Grady Sizemore, who patrolled center field at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario for eight seasons as a member of the Cleveland Indians, has been named interim manager of the White Sox after Chicago announced the firing of Pedro Grifol.
A two-time Gold Glove Award winner, Sizemore appeared in three All-Star Games for Cleveland from 2004-11 before injuries forced him to miss more than two seasons. Sizemore returned to Cleveland in 2017 as an advisor to the club’s player development staff, working out of the Arizona training complex
As a player, Sizemore was one of the most electrifying outfielders in Cleveland history during a four-year stretch from 2005-08 that saw him earn MVP votes and a Silver Slugger Award. But he appeared in just 313 games from 2010-15 after bouncing from Cleveland to Boston to Philadelphia and eventually Tampa Bay.
Grifol led Chicago to a 28-89 record that included a historic 21-game losing streak before he was let go on Thursday. Sizemore, 42, takes over for the final 45 games of the campaign, which will include a three-game set Sept. 9-11 against Cleveland at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Sizemore, joined Grifol’s staff in the offseason as a major league outfield and base running coach. It marked his return to a big league dugout for the first time since retiring at the end of the 2015 season with Tampa Bay. The Sox say their search for a full-time manager to replace Grifol will begin immediately. A decision will likely not be made until after the season.
Reports out of Chicago also indicate that bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third base coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar have been fired along with Grifol.
In two seasons, Grifol managed a record of 89-190. Under Grifol, the White Sox were on pace to break the 1962 Mets’ record of 120 losses in a single season.
