Will Venable facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Will Venable |
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Venable with the San Diego Padres in 2008
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| Chicago White Sox – No. 1 | |||
| Outfielder / Manager | |||
| Born: October 29, 1982 Greenbrae, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 29, 2008, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 6, 2016, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .249 | ||
| Home runs | 81 | ||
| Runs batted in | 307 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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William Dion Venable (born October 29, 1982) is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He is now the manager for the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before becoming a coach and manager, he played as an outfielder for teams like the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Los Angeles Dodgers. His father, Max Venable, was also an MLB outfielder, and his brother, Winston Venable, played in the National Football League.
Will Venable was a talented athlete who played college basketball for Princeton University. He was one of only two athletes in the Ivy League to be named first-team All-Ivy in both baseball and basketball. The Padres picked him in the 2005 MLB Draft, and he started playing in the major leagues in 2008. He was known for hitting many triples (a hit where a player reaches third base) and stolen bases. He holds the record for the most MLB career hits and home runs by any Princeton graduate.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Will Venable was born in 1982 in Greenbrae, California, close to where his father, Max, played for the San Francisco Giants. Growing up, Will traveled a lot with his father and even lived in Japan and the Dominican Republic.
High School Sports
In high school, Will thought he would become a professional basketball player. His mother encouraged him to keep playing baseball too. He was a top basketball player for San Rafael High School. He was named the most valuable player in basketball for his league three times. As a sophomore, he helped his team win the league championship.
College Career at Princeton
Venable chose to go to Princeton University because of its strong basketball program. He wanted to play in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Tournament. He didn't play baseball in his first year. However, his father had introduced him to Princeton's baseball coach, Scott Bradley.
Will Venable became the second athlete in Ivy League history to be a first-team All-Ivy player in both basketball and baseball. He played in postseason tournaments for both sports. He graduated in 2005 with a degree in anthropology.
After his sophomore year, Will decided to play baseball again, following his mother's advice. He played well and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2004. But he chose to return to Princeton for his senior year. In his final college season, he led the league in home runs and had a great batting average. The Padres then drafted him in the seventh round.
Professional Baseball Career
Minor League Baseball Journey
Will Venable started his professional career in 2005 with the Arizona League Padres. He quickly moved up to higher minor league teams.
In 2006, he was named the Padres Minor League Player of the Year. His father was even his hitting coach for a team called the Fort Wayne Wizards. Will had a great season, hitting for a .314 batting average and stealing many bases. He also hit two grand slams. Later that year, he won the batting title in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league and was named its Most Valuable Player.
In 2007, he played for the San Antonio Missions. He even hit for the cycle in one game, meaning he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game! By 2008, he was playing for the Portland Beavers and doing very well.
Playing for the San Diego Padres
Early Years (2008–2011)
Venable made his Major League Baseball debut on August 29, 2008, with the San Diego Padres. He hit a triple in his very first at-bat! He was the first African-American player from Princeton to play in the MLB. He hit his first MLB home run on September 4.
In 2009, he started the season in the minor leagues but was called back up to the Padres in June. He began playing mostly in right field. He hit 12 home runs that year.
In 2010, Venable was among the top players in the National League for triples and stolen bases. He almost hit for the cycle again on May 19. He also made some amazing catches, robbing two potential home runs in one game. He set new personal bests with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs.
The 2011 season started slowly for him, and he was sent back to the minor leagues for a short time. But he came back strong. On August 21, he hit a leadoff home run and then a game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning. He also hit his first career grand slam.
Later Years (2012–2015)
In 2012, Venable often shared playing time in right field with another player, Chris Denorfia. He played in a career-high 148 games that year. He continued to hit many triples, finishing ninth in the league.
The 2013 season was a big one for Will Venable. He was expected to share playing time again, but injuries to other players gave him more opportunities. He became the Padres' Most Valuable Player for the season. He was only the eighth player in Padres history to hit at least 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single season. He set new career highs with 22 home runs and a .268 batting average. He also signed a two-year contract extension with the Padres.
In 2014, his performance dropped a bit. Then, in 2015, the Padres added several new outfielders, which meant Venable played more of a reserve role.
Short Stays with Other Teams
On August 18, 2015, the Padres traded Venable to the Texas Rangers. He played briefly for them.
In 2016, he signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies but was released. Then, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him. He played a few games for them before being sent to their minor league team. He became a free agent after the season.
After Playing: Coaching and Managing
After his playing career, Will Venable moved into coaching.
On September 6, 2017, he became a special assistant for the Chicago Cubs. He then served as the Cubs' first base coach in 2018 and 2019, and their third base coach in 2020.
In November 2020, the Boston Red Sox hired Venable as their bench coach. On May 29, 2021, he managed his first MLB game for the Red Sox, filling in for the main manager. The Red Sox won that game! In November 2022, he joined the Texas Rangers as an associate manager.
Chicago White Sox Manager
On October 31, 2024, the Chicago White Sox announced that Will Venable would be their new manager. He took over after the team had a very tough season. This is a big new role for him in Major League Baseball!
See also
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
