Vizquel bringing 'energy, insight' to Minors

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When Omar Vizquel was with Seattle in 1988, beginning a 24-year playing career featuring 2,877 hits and 11 Gold Gloves at shortstop, Rick Renteria was one of his teammates.

“He was a kid,” said a smiling Renteria. “I was already more than halfway out.”

According to Vizquel, not much is different between Renteria, the concerned player, and Renteria, in his third year managing the White Sox rebuild.

“He was a communicator. He was always advising me about taking the right paths, how to play the game the right way,” said Vizquel in a media chat Thursday at Camelback Ranch. “I look at him now and listening to his meetings and everything he has to say to the players, it looked like the father role model who helped me out to come in the league and take me under his wing for that process.

“Obviously he’s more advanced now, he’s got a lot more information than when I came in. But you can tell he’s that kind of guy who wants you to do good all the time.”

Vizquel managed Class A Winston-Salem to an 84-54 record in the 2018 Carolina League. He worked with a myriad of top prospects, ranging from Nick Madrigal to Luis Basabe to Dylan Cease to Luis Robert, and figures to see many of them in 2019 as the Double-A Birmingham manager.

As these players work their way to the Majors, Vizquel hopes to do the same someday as a manager.

“This is the way you do it,” Vizquel said. “One of the reasons that I was in Detroit, it helped me out a lot being around great people that know about the game. Now trying to apply all those things and everything you learned in your career to a managerial job is great. There's still a lot more to learn and there is a lot more information coming out.”

“He has brought a lot of energy and insight to the development of our players in the Minor Leagues,” Renteria said. “We are continuing to look forward to seeing him do that. I’m happy to have him around.”

Playing the field

Yoan Moncada played third base in Cuba and did the same for five games with Boston in 2016. So, this transition across the diamond won’t be foreign to him.

Nonetheless, Moncada is putting in daily extra work with bench coach Joe McEwing, who also works with the infielders, to make for a smoother adjustment.

“I’ve been working just to get in a better position with my feet,” said Moncada through interpreter Billy Russo. “It’s different because when you are playing second base, you throw with a different angle. Now playing third base it’s a different angle. I’ve been working on all those little things, but I’ve been feeling good.”

Jose Rondon, a solid-hitting utility infielder who is out of options, also has been getting work in the outfield. His only previous experience was during winter ball in Venezuela.

“I don’t have to make too many adjustments,” said Rondon through Russo. “It’s just a different position with different responsibilities.”

Weathering the storm

Thursday’s inclement weather, including a hail storm around lunch, caused the White Sox to do their work indoors and even move up their work schedule on what also was photo day. Renteria said just about everyone who needed to throw was able to do so and is happy with the work turned in by his team leading into Saturday’s split-squad Cactus League openers.

“I’m actually really happy the way these guys are going about their business,” Renteria said. “It doesn’t make it seem like it’s kind of just crazy work or dead work.

“These guys are doing a nice job, and so it’s nice watching them execute and doing the things they need to do to get themselves better. Today, even in spite of the rain and some of the coolness and everything they had to deal with, they were out there doing their job and it was nice to see.”

They said it

“I don’t want to talk too much about him because you get excited about it and you want to jump the gun on everything going on as we move forward. Very polished young man. He’s got a tremendously bright future ahead of him. I imagine at some point he’s going to be a very impactful big league pitcher.” -- Renteria on right-hander Dylan Cease, the No. 21 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline