Texas Rangers assistant manager Will Venable, 40, is a second-generation baseball player. His father, Max Benable (66), was a hitting coach for the SK Wyverns (now the SSG Landers) in the KBO.
He followed in his father’s footsteps. After finishing his playing career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, he joined the Cubs front office in September 2017 and moved to first base coach in 2018.
After three seasons with the Cubs, he was hired as the Boston Red Sox bench coach in November 2020. He also served as interim manager when Alex Cora was out of town. In November 2022, he moved to Texas.
Will Venable is an assistant manager at Texas. Photo (Arlington, USA) = Correspondent Jaeho Kim
“It’s really special, and I feel really fortunate.”
During a media day ahead of the World Series, Benable spoke about following in his father’s footsteps as a coach.
“My dad showed me the way. He showed me how to be successful in this business, and now I’m a big league coach and I’ve made it to the World Series. I owe a lot to my dad for getting me to this point.”토스카지노
Benable had a decent career as a player. He was a starting outfielder for the San Diego Padres from 2010 to 2015. In 2013, he posted a 3.5 bWAR, the second-highest on the team. In nine seasons, he finished with a .249 batting average, .315 on-base percentage, and .414 slugging percentage in 967 games.
When asked about the difference between ‘playing baseball’ and ‘coaching baseball,’ he said, “When I was playing, I just had to do my job. But as a coach, you have to help everyone. You have to take into account what many people need. You have to understand the challenges that each player has, and you have to take responsibility for using your experience to help them get to a better place,” he said, explaining the differences.
Benable is an assistant coach at Texas, assisting Bochy. Photo via AFPBBNews = News1
As he said, they are two very different things. That’s why being a “good player” doesn’t make you a “good coach.
To be a good leader, what did he first learn from his father, who was also a leader?
“Baseball is a really hard sport. It’s important to learn how to deal with failure, how to deal with adversity,” he says, sharing the most valuable message he learned from his father.
“That’s something I didn’t understand when I was younger. But as I learned from him, I understood more and more. Now that I’m older and a coach, I know more about dealing with failure. That’s the most important thing in baseball.”
Benable is a well-regarded coach in the industry, having previously interviewed for managerial positions with the Oakland Athletics and others.
Benable’s father, Max, is a former hitting coach with the SK Wyverns. Photo: MK Sports DB
“I didn’t know him that well, but I knew enough about him to know what a good person he was and what a good baseball player he was,” said Bruce Bochy, who saw Benable as an opposing player and coach when he was manager of San Francisco. When I came to this team, his name was on the radar and I was really excited. I think he’s got what it takes to be a manager. He’s the kind of guy that helps me get things organized. I’m very lucky to work with him,” he said of Coach Benable’s presence.
For Benable, working with Bochy will be a great addition to his coaching career.
“Working with Coach Bochy has impressed me,” Benable said. He has a lot of experience and wisdom. He’s a really good coach who takes care of his players and creates a fun environment.”
On playing his first World Series, he said: “I still can’t believe it. All the steps we’ve taken to get here have been so much fun. I’m still pinching my cheek to see if this is a dream or reality. There were times when it was hard and there were times when I took a step backwards, but now I’m just focused on beating my opponents,” he said, adding his thoughts on reaching his dream stage.