Ozzie Guillen | The Baseball Zealot

THE LAST GAME WON’T BE THE LAST GAME

I’ve always enjoyed attending the last home game of the season. Most fans like going to the opener, I like going to the closer. When I was a kid I went to the closer alot, about five years in a row. I was there when Bill Melton became the first White Sox slugger to win a home run crown. I still have the button with Home Run King Bill Melton on it. For the most part there’s alot less hoopla surrounding the closer than the opener.

This closer was a sellout, with everything on the line, the winner would go on, the loser would go home. Ozzie Guillen proclaimed, “Twins starter Nick Blackburn was lucky to get us once, but wouldn’t be as fortunate here”. While the Twins claimed, they were glad to be playing the playoff game in Chicago rather than in Minnesota, because they wanted to win in our house, celebrate on our field, and rub it in on our fans.

Well neither got what they wanted. Blackburn pitched masterfully, but John Danks pitched better. I should say Jim Thome put a BIG FLY on the Twinkies, 461 feet! Meanwhile Ken Griffey, Jr. took a flyball in medium centerfield, with a runner on 3rd, one out, and fired a strike to a waiting A.J. Pierzynski. A.J. tagged the runner out, hanging on to the baseball, and not breaking his arm. Another big play was made by defensive replacement Brian Anderson. Anderson made a diving catch with two outs in the 9th preserving a 1-0 save by Bobby Jenks, with Joe Mauer licking his chops in the ondeck circle.

Rob & I bought 15 tickets in the rain after Monday’s game. It was a full house on hand to see the Good Guys win the AL Central. Behind the plate, next to Nancy Faust, was overflowing. Tade & Tom (it’s been a looong time since former regular Tom was in the house), Dick & Bea, CLuke & his son Tom, Al & his sons Anthony & Dan, George & Debbie & her son, Steve, Phil, Songkwon, Matt, Caramel Corn Mike, & me were crowded together rooting for the White Sox. Rob & Vicky & family were in section 101, in centerfield. The game was electric from first pitch to last out.

Now on to the postseason, I was wrong when I stated, the Sox would play four different opponents on four successive days, they actually were rewarded with an off day before starting up their best of five game series with the Rays. I thought about going to St. Petersburg to see the Sox battle the Rays, but I’ll just work on getting tickets for home playoff games.

All I can say right now is, LET’S GO WHITE SOX!!!

Autism: Guillen opens his mouth for a good cause

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has given me a reason to like him, He’s helping to unveil a new school for autistic kids in Chicago. He is taking part in the opening of the new Easter Seals Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research. As the name suggests, the school will double as a research facility.

In the last two games against the Yanks, Guillen ditched his Sox cap for the post game interview and instead wore one with the "TACA" logo. "TACA" stands for Talk About Curing Autism and is an organization that gives support to families affected by autism.

Lest you think that autism is a rare condition that doesn’t affect you, please know that the latest figures suggest that one in 150 children born are on the autistic spectrum. So you probably know a few kids who are on the spectrum. I know I do.

So thanks to Ozzie Guillen for bringing this issue to light.

NYT: Ozzie Guillen and Autism

Chicago Trib: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen helps unveil new school for students with autism

Some photos on the Chicago Trib’s web site

Ozzie opens his mouth about retaliation

Ozzie is not one to hold back when it comes to speaking his mind. Something I consider an admirable trait if only because it annoys the higher-ups.

His latest bit came Sunday afternoon when he all but admitted that he has ordered his pitchers to intentionally hit opposing batters. All this came after a game when Sox D.J. Carrasco was tossed when he hit KC’s Miguel Olivio with the bases loaded. That incurred a less than friendly interaction between the two teams.

“I’ve hit people before on purpose. Yes I have, because that’s my job. Protect my players.”

Of course, the media jumped all over this like this was big news. We all know that big story here is not that this kind of thing happens but that a MLB manager, even one with a big mouth like Guillen’s, came out and admitted it.

I’ve heard a couple different strands of responses to Guillen’s statements:

1. What! Managers are still condoning this? I can’t believe this is still happening.

and

2. Of course, this happens! It’s a part of the game of baseball. Guillen is just a moron for talking about it. Boy, in Bob Gibson’s day…

Response #1 usually comes from the office of MLB, the mainstream sports media, and little old ladies with blue hair. The difference is that the Office of the MLB understands clearly that this is has been happening but fails to recognize it officially (see steroid scandal 10 years ago).

Response #2 comes from most everyone else.

MLB GETS TOUGH (?) ON ROIDS

This sounds like a story out of the Heckler. Ozzie Guillen nailed it when he asked, "Are marginally talented hispanic ballplayers the only ones taking performance enhancing drug?" GET REAL BASEBALL!!! No stars have ever been slammed, they just seem to disappear (Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell, Bret Boone). There are still roids guys in the game, but so far they’ve somehow managed to escape the dragnet that’s only gotten minor league hispanic players thus far.

7/24/08 NEW YORK (TICKER) –

Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguer Angel Salome was suspended 50 games on Tuesday for violating the drug prevention and treatment program.

Salome is the 18th player in the minors to be assessed the minimum penalty since the start of December.

The 21-year-old catcher was hitting .318 with six homers and 53 RBI in 68 games with Brevard County of the Class A Florida State League.

7/29/08 NEW YORK (Ticker) –

Tampa Bay Rays minor league outfielder Jonathan Quinonez and New York Mets pitching prospect Yeiger Sanchez both were suspended 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enchancing drug, Major League Baseball announced Saturday.

Both players, who were with their organization’s Venezuelan Summer League teams, tested positive for metabolites of Nandrolene.

The suspensions are effective immediately.

Lou and Ozzie "rap" for Chevy dealer

There are obvious perks to being a manager of a Chicago major league team in Chicago. You’re famous and you have the respect and adoration of at least half the town. You get to hang with people like Derrick Lee and umm.. Nick Swisher.

Ozzie gettin’ his groove on for a Chevy dealer

But then there those days where you throw all your self-respect out the window. All for an ad for a two-bit Chevy dealership.

C’mon Lou… was this in your contract or are you really that hard up for money??

GAME ONE – SOX at ANGELS – 05/12/08

It was nice of the White Sox to let my Angels win one in this series. ;–)

Seriously, if I were to pick which of these games the Angels were most likely to win, Buehrle vs. Adenhart would NOT have been the one. That’s why baseball is the most fascinating game of all.

Did you know that Buehrle has only beaten the Angels once in 15 career starts? I would think that his skill package would give the Halos trouble. Wouldn’t you? Changing speeds and taking away the stolen base completely.

Tonight is Jered Weaver vs. John Danks. I have referred to Weaver as “a right-handed Danny Jackson.” No one understands that this is a compliment.

“First Pitch – Strike One” is a key for the Halos tonight. They won last night despite NOT doing this. 4 double plays won the game.

Orlando Cabrera had good things to say about Mike Scioscia: “With all due respect to managers around the game, I think that Scioscia is on another level,” Cabrera said. “This guy dominates the opponent, the thinking,
all the things that they do, the scouting reports. He has an advantage. I think he’s the smartest guy in the game right now, no doubt.”

I can sincerely return Cabrera’s compliment to Scioscia. Ozzie Guillen’s in-game baseball strategy, more often than not, is what I would do. I think he is real solid in that area. He can’t field for Joe Crede or get hits for Nick Swisher. The players have to come through to make the manager look good.

DonS.