CHICAGO -- Jerry Narron has been hired by the White Sox as a Major League instructor, the team announced on Wednesday. The White Sox also promoted James Kruk to head athletic trainer and Brett Walker to director of rehabilitation.

Narron, 65, will serve as the Major League catching coordinator or catching coach, working with new pitching coach Ethan Katz and younger backstops such as Zack Collins, Yermín Mercedes and Seby Zavala as part of manager Tony La Russa’s staff. Narron will also work with established veterans such as starter Yasmani Grandal and non-roster invite Jonathan Lucroy.

“With all the information we’re getting today … They throw a lot at these catchers, what they have to do, how to go about the games,” said Narron during a Wednesday Zoom call. “No matter how many times they see people, you're still getting a lot of information it seems like every series.

“Just to help these guys prepare, I’m really looking forward to that part of it. But I’ve been blessed. I’ve been around a lot of good catchers. Pudge [Ivan Rodriguez], Jason Varitek, David Ross, had Rossy in Cincinnati. [Jonathan] Lucroy had great framing numbers in Milwaukee, did a great job. Martín Maldonado won a Gold Glove, so I’ve been blessed to be around some very good catchers.”

Narron worked as the Red Sox's bench coach during the 2020 season and he has spent 26 seasons on Major League coaching staffs. He managed five seasons with Texas (2001-02) and Cincinnati (2005-07), he served as a bench coach with Baltimore (1993), Boston (2003, ’20), Cincinnati (2004-05), Milwaukee (2011-15) and Arizona (2017-19), and as a third-base coach for eight seasons with Baltimore (1994) and Texas (1995-2001).

As a Major League catcher, Narron played parts of eight seasons with the Yankees (1979), Seattle (1980-81, ’87) and California (1983-86). Narron learned about the position from Yogi Berra and Elston Howard when he signed with the Yankees in ‘74, and Berra learned from Bill Dickey, as Narron pointed out, so he has a catching line back to the '20s. Narron also homered against the White Sox in the last game managed by Don Kessinger on Aug. 1, 1979, before La Russa began his first managerial tenure on the South Side the next day, and Narron had nothing but rave reviews for his new boss.

“I always had a lot of respect for him. You knew going in that if you played the game right, you played it hard, he was going to respect you,” Narron said. “There was a mutual respect for every club I was with as a coach or a manager for Tony.

“It's an honor and it's a great opportunity to play, to manage and coach for him. These guys that are going to have a chance to play for him, it’s a great opportunity to learn from one of the best guys of all time. These guys have a chance to get a lot better by being around Tony and seeing how he's going to run games and run a club.

“Looking at the talent the White Sox have, the year they had a year ago and with Tony coming in, it’s a great opportunity to work with some really good players and an opportunity to win,” Narron said. “That’s why we’re all in the game, is to win. And this ball club has some talent. We think if we do the right things on the field, we’ll have the chance to play into October.”

Kruk, 37, served as an assistant athletic trainer with the White Sox for the past two seasons and enters his 13th season in the organization. He served as head athletic trainer at Triple-A Charlotte (2018), Double-A Birmingham (2016-17), Class A Kannapolis (2014-15) and Advanced Rookie Great Falls (2009-13).

Walker, 40, spent the past two seasons as the Major League physical therapist/assistant athletic trainer for the White Sox. He originally joined the organization for the 2014 season, serving as the Minor League physical therapist. Walker was promoted to the big league staff in '16, serving as the team’s physical therapist.