Chicago White Sox Talk: 5 Great Moments in Robin Ventura's Career

It didn’t take long for the Chicago White Sox to replace the outspoken Ozzie Guillen, naming former third basemen Robin Ventura as the club’s 39^th manager.

Ventura signed a multi-year deal and is looking to get the White Sox back to winning ways.

General manager Kenny Williams raised quite a few eyebrows when he ultimately decided Ventura was the man to lead the Sox. After a surprisingly terrible campaign, fans were expecting to see a “big name” brought in.

The hiring of Ventura shows that the White Sox are looking towards longevity when it comes to their manager, and the 44-year-old former player is seen as a man who can take the reigns for many years.

That being said, White Sox fans will remain dubious because Ventura hasn’t had his share of managerial experience. The verdict is out until the first game of the 2012 MLB Season.

Ventura was a terrific player in his day, and he has had plenty of defining achievements. Here I have compiled a list of five notable moments from his lengthy career.

Induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame

Ventura was dominant during his days at Oklahoma State University, accumulating many awards and accomplishments as a Cowboy.

He led the NCAA in hits, RBIs and total bases in 1986—as a freshman!

Also, his 58-game hit streak is a NCAA Division I record that stands to this day.

Ventura ended his colorful collegiate career as a three-time All-American, a Golden Spikes Award winner and a recipient of the Dick Howser trophy, which is college baseball’s equivalent to the Heisman.

On July 4^th, 2006, Ventura was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame inaugural class. This solidified the notion that he was not only one of the greatest college players during his era, but perhaps the greatest college baseball player ever.

The “Nolan Ryan Incident”

This moment doesn’t need much explanation, because it is one of the more frequent instances fans recognize Robin Ventura for.

The scene is set in 1993 in Arlington, Texas; and after being hit by a pitch from flamethrower Nolan Ryan, the young (and ignorant) Ventura charged the mound in rage.

The legendary Ryan immediately seized Ventura in a headlock and landed six blows to the helpless third baseman’s head. This prompted the ejection of Ventura, and he was criticized by commentators for his actions.

Ventura was booed for the remainder of his career whenever he returned to Arlington, and to this day, the incident is shown before every Rangers home game.

Ryan and Ventura have since made up for the incident.

Go to YouTube and watch the altercation, because it will surely raise a few laughs.

First All-Star Game Appearance

In 1992, Ventura began to breakout and establish himself as an elite third basemen.

His consistency and output did not go unnoticed, as he was awarded a spot on the 1992 All-Star team.

After coming off a year where he set a club record for RBIs by a third basemen, Ventura blossomed in 1992 and started to fill his vast potential.

His first appearance in the Midsummer Classic was a special moment for the young player, and it showed he was ready to take his game to the next level.

6th Gold Glove

Throughout his career, Ventura was able to not only produce on offense, but he also shined with great defensive performances.

Defensively, he was exemplary, and he often led the league in numerous statistical categories. For his subsequent performances with the leather, he was awarded numerous Gold Gloves.

Ventura rarely committed errors and was as sound as can be when it came to playing the hot corner. He is considered one of the best infielders in franchise history.

His sixth Gold Glove is certainly the most impressive because it came during his first year with the New York Mets. The White Sox had just traded Ventura to the Mets due to the fact that the organization thought he was “deteriorating” and wasn’t able to play his position at the same level.

He dispelled every one of those notions, committing only nine errors during his first year at Shea Stadium and winning his first NL Gold Glove, his last.

Grand Slam Exploits of 1999

As a hitter, Ventura could slug it out with the best of them.

Known as a massive run producer, the third baseman was no stranger to clutch hits and timely runs.

And on May 20^th, 1999, he accomplished something no player as ever matched.

During a double-header that day, Ventura hit a grand slam in each game. While Ventura was no stranger to the grand slam (he currently sits fifth all-time with 18), this is an amazing fact that will be very hard for future players to replicate.

Hitting a grand slam requires patience, skill and a little bit of luck. Ventura proved he could knock it out of the park with people on board, but this particular instance will go down as one of his greatest achievements ever.