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First, as usual, we have our setup…
In sending a firm message Tuesday about their commitment to leadership during one of their worst seasons, the White Sox extended manager Ozzie Guillen’s contract through 2012.
“The passion that he has still is the same passion he had when I first sat down with him at the restaurant out in Naperville to interview him [in the fall of 2003],” general manager Ken Williams said. “We argued for a little while before getting to the nuts and bolts of things. The passion is still there to bring a championship to Chicago.”
Williams downplayed the timing of the announcement, which came with the Sox (61-83) in last place in the American League Central, less than two years after winning the franchise’s first World Series in 88 years. Guillen was working under a contract that had him signed at least through 2008.
Question: Good move or bad? Explain.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 9:36 am
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Good,
I think he is the right man for the job. Too often the manager is the first to go.
Comment by OneManBlog Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 9:39 am
Ozzie should stay, he has the determination to get back to another world series.
Comment by Leigh Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 9:44 am
Good,
He needs some help handling the pitchers in game situations. That is where he makes most of his mistakes. The Sox will be back in contention next year but probably with a much different team (I hope).
Comment by Bill Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 9:45 am
Aside from this season, he’s earned it. I’m not sure I like the length of the deal, but I guess it all depends on what kind of buyout it would take to fire him if there isn’t improvement the next couple seasons.
Comment by Rich O. Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 9:49 am
Bad move.
Five years is a long time; lots of things can (and surely will) happen. If Ozzie’s unfiltered mouth is combined with another season of poor play, a majority of fans will turn on him quickly. Ozzie did wonderful things with an undertalented team in 2005, but he has not shown enough class, restraint, and stability to be rewarded with such a long contract.
Comment by RedPunter Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 10:02 am
In 2005, the White Sox had a decent offense, and top-notch pitching. In 2006, the offense actually improved, but the pitching fell apart.
This year, they both fell apart. Only one Major League team has scored fewer runs than the White Sox — the Washington Nationals. That’s amazing, considering that the White Sox have the DH. (The collapse of the offense was predicted by Baseball Prospectus before the season, and while the prediction was dismissed locally, it was obviously prescient.) The pitching is no better — only four Major League teams have a worse.
Guillen’s refusal to take into account on-base percentage in setting his lineup is a huge negative (but not a surprise considering his playing stats), and he hasn’t shown he knows how to manage a pitching staff. But the bottom line is, with this group of players, the White Sox aren’t going to win anything for a while, regardless of who’s managing.
Comment by Gus Frerotte's Clipboard Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 10:08 am
I didn’t care for it — a team will respond to a very emotional manager for a year, perhaps a year and a half - and then they tune him out. This year, the players are playing for themselves, not Ozzie. In August and early September, everyone was going for home runs. Virtually no singles or doubles, not even if leading off.
Also, his loyalty to friends, particularly his shortstop who would swing at the pitcher’s hat if it were thrown to him in the batter’s box, has hurt the team. On base percentage does matter.
I would have let next year play out, with some significant player changes over the winter, before making this long term commitment.
Comment by capitol view Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 10:16 am
As a Cub fan, I think its a great move
Comment by MTP Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 10:22 am
I don’t mind Ozzie coming back or even signing him for another couple of years. But five? We all know they can get rid of him at any time and just keep paying him. But you have to wonder if this was a wise business decision. Or maybe it is just a way to structure payment for current services over a longer period of time.
Comment by Long Term Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 10:29 am
great move. Its about time that the white sox organization rewarded folks for loyalty. I think for once a person of color is allowed to have a bad stretch and not be taken out to pasture. (See Dusty and Tyrone Willingham). I am even prouder today to be a Sox fan!
Comment by o'county Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 10:33 am
Look at the box scores, ladies and gentlemen. These days they include he batting averages of every player in the line-up. Compare it with the Tribune lineup/box scores for every other team. The Sox are simply the worst.
I have been a Comiskey Park guy since before WW II when fifth place in an eight team league was the ebst we could aspire to, and when we got to 4th one year, I was ecstatic Those days, Jimmy Dyches was the once and future manager.
Much later, Al Lopez spoined us and we moved up in class.
Look at the three new guys, Fields, Owens and the second baseman. Granted they are newbies, but a .250 batting average. Our pitchers coming up don’t look much better.
Guillen is a wrap around chest protector for Kenny Williams, whose fanny should be sxposed.
Sure he has the passion but it doesn’t mean much unless you have the horses, not the hearses. Give me three everyday players above .300, speed and a good OBP at the top of the order. Get me some pitching horses, not the let’s take a chance now they are off the Injured reserve list and they are cheap.
Guillen’s coaches aren’t hacking it either. He ain’t no Lou Piniella, darn it.
Comment by Truthful James Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 10:52 am
I like Ozzie as a manager but does this mean that we have Williams as a General Manager until 2012? I think he has failed to provide the players and if he goes, then a new General Manager uusually wants his own manager. Then both will be on the payroll and not working
Comment by blogman Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 10:58 am
Ok move. Ozzie wasn’t the problem this year. It was that buffoon Kenny Williams and his a) asinine trade of CF Chris Young to Arizona for Javier Vasquez; b) spending oodles of money to re-sign players who are on the wrong side of 30; c) assembling a bullpen that would struggle against Little League batters.
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 11:10 am
truthful james:
Obviously as much as you quote history, you obviously havent learned from it. Williams and Guillen helped win A WORLD SERIES TWO YEARS AGO! Prior to that, when did the Sox when anything? You sound like a flaky Cubs fan. So what he’s no Lou Pinella; he wont even make it to the playoffs after the Cubs spent a few hundred million!
Give the guys a break, they EARNED the right to have a bad stretch. Plus Williams doesnt own the team…
Comment by o'county Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 11:10 am
he’s better than blago
Comment by brick Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 11:24 am
No Cubbie fan here.
My basic philosophy is WWSD — What would Steinbrenner do. He and he BoSox guy are the type of ownership/management we need — not for a one time, that’ll do it for a decade, we will always have 2006 to remember.
Ozzie is grateful to have the job, but he had offense players and pitchers peaking and covering up a mediocre defense (except for Crede on 3rd.) And slow.
So spoil me. Where are the ready to be stars of tomorrow? Sure, Fields, Owens and Richal are just acclimatizing themselves, but their bat control is not yet Major League.
Where do the Twins get their roster from? But they are there hustling every year, replacing players as they go elsewhere when the Twinkies can’t afford them.
So why give Ozzie the big extension? Williams wants a manager who doesn’t make waves. Ozzie is great PR, I will admit but the peaking performances in 2006 got us the pennant, not the manager.
Comment by Truthful James Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 11:27 am
Ozzie rocked my world when he won the World Series.
But, he’s outlasted his usefullness.
So bad move by Kenny.
Comment by jerry 101 Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 12:15 pm
What a boneheaded move. Sounds like someone’s been stealing the Cubs playbook for moronic plays.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 12:26 pm
Whats another 88 years?
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 12:29 pm
I think it’s a good move. And Ozzie was the beneficiary of a little Reinsdorfian maneuvering: Reinsdorf knew Jay Mariotti would scream at even a one year extension. Reinsdorf was curious about how loud Mariotti could get.
Comment by The Curmudgeon Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 12:40 pm
It’s great for Ozzie and the White Sox but I hope he can still run against the gov.
Comment by A Citizen Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 12:49 pm
Heck Tony should be given a lifetime extension to his Cardinal contract based upon ozzie’s.
Honestly, it was time for both oz and tony to go elsewhere.
Comment by card fan Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 12:51 pm
As a Cubs fan, I don’t really care - BUT - anything that Jay Mariotti doesn’t like has to be good news.
Comment by babs Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 1:51 pm
As a Cub fan, i love Ozzie! Frankly, i’m a little surprised by this. Not that he was resigned, but that he wants to stick around.
Plus, u know he’s going to pull a Lee Elia tirade one day, and i’m dying to hear it! It’ll be the greatest day in chicago sports history (till the Cubs do win a world series).
Comment by pickles!! Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 2:43 pm
I’d have given him one more year then I could consider an extension to 2012. Yeah he won a world series in 2005 but the team hasn’t been back to the playoffs since. That is what I’d factor. And I’m sure Reinsdorf loves him but you can factor that in business.
Comment by Levois Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 3:44 pm
Ozzie’s comments are not bad; Mariotti just doesn’t like the guy.
Mariotti has his own issues, I mean, why would Rick Telander almost punch him out?
But this is not about Mariotti.
I still want to know why the World Series trophy was displayed in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela before it was displayed at City Hall.
Also, Ozzie’s excuse for blowing off the White House visit was garbage. (So was Michael
Jordan’s, for that matter.)
The Sox have been horrible since the ‘06 All-Star Break.
Guillen’s contract should not have been renewed.
Comment by Dick Allen's Batting Helmet Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 5:05 pm
I don’t a problem with an extention so per, but I think it’s a little long. Ozzie could wear pretty thin. He’s obviously a high-maintenance character, and he may melt down even more frequently in the future than he has in the past if things don’t improve. Having said that, I don’t think this year’s collapse is his fault unless he was advising the GM on how to put the team together.
As a Cardinals fan, I don’t have a dog in this fight, although I like to see Sox do well
Comment by chief Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 5:35 pm
Hey Cub fans 18 games til failure! Sports contracts aren’t generally guaranteed, like it or not Williams has a plan, ride it or bail…
Comment by dis-connected Wednesday, Sep 12, 07 @ 5:46 pm