Former closer Santos rejoins Sox as Double-A skipper
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CHICAGO -- There’s something special about the White Sox for Sergio Santos.
“Without a doubt. Without a doubt,” Santos said Friday via Zoom. “It’s the place that I changed positions. It’s my first year in the big leagues and my first year closing.
“So, I have nothing but the fondest memories of Chicago, the fans. In the back of my mind, there was always a hope I could get back with the White Sox.”
Santos officially has returned, but if the 40-year-old takes the mound, it will be to remove a pitcher from a Double-A Birmingham contest. Santos was named the Barons’ new manager Friday as part of the White Sox announcement of their 2024 player development staff.
This staff will be working under first-year general manager Chris Getz, who served seven years as assistant GM in charge of player development, and first-year director of player development Paul Janish. There are returnees such as Justin Jirschele (Triple-A Charlotte), Guillermo Quiroz (High-A Winston-Salem), Patrick Leyland (Single-A Kannapolis) and Danny González (Arizona Complex League) serving as the organization’s managers.
A number of newcomers also have joined Santos, including Alan Zinter as the hitting coordinator, former Major League infielder and coach Pat Listach as bench coach, and former Tampa Bay Minor League coach R.C. Lichtenstein as pitching coach for the Knights. Matt Zaleski takes over for the full season as the organization’s pitching coordinator, joined by Curt Hasler and Donnie Veal as assistant pitching coordinators.
Darius Day makes his professional coaching debut as the bench coach with Winston-Salem. Day is a graduate of the White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) program and Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, and he appeared in 169 Minor League games after being selected by the Texas Rangers in the 23rd round of the 2014 Draft. His White Sox connection goes back to being part of the first 13U ACE team.
“Being in that culture and being around those guys, that kind of helped drive the passion of the game of baseball for me, and was something I admired for a very long time,” Day said on the Zoom call. “Being a Chicagoan and experiencing that ’05 World Series, and having that passion, that Chicago pride, that South Side pride in the White Sox is something that’s always been a part of me. When they asked me to come back and be a part of the program as a coach, it was a no-brainer for me.”
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“This is going to be his first time coaching at the pro level, which there’s going to be an adjustment to that, I presume, and we’re here to help him out,” Janish said. “But I do know he’s ready to work and he’s excited about being part of this organization in this capacity.”
Moving to the White Sox for Santos followed two years of managing in the Yankees’ system, where his 2023 Hudson Valley squad lost in the South Atlantic League championship. Santos was a popular player with the White Sox from 2009-11 as he made the move from position player at shortstop in the Minors to hard-throwing closer, saving 30 games with Chicago in 2011.
That next career step took Santos into managing after spending a couple of years as a stay-at-home dad and then working for Major League Baseball at the Compton Youth Academy.
“My biggest fear was like, ‘Man, I did this grind for 15, 16 years, and am I really going to want to sit through games again as a manager?’” Santos said. “And within a couple of days, I knew this is exactly what I was built for, if that makes sense.
“The way my career kind of happened from shortstop to converted pitcher, it makes a whole lot of sense as a manager, because I’m able to relate to every single person in that dugout because I’ve been in that position. I love it, I look forward to working with the White Sox and their organization in developing some players.”
And while learning to win is important at any level, the story for Santos will be proper development for his players leading to success.
“My dream for them isn’t to be holding a Southern League title at the end of the year but rather an AL pennant or an AL division title for the White Sox in a year or two,” Santos said. “That’s where it is.”