By JERRY RILES
I thought Mount Ozzie was Ready To Erupt…REALLY!
After the White Sox were embarrassed by the Yankees in New York 10-0 on Saturday afternoon, committing more errors than hits, the manager of the Southside club I thought, was ready to blow a gasket.
Following the Saturday butt whuppin’, Ozzie undressed his beleaguered bunch during the post game press conference.
“I’m embarrassed, and everybody in that room should be embarrassed. If they’re not embarrassed they got the wrong job and they’re stealing money from baseball,” Guillen said after the Sox dropped their fifth game in six tries on this East Coast road trip.
After the Sox were swept by the Yankees, Guillen didn’t blast off, he simply implied that his ballplayers just enjoyed the hotel stay in New York and really had a great time admiring the new Yankee Stadium digs.
Next stop for the White Sox, the Metro-dome in Minnesota. Game 1 of the final series against the Twins turned out to be just like the last 15 of 17 games in that dreaded place. Another “L” for the Sox and Guillen. Believe me they are thankful the Big Hefty-bag is being dumped at the end of the season.
The Cubs are pretty much done regarding post-season play here in Chicago. Are the Sox next to pack it in and ready to head for the golf course? Is GM Ken Williams accurate in saying the Sox are underachievers?
He certainly is standing by his statement as of September 1st. Williams traded away his slugging DH Jim Thome who was with the club for 3 ½ years, and struggling hurler Jose Contreras. That’s his way of telling Guillen and the coaches the party’s over. Thome goes to the Dodgers, Contreras to the Rockies.
It appears there’s more to come.
One could say the blame falls on Ozzie, the coaching staff, and even the front office, but ultimately the players must and should be the ones held responsible. They are professionals. Those professionals are folding like seats though as they continue to plummet in the A.L. Central falling 6 ½ games back. They have fallen into 3rd place behind the Twins and the division leading Detroit Tigers after Monday’s loss.
Hey Chicago baseball fans there’s still hope on either side of town. The two clubs square off on Thursday in game three of that cross-town series make up game at Wrigley. The bragging rights are still up for grabs. The Sox currently lead the ’09 series 3-2. There’s still hope.
(Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye) click here
