Ozzie thinks Pedro Grifol can win AL Manager Of The Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Optimism is high for the Chicago White Sox heading into the 2023 MLB season.
The roster is healthy, mostly. Players performed well in the World Baseball Classic, and could reach their potential this season.
And the White Sox have a new manager in Pedro Grifol.
"I think Pedro Grifol wins Manager Of The Year," former Sox manager and NBC Sports Chicago analyst Ozzie Guillén said on the White Sox Talk Podcast.
It was Guillén's bold prediction for the season. And presumably if Grifol is winning a Manager of the Year award, the season went pretty well for the White Sox.
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Winning managers tend to win that award.
"I think this guy prepares better than anybody in baseball. Anybody," Guillén explained. "Including one of the best manager to prepare for the game, to me he's the best manager, Buck Showalter. I don't think anybody prepared themself better than Showalter. No one.
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"This man is on another level. I think Grifol saw the up and down of this ballclub from across the field. He saw what they need, what they need to get done."
Before taking the job with the White Sox, Grifol spent a decade with the Kansas City Royals in the White Sox' division. Ozzie is referring to Grifol's front row seat to White Sox games as the Royals' bench coach.
Before the 2023 season, teams played division opponents 19 times a season.
Now, if Grifol wins the award, Guillén has some thoughts on the award ceremony too.
"I want to present the trophy," Guillén said. "Ozzie Guillén presents the trophy to Pedro Grifol as the Manager of the Year."
Chuck Garfien mentioned that Grifol has a huge photo of Guillén at the 2005 World Series parade behind him in the manager's office in Arizona.
And to run the team successfully, Guillén wants to the organization to let Grifol cook.
"The White Sox organization, whoever it was, whatever it is, let this man conduct the White Sox the way it should be. Not this ballclub, the organization. They've got to change. Because I think he's a baseball guy."
