Watch CBS News

Rick Renteria Unveils The 'White Sox Way'

(CBS) With spring training about three weeks away, new manager Rick Renteria has unveiled the "White Sox Way."

"The 'White Sox Way' is everybody comes in and the name on the back of the uniform is going to be secondary to the name on the front of the uniform," Renteria said on the Mully & Hanley Show on 670 The Score on Wednesday morning. "If people truly believe in purpose and the big picture, if you're truly looking for championships, you're self-less. You're not selfish. You're self-less, and you're willing to go ahead and give yourself to this idea that it takes a lot of people to win a championship. You're not just going to win with 25 people on the field. It takes everybody. It takes the front office. It takes everybody from sales, ticket people to the fans to the other kids in the minor leagues who are going to help when something happens, when somebody goes down. You need to buy in.

"That's going to be playing the 'White Sox Way' -- which is just playing the game for each other and playing for the organization."

In his first season in charge of the White Sox, one of Renteria's main responsibilities will be creating a clubhouse culture with more stability than 2016 featured. Last season, the White Sox encountered their first distraction in spring training when Adam LaRoche abruptly retired following a saga in which management asked him to cut down on the time his teenage son spent in the clubhouse. Then ace left-hander Chris Sale -- since traded to the Red Sox this past December -- threw a child-like fit in literally cutting up the team's throwback jerseys before a start in July, as he was uncomfortable wearing them and thought the organization was prioritizing marketing over winning.

After being a bench coach in 2016, Renteria -- who managed the Cubs in 2014 before being fired so the team could hire Joe Maddon -- now carries a much bigger role in the discipline regard.

"It's my lot," Renteria said. "That clubhouse is mine as a manager. But it's ours as a team, so you got to be able to connect with all the people. Again, they're not robots. They're human beings. I think you have to have order. You have to have people who are going to be able to handle their teammates, especially some of the veteran guys who are still here, but in the end, it's my responsibility to make sure that clubhouse stays in order. Otherwise you have chaos."

Renteria also spoke highly of the White Sox's young prospects as the organization has started a rebuild in earnest. The headliner of those is 21-year-old infielder Yoan Moncada, who's expected to start the 2017 season at Triple-A. Renteria reminded that the key for the young players is to fulfill their development at each stage.

"We as an organization have to be steadfast and make sure all the checks and balances are met, that everybody feels very comfortable with where he is in his progress as far as developing as a player," Renteria said. "Obviously, even as a player goes through the minor leagues and they've met certain parameters, once they get to the big leagues there's still another learning curve and adjustment to be made. We want to make sure when they get here, they're able to adapt to it, adjust to it. The one thing we as coaches and staff have to do is make sure we stay positive and allow them to understand we've all lived this."

Listen to Renteria's full interview below.

Rick Renteria on the Mully & Hanley Show

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.