Rick Renteria's day job has him coaching baseball, but on Wednesday, he showed students at a Chicago high school something he enjoys off the field - cooking.
The White Sox manager stopped by Benito Juarez Community Academy in the city's Pilsen neighborhood to talk about his passion with students enrolled in the school's culinary program.
"When I do this, it’s usually for a larger group, and it’s family and friends," Renteria said, adding " and it’s just out of love, we just enjoy being together."
Instead of his family and friends, it was students watching as the Sox first-year manager whipped-up a favorite Mexican dish, queso fundido.
"It wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be, but it passed," Renteria said.
As the skipper chopped jalapenos and onions, he cracked a few jokes, but before he left, his tone turned motivational. His simple message was to find something you love to do, and don't let anyone stop you from doing it.
"If you don’t really believe and are driven to do something, you have no chance. So give into it. Buy into it. Believe in it and go for it, and don’t let anybody stop you, and good things will happen to you," he told students.
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"It really hit a soft spot because I love cooking. My mother has taught me to cook ever since, and I love it," said student Jennifer Orozco. "He was very passionate about it, same as I am.
With SoxFest beginning Friday and spring training in less than three weeks, Renteria said he's excited to work with the team's new youngsters and help develop their talent.
"I still feel like we have to motivate, encourage and inspire people to be the best that we can be, and hopefully we can do that," he said.
