Column: Jerry Reinsdorf’s ‘search’ for a new GM sends a message to Chicago White Sox fans — the status quo is OK

Nine days following the firing of general manager Rick Hahn and executive vice president Ken Williams, Jerry Reinsdorf’s hunt for a new head of the Chicago White Sox baseball department came to a conclusion.

That is, if you think about actually searching through the staff directory before choosing Chris Getz to be the next general manager.

The Sox chairman demonstrated authority and told supporters that the existing quo is OK by elevating Getz to senior vice president and general manager.

During his initial press conference on Thursday, Getz stated that he could see why Sox supporters were dubious about the hire. He was viewed by many as contributing to the underperformance of the agricultural sector. Prior to Getz’s debut, Reinsdorf told reporters that he could relate to the supporters’ emotions following this season’s disaster.

“I would be furious if I were a fan,” Reinsdorf remarked. “I would be furious. However, this is also the first year that has been incredibly poor. We were.500 the previous year, but we won the division in 2021. Nobody wants to be that.500, but it’s still mediocre. This is the first significant catastrophe.

After 2021, Reinsdorf refused to admit that his friend was a factor in the team’s decline, claiming he was “so sick and tired of reading that bringing Tony La Russa back was a mistake.” The first major failure was recruiting La Russa to take over a team that was on the rise.

Reinsdorf has taken the Sox’s future into his own hands, as evidenced by Getz’s promotion and the 2020 hire of La Russa as manager. Hiring a former player like Getz is a return to the past, as many organisations now rely on analytically minded executives with credentials in business or economics to oversee their baseball operations department.

Early on in his ownership, Reinsdorf had general managers from the Oakland Athletics scouting department (Ron Schueler) and the broadcast booth (Ken Harrelson). From Williams to Hahn to Getz, he has stayed in the company since promoting Williams to succeed Schueler 23 years ago.