Another Day...Another Theatrical Endeavor

In the past week, we've seen Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly as Mother Ginger in a community theater performance of "The Nutcracker" and the Washington Nationals taking the stage with The Washington Ballet.
Now...comes this:

It's a theatrical "grand slam!" Chicago White Sox Manager Robin Ventura and nine-year-old Emily Beazley of the Make-A-Wish Foundation make a one-night-only special appearance in A Christmas Carol on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:30pm. Ventura and Beazley don costumes tailored especially for them and make their Goodman Theatre debut in select scenes of the 34th annual production of Chicago's favorite holiday tradition.

Ventura probably won't be "donning" a dress (see what I did there?), but, did I miss the call to action pleading for the baseball community to take part in theatrical endeavors?

If so...I'm hoping pitcher-turned-author John Rocker gets asked to do "Rent" or someone solicits Alex Rodriguez to play the lead centaur in "Equus".

And, yes, that's the second "Equus" reference in a week...for the one of you who is counting.

White Sox Name New Manager

In a move that appears to have come out of leftfield (or, in this case, thirdbase), the Chicago White Sox have named their new manager.

Robin Ventura.

Not Dave Martinez.  Not Sandy Alomar.  Not even Terry Francona or Tony LaRussa.

Robin Ventura.

According to ESPN Chicago, Ventura agreed to a multi-year deal with the club after working the past season as a special advisor to director of player development Buddy Bell.

"I am excited to begin my career as a manager surrounded by former teammates, staff, media and White Sox fans I know very well," the 44-year-old former Sox told reporters. "I already am looking forward to talking to our players, to this offseason and to getting things underway at spring training next February."

"When I met with the media as our season ended, I identified one person at the very top of my managerial list," general manager Ken Williams said in a statement. "I wanted someone who met very specific criteria centered around his leadership abilities. Robin Ventura was that man. His baseball knowledge and expertise, his professionalism, his familiarity with the White Sox and Chicago and his outstanding character make him absolutely the right person to lead our clubhouse and this organization into the seasons ahead."

In ten seasons on the south side, Ventura hit .274 and took home five Gold Gloves.  He ranks sixth all-time in home runs for the White Sox.

Hall of Fame 2010: Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile

From now until the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2010 is announced, The Hall is going to be breaking down each candidate. Some write ups will be lengthy...some will be the opposite. Some will be brand new pieces...some will be re-hashes of previous pieces.

If you had told me that Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile had been out of the league for five years, I probably would have called you a liar.

That being said, here they are, together…rounding out nearly a month’s worth of Hall of Fame breakdown pieces.

When Ventura made the jump to the bigs back in the fall of 1989, he appeared to have everything going for him. He was the holder of college baseball’s all-time hit streak (58 games), made it to the College World Series and was a Golden Spikes Award Winner.

The next season, the White Sox cleared out the left side of the infield so the future six-time Gold Glove winner could claim his spot among the leagues best fielders.

All in all, Ventura played under the hot lights in the nation’s three biggest markets…Chicago, New York and Los Angeles and compiled 1885 hits, a .267 and just under 300 home runs.

Todd Zeile also spent time in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles…and it is coincidental (or is it?), that Ventura is atop the comparisons list (thanks Baseball Reference) during the time they both played.

Teammates on the 2003 Yankees, their stats at the plate are remarkably similar, but they couldn’t be more different in the field. While Ventura brought home the Rawlings gold…Zeile led all Major Leaguers in errors during the 90s.

Some other fun facts about Zeile (if you can believe Wikipedia)... Zeile is the only player to have have hit a home run for over 10 teams.

He is also one of 41 players ever to hit a home run in his final at-bat. Others on that list…2010 Hall of Fame ballotmate Ray Lankford and Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Mickey Cochrane.

Zeile's final home run also made him the last person ever to hit a homer off a Montreal Expos pitcher.

I can’t say that Ventura or Zeile have much of a chance on this year’s ballot…but they were fun to watch.

Lastly, be sure to join in tonight at 9pm CST for a LIVE discussion of this year’s Hall of Fame. Let me know…did you agree with any of my takes?

Did you disagree?

Let your voice be heard…well, let it be typed out and re-posted for all to see at least.