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The Chicago White Sox hired ex-closer Bobby Thigpen on Tuesday to be their bullpen coach. Thigpen, who holds the franchise record for career saves and saves in a season, will replace Juan Nieves, who left to be the bullpen coach for the Boston Red Sox. Thipen will work with pitching coach Don Cooper and manager Robin Ventura in managing the pitching staff.
Thigpen has spent the last four seasons as a pitching coach in Chicago's system, and in the two years prior to that, he managed the team at Single-A Bristol. Thigpen was also a teammate of Ventura's on the White Sox from 1988 to '93 and is friendly with Cooper.
Thigpen's MLB record for saves in a season was broken by Francisco Rodriguez in 2009, but his 57 saves in 1990 still stands as the club record. He left the White Sox with 201 career saves, a record that should be safe for a long time, as no one currently on the team is in the top 10 in that category.