Sxy Mofo
04-07-2005, 10:24 AM
Sox' winning formula wrong for long haul
April 7, 2005
BY JAY MARIOTTI (jmariotti@<hidden>) SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
You cheered in the stands, I laughed in the press box. After emphasizing all winter the need for Smallball, Dinkball, Ozzieball, Duck Snortball -- and going so far to build a FUNdamentals deck, where kids can race against a mechanical Scott Podsednik (while learning improper English from a mechanical Hawk Harrelson) -- the White Sox won a game Wednesday with two home runs and two long outfield blasts in the ninth inning.
This after managing one run and nine hits in their first 16 innings of the 2005 season. Those giggles are coming from the departed Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez, who did nothing but produce runs with their power bats, only to be smeared as selfish in a new round of Soxpaganda spread by a large-market front office too cheap to pay them. Turns out this team needed the bail-out long balls after all, which only makes sense in a home park that yielded the most homers in the majors last season.
''We've won two games, and we're not hitting the ball,'' said manager Ozzie Guillen, who demanded the philosophical change. ''Our pitching staff is giving us a chance to come back and win games. I hope we can do that all year. I doubt it. We need to get people on base.''
Translation: He knows his team is Winning Lucky. Groovy as Sox life seems right now, let me assure you that this is no formula for a division title. Twice now, they've waited almost an entire game to break through on the board against the Cleveland Indians. Such droughts, which might be commonplace with a dink-and-dunk lineup, will put an enormous burden on a starting rotation that has talent but isn't without questions. In the opener, the Sox survived with eight scoreless innings from Mark Buehrle, who is such a cool cat that I'm not surprised he actually ran upstairs to visit a buddy in a suite last year -- in the middle of a start. But on a glorious afternoon made for Ferris Bueller, if he wasn't already a Cubs fan, Freddy Garcia barely lasted six innings after throwing an absurdly high 109 pitches, committing a run-scoring balk and allowing two runs. They are the reliable starters, with an appreciable drop to a mysterious Orlando Hernandez (you know him as El Duque), a maddening Jose Contreras and a skittish Jon Garland.
Living on the edge
You and the 8,000 Sox fans who bothered to show up can call it living large. I call it living dangerously, if not foolishly. Anyone who waits routinely for a four-run rally in the ninth -- a single by Carl Everett, a two-run homer by Paul Konerko, a solo homer by Jermaine Dye, a double by Aaron Rowand to deep center, a game-winning sacrifice fly by Juan Uribe -- will be disappointed far more often than not.
''Whatever got turned on in the ninth inning, we'd like to turn it on the first eight innings,'' said Willie Harris, who laid down a bunt that was misplayed by unraveling Indians reliever Bob Wickman in the final moments of a 4-3 victory. ''You don't want the fans to be bored all that time.''
Nor do you want Jerry Reinsdorf and Ken Williams to stress out any more than they already have. They are on the hook for the radical transformation of a team that hit 145 homers at home last year, the second-highest total in major-league history. Granted, the Sox won only one division title in a five-year period in which they hit 200 or more homers each season. But the only other team joining them in that distinction, the New York Yankees, seemed to do quite well. Basically, Chairman Budget didn't want to pony up big dollars for Ordonez and wasn't thrilled to have Lee's remaining $16.5 million on his books. So he and Williams have concocted this ''new way'' of baseball that actually is a euphemism for payroll-crunching. Rather than trade Lee, who is off to a quick start with the Milwaukee Brewers, and spread his salary out to several newcomers, why not keep him AND sign the likes of catcher A.J. Pierzynski and various smallballers?
Because the payroll is what it is. And because Reinsdorf is who he is.
When Lee, Ordonez and Jose Valentin were in Sox uniforms, all we heard was what swell guys they were. Sox bosses thought so highly of Ordonez, they saluted him with the ''Ohhh-weee-ohhh. MAGGG-lee-ohhh!'' rally chant during home at-bats. Valentin received the same treatment, recalling the ''Jo-se Jo-se-Jo-se-Jo-se!'' cries over the speakers. But now, when they aren't here to defend themselves, they've become convenient scapegoats. Hasn't this always been part of the Reinsdorf plan, to bash the character of the departed? How pathetic to see this predictable gospel filtered to the clubhouse, where players who enjoy staying in good favor spread the word.
Spreading the blame
''We don't have anyone on this team who is selfish,'' Rowand said. ''Everyone here has one common goal, and that's to win. ... I can honestly say, one through 25, not one guy is worried about his own stats. Hats off to Kenny for bringing in guys like that who want to get that sort of thing done.''
Said Konerko, who has scored brownie points before by bashing Frank Thomas, albeit deservedly: ''I can just tell by the character we have with some of these guys, some of the new guys especially, it's never going to get into those situations that even if you're losing games, guys are going to turn on you and be selfish. The guys here have too much pride. I'm talking about J.D. [Dye], Podsednik, A.J. They play the game the right way.''
That's it, blame others for your past problems. Never mind that Reinsdorf, in 25 years of Sox ownership, never has won an American League pennant and has exactly three postseason victories. Never mind that his team has won the AL Central only once the last 10 years, even though it's filled with middle- and small-market teams. It's always someone else's fault.
And I can't say I'm surprised to see Reinsdorf picking on two radio hosts who had the audacity to ask him good, solid questions about his two franchises. As a sports owner in America's third-largest market, it's his responsibility to communicate with the fans who support his product. When he bullies radio hosts, he is bullying fans and exposing himself as a 69-year-old baby. ''I hope you enjoyed it because I won't be on with you guys again,'' he whined on WMVP-AM, which apparently is about to lose radio rights to Reinsdorf's teams, no great loss. ''You conducted this interview under false pretenses, and you won't get another bite at the apple.''
That would be a sour apple. But hey, at least no one can accuse his ballclub of using steroids, unlike the California newspaper that quoted a dietary expert as saying Bo Jackson used them. Proving Bo Knows Litigation, he called a news conference at the ballmall and said he would sue the paper. A part of me wanted him to pick up a bat and swing. The Sox may be 2-0, but this season, they'll take clout from any source.
My Lord, just kill yourself, rid the pain, jay.
We tried the long ball technique for the last 10 years. You complain that we're switching. Yet doing what we always have didn't work either.
April 7, 2005
BY JAY MARIOTTI (jmariotti@<hidden>) SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
You cheered in the stands, I laughed in the press box. After emphasizing all winter the need for Smallball, Dinkball, Ozzieball, Duck Snortball -- and going so far to build a FUNdamentals deck, where kids can race against a mechanical Scott Podsednik (while learning improper English from a mechanical Hawk Harrelson) -- the White Sox won a game Wednesday with two home runs and two long outfield blasts in the ninth inning.
This after managing one run and nine hits in their first 16 innings of the 2005 season. Those giggles are coming from the departed Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez, who did nothing but produce runs with their power bats, only to be smeared as selfish in a new round of Soxpaganda spread by a large-market front office too cheap to pay them. Turns out this team needed the bail-out long balls after all, which only makes sense in a home park that yielded the most homers in the majors last season.
''We've won two games, and we're not hitting the ball,'' said manager Ozzie Guillen, who demanded the philosophical change. ''Our pitching staff is giving us a chance to come back and win games. I hope we can do that all year. I doubt it. We need to get people on base.''
Translation: He knows his team is Winning Lucky. Groovy as Sox life seems right now, let me assure you that this is no formula for a division title. Twice now, they've waited almost an entire game to break through on the board against the Cleveland Indians. Such droughts, which might be commonplace with a dink-and-dunk lineup, will put an enormous burden on a starting rotation that has talent but isn't without questions. In the opener, the Sox survived with eight scoreless innings from Mark Buehrle, who is such a cool cat that I'm not surprised he actually ran upstairs to visit a buddy in a suite last year -- in the middle of a start. But on a glorious afternoon made for Ferris Bueller, if he wasn't already a Cubs fan, Freddy Garcia barely lasted six innings after throwing an absurdly high 109 pitches, committing a run-scoring balk and allowing two runs. They are the reliable starters, with an appreciable drop to a mysterious Orlando Hernandez (you know him as El Duque), a maddening Jose Contreras and a skittish Jon Garland.
Living on the edge
You and the 8,000 Sox fans who bothered to show up can call it living large. I call it living dangerously, if not foolishly. Anyone who waits routinely for a four-run rally in the ninth -- a single by Carl Everett, a two-run homer by Paul Konerko, a solo homer by Jermaine Dye, a double by Aaron Rowand to deep center, a game-winning sacrifice fly by Juan Uribe -- will be disappointed far more often than not.
''Whatever got turned on in the ninth inning, we'd like to turn it on the first eight innings,'' said Willie Harris, who laid down a bunt that was misplayed by unraveling Indians reliever Bob Wickman in the final moments of a 4-3 victory. ''You don't want the fans to be bored all that time.''
Nor do you want Jerry Reinsdorf and Ken Williams to stress out any more than they already have. They are on the hook for the radical transformation of a team that hit 145 homers at home last year, the second-highest total in major-league history. Granted, the Sox won only one division title in a five-year period in which they hit 200 or more homers each season. But the only other team joining them in that distinction, the New York Yankees, seemed to do quite well. Basically, Chairman Budget didn't want to pony up big dollars for Ordonez and wasn't thrilled to have Lee's remaining $16.5 million on his books. So he and Williams have concocted this ''new way'' of baseball that actually is a euphemism for payroll-crunching. Rather than trade Lee, who is off to a quick start with the Milwaukee Brewers, and spread his salary out to several newcomers, why not keep him AND sign the likes of catcher A.J. Pierzynski and various smallballers?
Because the payroll is what it is. And because Reinsdorf is who he is.
When Lee, Ordonez and Jose Valentin were in Sox uniforms, all we heard was what swell guys they were. Sox bosses thought so highly of Ordonez, they saluted him with the ''Ohhh-weee-ohhh. MAGGG-lee-ohhh!'' rally chant during home at-bats. Valentin received the same treatment, recalling the ''Jo-se Jo-se-Jo-se-Jo-se!'' cries over the speakers. But now, when they aren't here to defend themselves, they've become convenient scapegoats. Hasn't this always been part of the Reinsdorf plan, to bash the character of the departed? How pathetic to see this predictable gospel filtered to the clubhouse, where players who enjoy staying in good favor spread the word.
Spreading the blame
''We don't have anyone on this team who is selfish,'' Rowand said. ''Everyone here has one common goal, and that's to win. ... I can honestly say, one through 25, not one guy is worried about his own stats. Hats off to Kenny for bringing in guys like that who want to get that sort of thing done.''
Said Konerko, who has scored brownie points before by bashing Frank Thomas, albeit deservedly: ''I can just tell by the character we have with some of these guys, some of the new guys especially, it's never going to get into those situations that even if you're losing games, guys are going to turn on you and be selfish. The guys here have too much pride. I'm talking about J.D. [Dye], Podsednik, A.J. They play the game the right way.''
That's it, blame others for your past problems. Never mind that Reinsdorf, in 25 years of Sox ownership, never has won an American League pennant and has exactly three postseason victories. Never mind that his team has won the AL Central only once the last 10 years, even though it's filled with middle- and small-market teams. It's always someone else's fault.
And I can't say I'm surprised to see Reinsdorf picking on two radio hosts who had the audacity to ask him good, solid questions about his two franchises. As a sports owner in America's third-largest market, it's his responsibility to communicate with the fans who support his product. When he bullies radio hosts, he is bullying fans and exposing himself as a 69-year-old baby. ''I hope you enjoyed it because I won't be on with you guys again,'' he whined on WMVP-AM, which apparently is about to lose radio rights to Reinsdorf's teams, no great loss. ''You conducted this interview under false pretenses, and you won't get another bite at the apple.''
That would be a sour apple. But hey, at least no one can accuse his ballclub of using steroids, unlike the California newspaper that quoted a dietary expert as saying Bo Jackson used them. Proving Bo Knows Litigation, he called a news conference at the ballmall and said he would sue the paper. A part of me wanted him to pick up a bat and swing. The Sox may be 2-0, but this season, they'll take clout from any source.
My Lord, just kill yourself, rid the pain, jay.
We tried the long ball technique for the last 10 years. You complain that we're switching. Yet doing what we always have didn't work either.