Renteria the 'right guy' to manage White Sox

At some point last year, the White Sox extended manager Rick Renteria's contract.

"It wasn't announced," Rick Hahn told reporters at the general manager's meetings in November. "We never even announced the mention of a three-year deal at the start. Eventually, you are retained because we feel you're the right guy or ownership feels the front office are the right people to win, or they make a change."

Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is obviously satisfied with Hahn, who has been with the organization since 2000. The same goes for vice president Kenny Williams, now in his 38th season with the club.

As for Renteria - who is 129-195 in his first two seasons in the White Sox's dugout - he also fits the right guy profile.

"I will say Ricky has created a culture of accountability in that clubhouse, and one that we think is important," Hahn said. "It's going to continue going forward. Ricky and the coaches have done a tremendous job over the last two years and we're going to see some of the results here in the wins and loss column over the coming months, and certainly over the coming years."

Managers are typically retained, or let go, based on wins and losses. Considering the lack of talent he's had the last two years, the 57-year-old Renteria is being judged on other factors.

The Sox like Renteria's positive outlook and his teaching skills. They don't flinch when Renteria benches a player for failing to run hard to first base. Last season, Avisail Garcia, Welington Castillo, Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson were pulled from games for failing to hustle.

"You've got to be able to do it throughout the system," Renteria said. "Our guys are vigilant in trying to get our men in the minor leagues to understand, 'Hey, at the major-league level, if you guys don't do this you're going to get taken out.'"

While he does manage with some fire, Renteria prefers keeping a low profile away from the field. He never breathed a word about getting the contract extension but appreciates the White Sox's vote of confidence.

"I'm very happy," Renteria said. "I want to be here through the completion of the task. I worry about doing my job, I don't necessarily worry about my job. I think that at the end of the day everybody here knows, the whole baseball world knows that it's ultimately about winning. So you're going to have a particular time in which you're developing players and getting them to become those players that can win."

While he is still a relatively inexperienced manager, Renteria leans heavily on a veteran coaching staff that includes Don Cooper, Joe McEwing, Todd Steverson and Daryl Boston.

Cooper is entering his 17th season as the Sox's pitching coach.

"It's always been fun to be part of a guy's first day in the big leagues, first win in the big leagues, first start in a White Sox uniform," Cooper said. "When you get a front-row seat to watch people realize their dreams, that is a perk of the job."