Willie Harris Deserves An Opportunity To Manage, Just Not With The 2023 White Sox
During the 2020 offseason, the name Willie Harris would have been an intriguing pick for the open manager position. He played under great baseball minds, including Jerry Manuel, Ozzie Guillen, Terry Francona, Bobby Cox, and Dusty Baker. He has experience managing in the minor leagues and won a ring as a player with the White Sox. But just two years later, the optics have completely changed.
After flubbing the Tony La Russa hire, the White Sox can ill afford another misfire. Harris now would appear like just another name in the long list of hires due to White Sox nepotism. After interviewing him in 2020, the White Sox have yet to reach out to him for the current opening.
During an interview with Chuck Garfien on the White Sox Talk Podcast, he made it clear that he is still a good fit for the job.
“Those boys got swag,” Harris said. “I got plenty of swag.”
If the White Sox want to make a complete 180 from a 78-year-old with an old-school mentality and embrace their “Change The Game” narrative Willie Harris is the man for the job.
As a member of the 2005 World Series championship team, he will forever be a legend on the South Side of Chicago. Despite his limited playing time during the playoffs, he made the action he saw count. He went 2-for-2 in his only plate appearances, which included a pinch-hit single to lead off the eighth inning of Game 4 of the World Series. He came around to score the only run of the series-clinching game. His four years with the White Sox set him up for his coaching career.
Harris attended a reunion for the 2005 White Sox team in 2015. During a banquet dinner at Ditka’s restaurant, Jerry Reinsdorf called Harris over to his table and asked him what he was up to. Harris said he was at home running a few travel baseball teams but, otherwise, not doing much. Reinsdorf liked the fact that Harris had a ton of energy and believed he had the makings of a great coach, so he offered him a job.
A few months later, he was off to Great Falls, Montana, to begin his coaching journey. After a few years in the White Sox organization, he was hired by the Chicago Cubs to be their third base coach.
He has received rave reviews from Cubs manager David Ross and players. Marcus Stroman even took to Twitter to give him an endorsement for the White Sox job, saying:
“Willie Harris needs that manager job next year. Absolute legend who’s well-respected in the game. Perfect man for the position!”
Willie Harris needs that manager job next year. Absolute legend who’s well-respected in the game. Perfect man for the position! ???????????? https://t.co/zJVTCILCYT
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) October 4, 2022
Harris also made it clear what his approach would be as a manager.
“I will hold them accountable. Let those guys go out and play, you know? And that’s what I’m all about. I’m all about having a good time, having fun, but also understanding and knowing we got to win this ballgame, we are here to win the ballgame.”
Fun is something the 2022 White Sox were lacking. Often times they looked lifeless in the dugout. Harris feels comfortable on the South Side and could be the one to inject some energy into the dugout. The pairing seems like a perfect match. However, we saw what the White Sox did when Miguel Cario took the reins. Cario did a great job bringing enthusiasm to the dugout, and it did not make a difference. While energy is important so is pushing the right buttons during games.
The reality is Harris has no experience managing in the major leagues. One of the qualifications Rick Hahn listed during his press conference is experience. Developing players in Winston-Salem does not prepare you for managing a bullpen during a pennant race.
Harris deserves the opportunity to manage. But the 2023 White Sox is not the right time or place for him to get his first opportunity.