Chicago White Sox: Hitting Coach Jeff Manto Has Nowhere to Go but Up

New Chicago White Sox hitting coach Jeff Manto has the task of crafting productive bats on the South Side in 2012. After a slew of under-performing sticks forced out long-time predecessor Greg Walker last fall, the new guy has nowhere to go but up.

How much worse could Adam Dunn be in the DH spot this season?

If Manto can get Dunn anywhere near his previous career average, he's done a bang up job with Big Donkey. If Dunn and Alex Rios bounce back with big years, he'll be seen as a huge success.

If Manto manages to replicate the hot September bat of Brent Morel, he'll be the talk of Chicago.

If he can restore Gordon Beckham's offensive game, order Manto's statue.

In reality, Manto has a tough task in improving an offense that was 11th in the American League in runs scored and who's .252 team average was below the league average. The White Sox also were toward the bottom of the league in home runs and slugging percentage.

Manto will have Alelandro De Aza's bat. Dayan Viciedo won't get cheated out of many swings. Manto is familiar with both players, having worked with them in the minors along with Morel as Chicago's minor league hitting coordinator.

For the most part, Manto has a similar cast as Walker had to work with. Paul Konerko can still be counted on. Building on the heart of the order is a key for any chance of the White Sox competing in 2012.

Manto, a journeyman player who bounced around eight major league teams, spent two seasons as Pittsburgh's hitting coach from 2006-2007. He's a lifetime .230 hitter who never could stick in the bigs. It's the same ironic pedigree as a lot of good hitting coaches.

Manto's mentor is Charlie Manuel, who coached him while in Cleveland.

“He never told us a lot about hitting and he knows a ton about hitting,’’ Manto told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “The goal for him was not to give us all the information; the goal for him was to get us to hit."

"Sometimes when people start talking about where your hips, hands and head should be, they forget about the most important thing, and that’s the hitter. That’s where my approaches come from. It’s a pretty cool concept when you’re dealing with simplicity.’’

How's this for simplicity: get this team to hit and they can compete.