In 2015 as the White Sox organization was kicking off the early stages of their ambitious retooling, they made a quiet move to begin drawing up the blueprint to develop a new-age baseball manager.
The test subject? Justin Jirschele, a high-motored, minor-league grinder with an impeccable work ethic and boundless energy.
As a player “Jirsch” did more with less, reaching Triple-A despite being signed as an undrafted free agent. On the field he was the consummate banjo-hitting utility player, cobbling together a .277/.336/.322 batting line in four minor league seasons. However, on-the-field prowess has never been a prerequisite for coaching success.