Robin Ventura (born July 14, 1967) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager….who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was also the manager for the White Sox for five seasons.
The White Sox selected Ventura with the tenth overall pick in the 1988 amateur draft from Oklahoma State University (OSU)….after which he became a six-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner….two-time MLB All-Star selection….and a National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.
While playing college baseball for the Cowboys at OSU….Ventura was a three-time All-American who set a Division I record 58-game hitting streak. In 1988, he won the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award….and played for the gold medal-winning Olympic baseball team.
In his MLB career, he hit 18 grand slams…which still ranks fifth all-time. In Game 5 of the 1999 National League Championship Series….Ventura hit the “Grand Slam Single” that won the game but did not actually become a home run because he was unable to complete the circuit around the base paths. Later in his playing career, cartilage and arthritis issues in his ankle….injured in this video herewith during his 58 game hitting streak….which hampered his abilities in the field as he got older…..when after the 2011 season, the White Sox hired him to be their manager….which made him the 17th former White Sox player to manage the club.
As seen in the picture attached to this post, the only real bad decision of Robin Ventura’ career…..was to charge the mound after “Big Tex” Nolan Ryan threw him a “bow tie” pitch…..cuz as you can see….the cowboy from Texas wrangled Ventura around the neck like he was “bull dogging” him….just prior to putting some “pretty good licks” on Ventura.
