Former All-Star Grady Sizemore to Take Over as Chicago White Sox Interim Manager

Longtime Cleveland outfielder Grady Sizemore has been selected as interim manager for the Chicago White Sox, who fired Pedro Grifol earlier Thursday morning.

Feb 21, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago White Sox coach Grady Sizemore poses for a photo during Media Day at Camelback Ranch. / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Grady Sizemore will serve as the interim manager of the Chicago White Sox for the remainder of the 2024 season, the team announced Thursday.

The White Sox originally hired Sizemore to be their outfield and baserunning coach last November. With manager Pedro Grifol getting fired earlier Thursday, though, Sizemore immediately shot up the totem pole.

Sizemore, 42, was one of the faces of the then-Cleveland Indians in the 2000s. Once his playing days were over, he became a special advisor to Cleveland's player development department, then a coach for the Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks.

Bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third base coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar were all relieved of their duties alongside Grifol, as Chicago sits dead last in all of MLB at 28-89. Doug Sisson will be Sizemore's bench coach, Justin Jirschele will take over as third base coach and Mike Gellinger will serve as the next assistant hitting coach.

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— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 8, 2024

Sizemore played 10 seasons in MLB, eight of which were with Cleveland. Injuries ultimately cut his time in Cleveland short, and after he missed the entire 2012 and 2013 seasons, he bounced around between the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays to round out his career.

But upon his initial arrival to the big leagues, Sizemore was once one of the sport's brightest young stars.

Sizemore made his MLB in 2004, and he followed that up with a streak of four consecutive seasons garnering AL MVP votes. He appeared in 639 of Cleveland's 648 contests during that span, also earning three All-Star appearances, two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger.

From 2005 to 2008, Sizemore averaged 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 29 stolen bases, 180 hits and a 6.2 WAR per year while batting .281 with an .868 OPS.

The White Sox have been out of playoff contention since April, so Sizemore taking over won't change their fate in that regard. They could, however, avoid posting the worst record in the live ball era, which would require a 13-32 finish to the year or better.

Given that Chicago's record-breaking, 21-game losing streak is in the rear-view mirror, perhaps Sizemore will be able to rally the troops and get them to the finish line without further embarrassment.

As for the White Sox's eventual full-time successor, Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker remains one of the most talked-about candidates. New York Mets bench coach John Gibbons and Detroit Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter are also potential options, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

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