Excuse White Sox manager Rick Renteria if he seems just a tad subdued.
Maybe we’re seeing or reading more into what’s been seen on Zoom and heard on the radio from the White Sox manager in these days leading up to this odd summer camp that’s about to begin.
Sure, Renteria is ready to roll after a three-month absence from managing due to the coronavirus. Yes, he’s all in on whipping his team into shape for a 60-game season. And, absolutely, he is riding the crest of where the Sox are in their rebuild, on the precipice of stepping forward from playing meaningless games in the context of AL Central standings to games that matter. The Sox should have enough talent and pitching depth to win in 2020 — finally.
But this could be treacherous territory baseball is stepping into here, with unknowns about risks of a national pandemic presenting hazards not seen and who-knows-what dangers to Renteria’s players and staff.
Renteria is a caring a man, and those close to him know he’s more than a little concerned about the health of his coaching staff, probably more than he’s letting on. Pitching coach Don Cooper is 64, assistant pitching coach Curt Hasler is 55, third base coach Nick Capra is 62, first base coach Daryl Boston is 57. Bench coach Joe McEwing is the youngest coach at 47. Renteria is 58.
On Wednesday, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, 38, revealed he had the coronavirus. On Monday, the Twins said 68-year-old bullpen coach Bob McClure and 66-year-old major league coach Bill Evers wouldn’t be working games due to coronavirus fears.
Renteria knows the drill: Proceed with caution and common sense.
“All of the parameters that are necessary for us to try to mitigate the chances of infection are going to be in play, so we all have to be very careful with how we’ll proceed,” he said last week. “It’ll be different, not just for me, for everybody. And we’ll do the best we can.”
The virus is nothing to toy with, especially for the elderly, who have been affected more than any other age group, leading to greater concerns about their health and safety. Renteria was asked about concerns he might have for his fellow coaches last week.
“I look at it this way, and it’s as simple as I can put it: I consider our existence here to serve each other,” he said. “So if I do my best to make sure that I don’t put somebody else in peril, I’m going to do that. If that means I’ve got to wear my mask, I’ve got to keep my distance — everything we’re trying to do and everything that’s been put forth, all the protocols, is to obviously mitigate infection and to try to avoid [infection]. And so I think we’re all going to do our best to make sure we don’t put anybody in any more of a difficult situation than need be.
“It’d be foolish for me or anybody to say that someone won’t become ill. We hope that that doesn’t happen. But we’re going to do everything we can and do what we have to in order to minimize the potential for that occurring.”
Renteria’s biggest challenge might be encouraging players without bodily contact. He’s a hugger and pat-on-the-back guy. Placing a fatherly hand on the side of a player’s face or neck, which he has been known to do, will be off limits.
So he knows he’ll have to control emotions. So will his players.
“Look at it from a perspective of being aware of why we are doing it, and, truthfully, keeping your fellow man out of harm’s way as best you possibly can,” he said. “That’s something we’re going to have to try to do. It’s respect for somebody else’s space and trying to do what we can to make sure we can stay on the field for as long as possible.”
