a couple runs were scored by the Royals, Ventura had to go with someone else. He failed to do so soon enough, and it costed the White Sox the game.

On Sunday, it was Nate Jones’ turn to give up a lead. Jones loaded the bases, then walked in a run before Robin Ventura had a pitcher warming up in the bullpen. The White Sox would eventually lose 5-4 after having a 4-2 lead headed into the bottom of the the eighth inning.

In no way is that winning baseball. As a former player himself, Robin Ventura should know the ebbs and flows of the game. Instead, he seems to be overwhelmed as the White Sox manager.

White Sox relievers gave up 14 runs and 15 hits this weekend against the Royals. That is unthinkable for a team that started the season so well.

It is possible that help is on the way for the White Sox. The edict is to win right now. And the White Sox will do whatever they can in order to deliver a winner to the south side of Chicago.

As was previously reported, the San Diego Union Tribune have confirmed that the White Sox are in talks with the San Diego Padres for pitcher James Shields. Adding Shields would help the White Sox. He is a solid second or third starter on a contender.

James Shields may not be the only solution to the White Sox woes. It does not matter if he pitched at a Cy Young level in the event that the White Sox were to acquire him.

The problem is the manager and the bullpen. The White Sox bullpen failed the team this weekend. White Sox manager Robin Ventura was complicit in there implosion by allowing two relievers to stay in the games too long.

If the demands are for the Chicago White Sox to win right now, how long can they stick with a losing manager?

[Photo by David Banks/Getty Images]

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