For the Venables, baseball is the family business
Scott Merkin
@scottmerkinCHICAGO -- There was outfielder Will Venable, sitting in the dugout during one of his first Minor League seasons as part of the Padres system in Fort Wayne, Ind., biting on a towel out of frustration amid a funk at the plate.
His hitting coach took on the task of setting Will straight. After all, a hitting coach is part psychologist while also working on the mechanics tied to each plate appearance. So, what exactly were this hitting coach’s words of advice?
“I looked at him, and I go, ‘Wait until I tell your mom,’” said Max Venable with a laugh in recounting the story during a Thursday conversation with MLB.com. “Everything had to be perfect with him. I go, ‘William, you have to quit trying to be perfect. It’s just not going to happen.’ That’s just how he was as a kid.”
Using Mom as a push for improvement had a little more impact, with Max not only Will’s coach but also his father. That humorous instance took place 18 years ago, but Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field was all about celebrating Will’s ascension to the 44th manager in White Sox history.
Will’s mom, Molly, was there, as were his wife, Kathryn, and their three daughters. Of course, Max was there as the proud father … and former hitting coach to Will in both Fort Wayne and Portland.
“Oh, God. I’m super excited,” Max said. “I might even get tears in my eyes. It’s a big deal. I mean, as an ex-player … that’s pretty heavy duty.”
“[My father] was just always trying to look out for me, and he understood for me how challenging the game was,” Will told MLB.com on Thursday evening. “I can only imagine trying to help your son through the grind and the ups and downs and the adversity baseball will throw at you.”
Max played 12 Major League seasons for the Giants, Angels, Reds and Expos, finishing with 18 career home runs and 64 stolen bases over 727 games. He also managed two Minor League seasons and coached for nine.
Prior to being hired by the White Sox, Will served as Texas skipper Bruce Bochy’s associate manager. He was Boston’s bench coach under Alex Cora and the Cubs’ third- and first-base coach for Joe Maddon. As a player, he knocked out 81 homers and produced 135 stolen bases in nine seasons covering 967 games with the Padres, Rangers and Dodgers.
So who was the better player, father or son? Will pointed out the larger homer total on his ledger, but quickly added that his dad played longer and had more service time.
“I know I had more power,” Will said with a laugh. “He was a better defender and a better baserunner than me. I’ll take the power at the plate. Outside of that, he had me.”
This father-son bond generated important knowledge for Will, coming as much from Max’s “dad” job as his hitting coach job.
“More than anything, it’s how to treat people,” Will said. “I’ve seen him in a clubhouse and out in life. His ability to connect with people and be kind to people and, at the same time, speak up for the things that he believes in and what he believes is right, that’s something I feel like I’ve taken with me from him that I value as well.”
The Venable family is familiar with Chicago from Max and Will’s playing days, not to mention Will’s time as a Cubs coach and his brother Winston's 2011 season with the NFL’s Bears. One of Max’s roles now is as Will’s happy and staunch supporter, although he always has the special moments of coaching his son.
“Yeah, it was amazing. He was always one of those fathers that was just really supportive,” Will said. “He treated me just like everybody else. I also did get the dinners here and there where I got some different level of advice from my dad, and he definitely was able to help me beyond just what we were working on in the cage.”
“It’s the best feeling in the world to know your son is going to be a manager of a Major League team,” Max said. “It’s pretty incredible. It’s just phenomenal. I’m so excited for William. The whole family is very excited.”