Kevin Long has been an integral part of the Philadelphia Phillies’ turnaround this season. After getting a front-row seat of the World Series from the Phillies dugout, he could soon find himself posting the lineup card in the White Sox dugout.
On October 15th, MLB Network insider Mark Feinsand tweeted that many within the industry expect Long to be a viable candidate for at least one of the five openings. The Royals, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Rangers have already filled their vacancies, making the White Sox the last remaining option.
Joe Espada, who was once considered a favorite for the job, has already been ruled out, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. The only other reported candidates are Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza, Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol and former White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen.
That means Long is in play for the White Sox job. If hired, the 55-year-old would bring an excellent track to Chicago. He had successful stints as the hitting coach with the Yankees, Mets, Nationals, and Phillies. Long has also received rave reviews from players and worked alongside managers Joe Girardi, Terry Collins, and Dave Martinez. He took home a pair of World Series rings with the Yankees in 2009 and the Nationals in 2019.
Long is a former player who was originally drafted in the 31st round of the 1989 MLB Draft. He spent eight seasons in the Kansas City Royals farm system for but was unable to make it past Triple-A. During that time, he batted .273 with 241 RBIs and 14 RBIs. He decided to retire following the 1997 spring training.
Later that year, Long made his professional managerial debut with the organization’s High-A affiliate. In 1999 he was named the Northwest League’s co-Manager of the Year after guiding the Spokane Indians to the league title.
One thing the White Sox lacked in 2022 was power. Their lackluster offensive output played a large role in handicapping their season. The White Sox offense ranked 22nd in home runs, 19th in runs scored, and 18th in slugging percentage and OBP. Meanwhile, the Phillies ranked sixth in home runs, seventh in runs scored, eighth in batting average and OPS, and ninth in OBP.
Adding a seasoned hitting coach that has worked with players like Alex Rodriguez, Juan Soto, and Bryce Harper can only help matters. His postseason experience and extensive resume make him as good a candidate as anyone on the market.
you cant figure out why they shuffeld on managers, i can figure it out.
Jerry Reinsdorf. he always looks for the cheapest way out.
So his background is a hitting instructor. That doesn’t make him a great manager. If Sox hire Long it would be another in a long line of mistakes.
If Sox like him that much, then hire him to replace Menichino.