Bench coach Mark Parent has been fired by the White Sox.
On Friday, general manager Rick Hahn said that Parent, who has held the position since 2012, was dismissed after Thursday night’s loss.
Despite high expectations, the White Sox have missed the postseason in nine of the last 10 seasons and are guaranteed of a third straight sub-.500 finish. Hahn said the White Sox seek a veteran bench coach -- perhaps a Spanish speaker -- to replace Parent, an original member of Ventura’s staff.
[MORE: Ventura to remain with White Sox in 2016]
“Mark is a good baseball man and it is unfortunate how we have played out on the field is having these repercussions for him personally,” Hahn said. “But we did get to the point where we think it is important to add a different voice to our coaching staff.
“There’s a few areas where we need to get stronger and I feel that was missing in certain areas from our coaching staff. Someone who can help from certain in-game tactical decisions in a different way and has strengths in some different areas. Again, Mark is a tremendous baseball man. It just wasn’t the right fit going forward for our coaching staff.”
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Parent, 54, managed two seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies organization (2010-11) before joining the White Sox in manager Robin Ventura’s first season. A catcher of 13 seasons from 1986-98, Parent also managed at Single-A Lancaster for the Seattle Mariners in 2000 and was named the California League’s manager of the year.
Parent is the second coach of Ventura’s to be dismissed in four seasons. Hitting coach Jeff Manto was fired at the conclusion of the 2013 season.
Hahn said White Sox manager Robin Ventura was involved in the discussion and fought for Parent’s job. Ventura decided to deliver the news to Parent in person rather than phone him after the season concludes on Sunday.
“I felt it best to do it face to face,” Ventura said. “Once I found out that’s the way it was going to go that I would do it face to face instead.
“I didn’t feel (a phone call) was fair to him and that’s not what you do.”