By Ricky O’Donnell
If this is how things are when they’re winning, I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if these White Sox lose their footing. Just look at this week’s Orlando Cabrera fiasco.
We suspected Cabrera may become a problem a few weeks ago In an attempt to get a couple errors off his record, Cabrera started a firestorm. Suddenly his manager didn’t have is back, he had cut off a newspaper, and he was no longer deemed a leader. Overnight, Orlando Cabrera became an idiot. All this while the White Sox still sit atop the AL Central.
But the chain reaction that followed the Cabrera incident shed light on something astounding: maybe Ozzie Guillen is slightly more sane than people realize. Just typing that felt weird. But yeah, Ozzie Guillen, came out looking, um, mature? My head hurts . . .
Guillen had more bait than is usually required to start an epic tirade. Under the old Ozzie, Chicago would have learned three to five new curse words, OC would be off the team, Uribe moved back to shortstop, The Missile to second, and reverberations would be felt throughout the American League.
But that didn’t happen because Guillen handled the situation the right way. He said that Cabrera was still his shortstop and that he’d rather settle their differences behind closed doors than in the media. I can’t believe it either.
The Ozzie Guillen I used to know and love would have slammed Cabrera there. It would have been over. Hell, he may have said something so outrageous that he would have been fired. Things could have gotten a little heavy. Maybe they even should have. But when Cabrera put it up there on a tee for him, Ozzie checked his swing.
Between this and the fact that Guillen hasn’t been clamoring for stud-in-waiting Jerry Owens to get called up to fill his eternal lust for speed (and by stud-in-waiting, we mean a guy hitting .237 with one homer. In the minors. At 27.), there’s enough evidence to suggest that the Sox’s manager is a changed man.
Or maybe we spoke too soon . . .
*
Week in Review: Yeah people, the Rays are fo’ real. Believe it. And to think, their record is this good without Scott Kazmir for a good portion of the season. On a lighter note, the Indians still suck. So there’s that.
Week in Preview: The ultimate cure for a three-game losing streak? Playing the Royals! Honestly, I couldn’t be happier. You gotta love how Kansas City appears on the schedule at the most opportune times. A June battle for division supremacy follows with a four-game home series against the Twins.
About Last Night: See, Ozzie, that’s what happens when you don’t start Quentin. Without him, the Sox can’t score. It’s a little pathetic. And yeah, it is time to start worrying about Swisher.
South Side Cowboy: It’s a big hat. It’s funny.
De los Shutdown: Nick Swisher may be struggling more than anyone could have predicted, but at least he’s healthy. The best player the Sox gave up to get Swish, pitcher Fauntino de los Santos, is done for the year.
Thome being Manny: It seems like forever ago now, at least to me, but Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez used to be teammates. And apparently they actually like each other. That makes it official: Thome must be the nicest guy on the planet. I’ve sat here for 20 minutes trying to think of two teammates with more different personalities than those two and I’ve got nothing. Dennis Rodman and Dickie Simpkins, maybe? Actually, that’s just an excuse to reference Dickie Simpkins.
I Guess He’s Stealing More Than The Sox’ Money: Just kidding! After yesterday’s performance, it looks like Buehrle is back in business.
Over/Under: 0: The number of roster changes Kenny Williams makes by Tuesday.
Beachwood Sabermetrics: A complex algorithm performed by The White Sox Report staff using all historical data made available by Major League Baseball has determined that if changes are going to be made this week, Josh Fields should be called up and Paul Konerko should head to the bench.
The White Sox Report: Read ’em all.
–
Comments welcome. Please include a real name if want to be considered for publication.
–
Ricky O’Donnell is the proprietor of Tremendous Upside Potential and a contributor to the Sun-Times’s Full Court Press.
Posted on June 2, 2008