August 31st 2023.
Chris Getz has come full circle in terms of his career with the Chicago White Sox. After being drafted by the Sox and beginning his big-league career with them, Getz is now the team's senior vice president and general manager--tasked with getting the team headed in the right direction.
At his introductory news conference, Getz said, "This is an opportunity I do not take lightly, and there's a lot of work to do. I am not naĩve to the expectation that things need to change. To that I will say the fans deserve different, I am different, we will be different." It's a promotion for Getz, who has been with the organization for seven years and was the assistant general manager for three.
Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said, "One of the things I owe the fans is to get better as fast as we can possibly get better. Speed is of the essence. I don't want this to be a long-term proposition." He went on to explain why he went with Getz, rather than an outside candidate. "If you bring in somebody from the outside, it's going to take him a year. I could bring Branch Rickey in, if he was available, and he'd have to evaluate everybody. So you lose a year. And here I had somebody inside who was very, very competitive. So I came to the conclusion that if I've got a guy inside who can do the job, why not? Why not do it inside and save a year?"
Getz, 40, was hired in October 2016 and had been director of player development and baseball operations assistant in player development with the Kansas City Royals before that. His promotion to general manager came after the Sox fired executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn on Aug. 22.
Getz was a second baseman for the Sox, Royals, and Toronto Blue Jays, hitting .250 with 176 runs and 89 stolen bases in 459 games. Now, after consecutive playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021, he's taking over a team that fell well short of its goals during a once-promising rebuild. Reinsdorf said the 2023 season was “absolutely the worst season I've ever been through. It was a nightmare. It's still a nightmare.”
The Sox currently are 53-81, and Reinsdorf does not anticipate a rebuild in 2024. Getz said manager Pedro Grifol will be back next season and emphasized the importance of providing stability to the players.
Getz knows there are gaps to fill if the Sox are to show improvement, and he's ready to get to work. He said, "With my understanding of the ins and outs of this organization, I plan on empowering the talent that already exists, quickly fill the gaps with outside hires and bring innovation, creativity and energy in our pursuit of excellence.”
Finally, Getz said, "I am excited about the change that has already begun and will continue. I am eager to more thoroughly assess our departments and foundation and I am ready to officially begin this next chapter."
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