Ozzie Guillen Might Not Get Another Chance to Manage If the Marlins Fire Him - A Bleacher Report Article

 

Ozzie Guillen is going to be fired.

It is inevitable.

The Marlins were a disaster on the field and he is causing trouble off of it.

If the Marlins can him, would anyone give him another chance?

As I wrote in Bleacher Report, there just might be too much baggage for anyone to take the risk bringing in Ozzie.

You can read the whole article HERE.

 

My World Series picks look shaky... but I am standing by them

I picked the Angels and Marlins to face off in the 2012 World Series.
And no doubt if that prediction came true, it would be music to the ears of the Fox TV stars who are placed strategically around the ball park during the World Series, promoting their shows.

A trip to Disneyland and Miami would be favorable to sitting in Philadelphia or Detroit on a cold October night.

But right now neither the Angels nor the Marlins look like champions.
The Angels offense is dysfunctional with the team eating Bobby Abreu's contract to make room for Mike Trout. That's ONE way to solve the log jam of outfielders.

Meanwhile Albert Pujols looks like Jimmie Foxx at the plate and has his home run production. Keep in mind Foxx has been dead since 1967.

And the bullpen is in total disarray. When Torii Hunter starts calling out everyone including the management, you know things are bad.

Meanwhile the Marlins are as bizarre the statue in center field.

Ozzie Guillen is pissing off Miami Cubans, neither Jose Reyes nor Hanley Ramirez are hitting worth a lick, the pitching is uneven and Heath Bell has stunk.

And to pile on, they were swept by the Mets of all teams.
It is not yet May and both teams are in need of a slap in the face.

That being said, neither team should panic.
It is only accentuated because it is the beginning of the year.

If Albert Pujols had a homerless June, people would say "Man, he needs to snap out of it."
If Heath Bell blew a few saves in August, Miami fans would say "Who is Heath Bell? Is he on the Dolphins?"

There is too much talent on the team to have them not be contenders.
In fact it might be better for them to get their lousy month out of the way NOW.

Get the moments where you try to correct problems and adjust early.

Don't get swayed by early standings. Unless you think the season will end with the Nationals as the best team in the National League.

Wes Hofmann makes my favorite Guillen point yet

Great comic, A's fanatic and friend of Sully Baseball Wes Hofmann commented on my Guillen post "Good thing Cespedes signed with the A's."

I hadn't thought of that.
Cuban defector and potential star slugger Yeonis Céspedes was expected to sign with the Marlins because it was so close to Cuba.

But as NBC Bay Area pointed out, one of the reasons he signed with the far away A's was that it WASN'T close to Cuba.

Instead of making his big league debut a raft ride from Castro, he made it in TOKYO!

It would have been a move to capture the Cuban fans of Miami to sign Yeonis Céspedes.
Instead the Marlins are scrambling to win the fans back.

Either way, I like how you think, Wes.

Everyone... here's his Twitter link. Go follow him.


 

Some Ozzie Guillen thoughts

I need to address the Ozzie Guillen suspension and hopefully in 5 games this will be history.

 First of all, how did Fidel Castro even come up in an interview?

 "So Ozzie, what do you think of Stanton's double tonight?" 
"It was good, but let's talk about the Bay of Pigs!"

Secondly, I don’t want anyone saying this is a free speech issue.

He’s not in trouble with the government.
He’s not going to jail for expressing his point of view.
He expressed his and the people protesting and boycotting are expressing theirs.

This is an issue about paying customers.

There is a big population of Miami who escaped Castro, related to those who escaped Castro or know people who are trying to escape Castro.
And a lot of those people are baseball fans.
Baseball is kind of sort of big in Cuba and with Cubans.
And the Marlins want those people who escaped Castro or know people who are trying to escape Castro to buy tickets.

The Marlins just spent a lot of money and are having good PR for the new stadium and the last thing they want is a chunk of paying customers turning their back on the team.

The team has been there since 1993 and have won as many World Series titles as the Indians in their history, the Cubs, Phillies and Mets in theirs.

And yet the Marlins haven’t been embraced by South Floridians. Now the team has a new ballpark, a new identity and are even calling themselves “Miami” now.

And the Honeymoon which was supposed to last all year didn’t even make it to Tax Day!

Is the image of the team on the news their crazy new ballpark? Nope. It is people holding up signs and protesting.

A team that has struggled for revenue and trying to get the community to embrace them shouldn't do things that cuts revenue and gets the community to shun them.

So a smart thing to do, especially this early in the season, is to take Guillen to the woodshed for PR purposes, win back those paying fans and the Marlins will be a winning streak away from this all being ancient history.


It's not free speech nor politics.

It is PR and box office.

It’s capitalism… something VERY un Castro like.

Finally, Ozzie, here’s some interview tips from your pal Sully.

You are a live wire and we love that about you.

Rip on former players, Cub fans, etc. It’s great!

 But think twice before saying things like "You what I respect about Castro..." or "The deal with blacks is..." or "Here's what's good about 9/11..." or "Hitler was right when..." or "Women just shouldn't..." etc.

Nobody is going to listen to anything after those words. And they aren't going to expect a nuanced argument. Let's face it. Subtlety isn't the Ozzie Guillen style.

Expect to get some backlash.

And if that backlash affects your employer’s bottom line, you will get in trouble.

Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from responsibility.

Now sit out 5 games, say you are sorry and win some ballgames!

 

Things that will be true if my Marlins pick is right

I picked the Miami Marlins to win the 2012 World Series.

That is horrible news for Miami fans because I haven't picked a World Series winner correctly since 1999. (Like YOU picked the Cardinals last year!)

But if that does indeed turn out to be a correct pick, some eye popping statements would become true.

OZZIE GUILLEN WOULD BE PUTTING TOGETHER A COMPELLING HALL OF FAME ARGUMENT

If the 2012 Marlins win the World Series, assuming that Ozzie Guillen doesn't get fired in mid season, he would join Tony LaRussa and Sparky Anderson as the only managers to win the World Series in both the National League and the American League. Not bad company.

He would be only the 16th manager over all to take two different teams to the World Series, with such Hall of Famers as Joe McCarthy, Billy Southworth, Dick Williams and Leo Durocher.

Among current managers, he would be alongside Jim Leyland and Bruce Bochy as multi team pennant winners.

Now I don't think he's quite at Cooperstown level yet. But all he would need to do is pad his resume with a few more Division titles. As he stands now, he already has as many World Series titles as Durocher, Earl Weaver and Bobby Cox.

If Ozzie gets to Cooperstown, be prepared to have the seven second delay on his acceptance speech.

 THE MARLINS WOULD ENTER SOME SELECT COMPANY OF WORLD CHAMPIONS

How many franchises have won World Series in three consecutive decades?

The Yankees logged in six straight decades (20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's). If they win one this decade, that will be another three in a row.

The Philadelphia A's won in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s.

The St. Louis Cardinals won in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.

The Orioles won in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

And cousin, that is it. If the Marlins win this year, put their name on the Cadillac board.

THE MARLINS WOULD HAVE MORE TITLES THAN MORE FRANCHISES THAN ANY TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

The Marlins not only broke the hearts of Indians fans in 1997 and Cubs fans in 2003, but as of this writing, they have matched those old franchises in titles. (The Cubs won in 1907 and 1908. The Indians in 1920 and 1948.)

The big market Mets? They only have two. The mighty Phillies? They just have two as well.

A third World Series title would match the total of the Senators/Twins franchise, the Orioles and the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves.

Miami fans better realize how good they have it.

MIAMI COULD BE THE GLAMOR SPORTS SPOT

If the Marlins win... and eventually the Heat win... and the players see how hot they can get in Miami, then this could be the greatest era in South Florida sports.

Of course they would really love to see Dolphins win, but hey! If three franchises could win it all this decade, it would be quite an era!

And of course a Marlins World Series title could take a little pressure off the Heat and their promised 7 titles!

MERCHANDISE WILL BE SOLD!

The F hat and the teal never seemed to fly off the shelves.

So now there is orange, blue, black, white... all sorts of choices.

And that M which is at least one Font Size too big. But if they win it all, that crazy colorful look would be cool.

(Take note Astros and every team that goes for a boring traditional look!)

THESE MAY NOT BE ONE YEAR WONDERS

One reason why the Marlins haven't been able to build a passionate following despite two titles has been the fact that the teams were dismantled so quickly.

That and the fact that they played in a football stadium.

Well the stadium issue has been solved and the stability of the players could be too.

Guess what Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Gabby Sanchez, Giancarlo Stanton, Logan Morrison, Emilio Bonafacio and Josh Johnson all have in common?

They will all be under 30 NEXT year.

Jose Ceda and Christian Yelich aren't far behind. With the Phillies showing their age and the Nationals and Braves still developing, the Marlins could make a few October trips and have the fans actually remember their names.

THIS COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A NEW BIG MARKET FRANCHISE

It wasn't that long ago that the Marlins were the poster child of small market teams that can't compete.

Now with a new stadium, new stars and a city ready to embrace baseball that stars would want to move to, they could be one of the big market franchises that makes baseball so unfair. (Would that make Jeffrey Loria a great owner or a crook, pocketing that revenue sharing dough?)

With the Mets rudderless, the Cubs many years away and uncertainty (if new optimism) Los Angeles and age creeping up on Philadelphia and a small window open for San Francisco, Miami could become THE big franchise in the National League.



Of course I am getting ahead of myself.
They actually have to WIN the World Series and my prediction will have to come true.
So let's start this season! First pitch in Miami is in a few hours (appropriately enough against the reigning World Champion Cardinals.)

Miami fans. Hope that I am right.




 

10 Reasons why the Chicago White Sox winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

With about a month and a half left to the season, the number of legit playoff contenders are winding down. And the staff here at Sully Baseball decided to look at each contender and see what would be positive about their potential World Championships.

Which players or managers would benefit the most from a title. Which fan bases would savor it. And how the perception of each franchise would change slightly. Remember, this isn't a numbers crunching site... this is all about emotion and things that strike my fancy.

The first potential World Series contender will be the Chicago White Sox. Why the White Sox? Because they are so unpredictable that they could either be in first place by next week or fall totally out of contention. So if I want to include them, I had better do it NOW!

10 Reasons why the
Chicago White Sox
winning the 2011 World Series
would be good for baseball

1. Another World Series title moves Ozzie Guillen closer to Cooperstown

Ozzie Guillen's Hall of Fame resume is a long shot at this point. 2 post season appearances, even with a World Series title, isn't going to cut it. (Ask Cito Gaston who won back to back World Series titles and two other Division Titles. Forget the Hall of Fame, he couldn't get hired.)

But another World Series title, and this one with almost a brand new cast of characters would add to his luster that the team plays Ozzie's brand of baseball. And when (not if) he takes over the Marlins and wins with them, he'll get even closer.

The idea of Ozzie giving a Hall of Fame speech is a wonderful concept, if for no other reason than for the need of a 7 second delay.

2. It would justify Kenny Williams' wild GM style

In an era of calculators, bizarre new stats and hoarding prospects, it would be nice to see Kenny Williams methods be rewarded again.

He's always willing to bring in a free agent, even an ill fitting one. He's willing to say "prospects be damned, we're winning NOW!" And he has taken some chances in Cuba and by bringing up prospects super fast and throwing them into the fire.

Is it sometimes irresponsible? Sure. Does it blow up in his face sometimes? Ask Adam Dunn.

Is it cool to see a GM always trying? You bet.
And to see that GM win a SECOND World Series spitting in the face of convention... that would be too cool.


3. A Championship could justify the Adam Dunn signing
Speaking of Kenny Williams' style, let's talk about Dunn. Right now Adam Dunn looks like one of the biggest busts in Free Agency history.

I mean he is so terrible right now that you have to wonder if he had a twin brother that he suited up in his place. And they've got 3 more years of this.

But imagine if he got a big hit in the post season. Or clubbed a big homer off the bench in the World Series. Then it would be kind of like J. D. Drew... an injury filled disappointment overall, but contributed big to a ring.

Besides, he seems like a likable accountable guy. I'd like to see him happy. (As if $56 million wouldn't buy happiness.)


4. Multiple Rings will help people remember how to spell Konerko and Buehrle

I wrote a blog post that was basically a love letter to Paul Konerko and Mark Buehrle.

Guess what? I spelled in Kornerko every single time.
And I had to double check Buehrle whenever I typed it. I double checked it when I typed the previous sentence. Is it B-E-H? B-U-E? B-E-U?
None of it is instinctual.

Maybe another title will seal that.


5. Everyone loves seeing A. J. Pierzynski happy!

Speaking of members of the 2005 White Sox with difficult names to spell...

Sure you might not like A. J. Pierzynski. Sure he seems like he might be a jerk. But look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't want an obnoxious pest like him on YOUR team.



6. If the White Sox win, maybe Juan Pierre will do another unbelievably awful rap

There are few subjects I know less about than rap. But even as a total NON authority, I can tell you that the rap Juan Pierre did at the 2003 Florida Marlins World Series celebration was awful.

He called it rap. For me? The C at the beginning was silent.

Maybe he will improve in Chicago. Or maybe it will be just as bad.

Take a listen. Tell me how it is good.




7. A ring for Omar Vizquel

Vizquel is making one of the least likely runs at 3,000 hits and may have already have punched a ticket for the Hall of Fame.

The greatest defensive shortstop of his generation has played over 4 decades, won 11 Gold Gloves and played on 6 Division Champs and in the 1995 and 1997 World Series.

A ring would be nice.



8. The President needs a Pick Me Up!

There have been lots of ups and downs for the President this past year and no doubt 2012 will be one tense year for him.

Up for reelection, the markets are going nuts, lots of people still out of work and maybe he needs a little reminder of how good "Hope" feels.

Maybe his team winning the World Series can kick start his campaign!
Do it for AMERICA, White Sox!


9. Another World Series title could help the White Sox enter the "Big Bad Bully Club".

The White Sox are consistently among the top payrolls, they bid for free agents and they act like one of the "Haves" instead of the "Have nots."

AND they play in a big media market! But they never get mentioned as one of the big bad franchises.

Another title will tie them with the Yankees and Red Sox in the 21st Century. That sounds big and bad for me.


10. It would make the White Sox and Cubs fan dynamic more interesting

Would the White Sox finally the choice of the casual sports fan in Chicago? Would the winning of the South Side out weigh the cute and cuddliness of Wrigleyville?

Two things are for sure.

- White Sox fans hold ALL the bragging cards. Another World Series title would mean the White Sox would have won as World Series in the 21st Century as the Cubs did in the 20th Century.

- If what doesn't destroy you only makes you stronger, then Cubs fans must be damn near invincible!



So there you have it for the White Sox... Hall of Fame credentials, inter city rivalries, spell check and a Presidential race could all be improved.

They are all good reasons.
But there are other teams in contention too.

And I will get to them all!


If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.

NEW YORK YANKEES

I am telling you, look out for the White Sox

Normally you don't have to worry about sub .500 teams in late July. But I wrote this the other week and I am standing by it now. Yeah, the White Sox were flat in Kansas City. Maybe that foul ball to the face of Ozzie Guillen woke this team up.

OK, that analogy makes no sense. The White Sox lost the game where Ozzie got hit in the face.

Tonight's win in Cleveland helped them creep a little bit closer. I have been clear on who I am rooting for in the AL Central. When in doubt I root for Cleveland. Their fans need a hug.

But the White Sox are just four games behind the Indians in the loss column for second place. And take a look at how they won tonight. Gavin Floyd pitched into the 8th in the White Sox shut out.

Carlos Quentin homered. Even Adam Dunn, who has hit so badly that he looks like a guy wearing a uniform at fantasy camp, got 2 hits. (Any word on why Dunn is batting CLEAN UP?)

If this team can start pitching, and tonight was a good indication that they can, then they could be in second place before you know it. And they play Detroit next.

If they can win both of those series, then this could very well be a three way race.

Keep an eye on them. Ozzie's boys are a sneaky bunch.

Hey Ozzie... don't give Manny any ideas

Seriously, Ozzie Guillen, be careful what you say about Manny Ramirez.

I read your quotes in the AP article by Tom Withers, and some were a bit odd.

"I never see anyone on his team get mad at him because he goes about his business."

Um, did SOMEONE forget Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis going at each other in the dugout in 2008?

But really, Ozzie... when regarding his manner of dressing and upkeep of his uniform, you said "That’s not my department. Guys can go out there buck naked, and if they win games for me, I’m happy."

Ohhhhh boy. You just opened a can of worms there.

This is a guy who took many leaks in the Green Monster, brings drinks up out to the outfield and wears his iPod in the field.

Showing up nude to the plate?

It's only a matter of time.

Why am I rooting for the White Sox?

Anyone who reads this blog (and I know I do) you know that I am a Red Sox fan, but I also follow each race and inevitably I root for a team in each race.

The Giants are my second favorite team, so I always root for them.

And there are teams like the Cardinals, the Braves and the Angels that I don’t really like, so I’ll root for someone to beat them.

And of course I always root AGAINST the Yankees.

I have no reason to dislike any team in the A. L. Central, so logic dictates that I would be rooting for the team that has the most compelling narrative for their fans.

With the crushed city of Cleveland getting no relief from the Indians and the Royals clipping coupons, the race is down to the Twins, the Tigers and the White Sox.

You’d think I’d be rooting for the Twins. After all, I rooted for them big time in 1987 and 1991. The Twins winning would contiue to be a gigantic middle finger to the threat of contraction 9 years ago.

The Twins have won 5 Division Titles in the past 8 seasons and missed another Division Title in 2008 when they lost a one game playoff 1-0 to Chicago.

Plus with stars like Mauer and Morneau and the team playing outdoors, it makes the Twins the obvious choice for me to root for. (Not to mention that my current boss, Craig Kilborn, is from Minnesota and is a life long fan.)

Or maybe you'd think I'd be rooting for the Tigers...

The city could use a pick me up, the team was potentially cheatedout of a playoff spot last year. Plus they are a traditional team with great old unis... and play for a city that let's face it has seen better days.

Plus Jim Leyland is a borderline Hall of Famer as of now. Maybe another trip to October would clinch a ticket to Cooperstown.

And as I said before, I would have no problem seeing either of those teams going far in the post season.

Yet strangely when either one of those teams play the White Sox head to head... I find myself rooting for the White Sox.

And when I see the White Sox gain a game in the standings, I give a little fist pump.

Of the three contenders, I want to see the White Sox win the American League Central.

It isn't because I picked them at the beginning of the year.

I picked the Yankees to win the Division as well and you don't see me cheering them on!

And it clearly isn't because of a Post Season drought as they won it all just 5 years ago.

I guess I like how Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen do business. I like that come trade deadline, Kenny is not afraid to trade off young players.

Maybe it is because Kenny knows that there is no time like the present to have the White Sox contend and steal as many casual Chicago fans as possible.

Or maybe it is because he himself was a heralded prospect who never turned into a star player and he knows that sometimes a big league definite is more valuable than younger potential.

And I have not been shy in saying what an Ozzie Guillen fan I am.

I like that he is a little crazy, is the face of the team and guess what? If he wins a few more divisions and another pennant, he might be putting together a Cooperstown resume.

Wouldn't that be an amazing day in Upstate New York seeing Ozzie enshrined?
He's not there now (although he HAS matched Hall of Fame managers Earl Weaver, Leo Durocher and Whitey Herzog in World Series titles) but I want to see him pad his resume.

Maybe I am rooting for the White Sox because I have a soft spot in my heart for their fans.

As I wrote in my "Why Doesn't Anyone Love The White Sox?" post a few years ago, the South Siders get such little love that it is kind of startling.

If you meet someone from Chicago, it is almost assumed they are a Cubs fan. It's more pronounced than even the Yankees and Mets disparity in New York.

There is nothing cute and cuddly about the White Sox and if you have rooted for them over the years, you are clearly not a front runner nor doing the fashionable thing.

And I am guessing a lot of them are enjoying the possibility of making the post season AGAIN while the Cubs are imploding.

Or maybe I am rooting for the White Sox because I want SOME kind of Sox in the playoffs!

Whatever the reason is, I am hoping the playoffs go through Chicago in the American League. Baseball is emotional and logic sometimes is thrown out the window.

All I know is the White Sox were playing the A's last night... and I am hoping the A's win the West... yet when I saw it was a Sox win, I gave a little fist pump.

Let's go Sox (Red and White)

An open letter to Ozzie Guillen

Hey Ozzie. It’s your pal Sully here.

You need to RELAX a little. Not too much… but people are already writing that you may have worn out your welcome in Chicago, and we can’t have that happen.

I know there are a lot of people in baseball who are NOT Ozzie Guillen fans and think you are a disgrace to baseball.

I am not one of them.

I am a big Ozzie Guillen fan. I think you are great for the game. Yes we need to stoic classy manager types like Joe Torre, Mike Scioscia and Terry Francona.

We need the crotchety old men who will bark at an umpire to death like Bobby Cox and Jim Leyland.

We need the cerebral managers like Ron Gardenhire and Joe Maddon.

We need the former players who manage on instinct like Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker.

And yes, we need the managers who very well might be insane.

That’s where you fit in… even more than your crosstown rival Lou Piniella, who is bonkers as well.

It’s nice having a totally unpredictable, attention grabbing, unorthodox manager whose character defines the team.

But you need to tone it down… at least to the point where you and Kenny Williams are no longer trying to fight each other!

Ease up on the Twitters and tell your son to do the same.

Have the colorful quotes and push your players hard… but have SOME self preservation.

Think about the amazing legacy you can leave behind in Chicago.
You lead the White Sox to the only World Series title the city has seen in the past 93 years.

But it was more than just a World Series title… it was something very unique.

Your White Sox were the best team of the regular 2005 season and went 11-1 in the post season… a mark achieved only by the 1999 Yankees in the 3 tiered playoff system. And THAT team had future Hall of Famers like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and pending steroid backlash, Roger Clemens. Not to mention stars like Bernie Williams, Paul O’Neill, David Cone, Andy Pettitte et al.



Who were the Hall of Famers on the 2005 team?
Frank Thomas?
Yeah he was on the team but only played 34 games and none after July 20th. He wasn’t on the playoff roster.

But the rest of the team was filled with good players but nobody who would even crack the top 5 in the MVP vote nor get any first place votes for the Cy Young Award.

This was a manager’s championship.

Assuming that the likes of Paul Konerko or Scott Podsednik don’t make it to the Hall of Fame, the 2005 World Series title has a very significant uniqueness to it.

Almost every single World Series winner from the 1903 Boston Pilgrims to last year’s Yankees has featured either a Hall of Fame player or a sure fire Hall of Fame player for some of the more recent ones.

The exceptions…

The 1981 and 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers, who had a Hall of Fame manager in Tommy Lasorda.

The 1984 Detroit Tigers, who had a Hall of Fame manager in Sparky Anderson.

The 1997 Florida Marlins (assuming Gary Sheffield DOESN’T make the Hall of Fame) who had a potential Hall of Fame manager in Jim Leyland.

The 2002 Anaheim Angels whose manager, Mike Scioscia, is building quite a resume.

The 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, where it is too early to determine the Cooperstown prospects for Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and evidently Jamie Moyer.

That’s 7 World Series out of 105 where there was no Hall of Fame prescience in the active line up or rotation… which means 7 extra ordinary managerial displays.

Including YOU Ozzie.

Now I am not saying you are a Hall of Famer… But you have the World Series and another Division Title on your resume in your seven years managing the White Sox. Win another pennant and some more division titles and maybe you’ll get some consideration.

Plus by the time the White Sox have put another pennant contender they will have almost an entirely different team from 2005… so Ozzie could have a two distinct White Sox pennant contenders, a la Lasorda in 1981 and 1988 with the Dodgers.

Maybe the Hall of Fame right now is a reach, but take a look at the outfield wall in U.S. Cellular Field.

They honor White Sox legends out there. Nellie Fox, Luke Appling, Minnie Minoso, Luis Aparcio, Carlton Fisk, Ted Lyons and Billy Pierce are all immortalized and none of THEM delivered a World Series title.

Heck you might even get a statue… and have it in that choking position.

You can have a permanent place of adoration in the city of Chicago.

Just don’t self destruct. Don’t have what happened to Billy Martin happen to you. He could have been the Yankee manager for life… or the A’s manager for life for that matter. But he let his demons get the best of him at each turn.

And yes, even with a World Series title you can go unemployed for a long time. Don’t believe me? Ask Cito Gaston.

So seriously… be intense and be Ozzie.
You can be one of the great figures in White Sox history!

Just don’t go out as a joke.

Your pal,

Sully

Six Thoughts About Today's Perfect Game

1. I think Ramon Castro might be a good catcher for Mark Buehrle.

Castro had never caught Buehrle before. Usually you hear that a pitcher needs to get used to throwing to a new catcher.

Well, you can't call a better game than Castro did.

2. I guess that other No Hitter doesn't look as cool now!

On April 18, 2007, Buehrle threw a no hitter against the Rangers... and at the time it was the game of his life. He threw a no hitter where he faced the minimum number of batters...

But he walked Sammy Sosa (remember him?) in the 5th inning and then picked him off. 

No need to pick anyone off today.

3. He joins the company of pitchers with more than one no hitter

And here's hoping I get a lot of hits from people who Google "Who has thrown more than one hitter other than Mark Buehrle?"

The answer...

Nolan Ryan has 7 no hitters.

Sandy Koufax has 4.

Larry Corcoran, Bob Feller and Cy Young have 3.

Jim Bunning, Steve Busby, Carl Erskine, Bob Forsch, Pud Galvin, Ken Holtzman, Randy Johnson, Addie Joss, Dutch Leonard, Jim Maloney, Christy Mathewseon, Hideo Nomo, Allie Reynolds, Warren Spahn, Bill Stoneman, Virgil Trucks, Johnny Vander Meer and Don Wilson all have 2.

And now you can add Mark Buehrle to the list.

4. Don't Look Now, But The White Sox Are In First Place

As usual, they won't get any love... but the Tigers are not exactly a juggernaut and the White Sox (lest we forget) are the defending Division Champs... and this is the kind of thing that can spark a team. 

And who are the White Sox playing starting tomorrow? The Tigers!

Man this year is going to be fun!

5. This is his biggest moment as a White Sox pitcher... and that's saying something!

He's had an underratedly awesome 10 seasons in Chicago. He was part of the World Champion squad in 2005 as well as the Division winners in 2000 and 2008.

He's a workhorse who has led the league in innings twice, threw a complete game win in Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS.  He threw 7 solid innings in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series and 2 days later came out of the bullpen to save Game 3.

He's made 4 All Star Teams and was the starting pitcher in the 2005 All Star game, finished 5th in the Cy Young vote that year. 

And this year Obama sought him out in the All Star Game locker room.

Oh yeah, he already threw a no hitter.

But today was the biggest night for him.

6. Would it have killed the Buehrle family to have changed their name to "Burly" when they came through Ellis Island?

I've had to double check his name every time I typed it on this posting. Is it U-E or E-U? And where do I stick this random H again?

Managers who should not feel too comfortable in their job

A few weeks ago I was going to write a blog post about which managers I thought were in trouble of getting the axe... but I thought it was too soon.

Then the Diamondbacks fired the 2007 Manager of the Year Bob Melvin in order to bring up A. J. Hinch to the helm after managing zero games at any level.

While that hiring might seem odd, the timing didn't. The Diamondbacks are loaded with young talent but got off to a .414 start.

And with Manny out for a while, the D'Backs felt that now was the time to make a change.

The D'Backs are now 2-6 under Hinch and have sunk 10 games back in the loss column to L.A. I'm sure they were hoping for a little better bump in the standings than that.

There are some managers whose jobs might still be on the line, and others whose jobs might have been saved by recent winning streaks.

There was a sense of abject panic in New York (as I wrote, part of it from a collective amnesia). But the recent 6 game winning streak has brought not only a little joy in the Yankee clubhouse (and made A-Rod suddenly the most popular Yankee without a worry in the world) but also took the heat off of Joe Girardi (at least until the next losing streak.)

And last night's 5 error fiasco not withstanding, the Mets have climbed back into the race and Jerry Manuel's job seems safe (at least until June.)

So whose head will roll next?

The staff at Sully Baseball has some thoughts on the matter.


BOB GEREN, Oakland A's

The A's did extend his contract this spring as a vote of confidence. Billy Beane actually went out and acquired players like Holliday, Giambi and Cabrera and the Angels stumbled out of the gate with injuries and tragedy.

And your pal Sully drank the Kool Aid like nobody's business!

And how did the A's respond? By playing .371 baseball. They are on pace to lose 100 games and have been blown out of the water in this recent road trip.

The scores reflect a team that is overmatched. 14-1, 9-1, 11-7 (remember they were up 6-0 in the second inning in that game) and yesterday's 13-4 disaster to Tampa.

I can't imagine the A's front office is too happy. And after years of being a perrenial contender no matter the budget, Geren finished sub .500 in each of the last two years and seems to be running the team into the ground.


BUD BLACK, San Diego Padres

Frankly, I can't believe he still has a job. Nothing against Harry Ralston Black, who I am sure is an astute baseball man.

But how someone can take a team that always seems to contend, have them miss the playoffs his first year, become a 99 loss team the next and seem destined to have another losing season this year and not be checking Craigslist for a new gig?

The Padres got off to a surprising start and were 6 games over .500 on April 18. They are 7-19 since, and that's including the three game sweep of the Reds this weekend.

They are a losing streak away from a fire sale. And Black should call his old buddy Mike Scioscia to see if his old pitching coach job is available.



CLINT HURDLE, Colorado Rockies

I know, I know... how can Clint Hurdle be in trouble? He led the Rockies to their lone World Series appearance!

Let's take a close look at his managerial career.

Yes, the Rockies went on their amazing run starting midway through September of 2007 and rode it all the way to the National League pennant.

But let's look a little closer at his managerial record, shall we?

He took over the Rockies from Buddy Bell 22 games into the 2002 season. They had a losing record that year. They also had losing records in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. And after winning the pennant in 2007, they had a losing record in 2008 and are on pace to go 63-99 this year.

So in 7 plus seasons, he has delivered 6 lackluster losing seasons and a 530-619 record.

Not counting the last 2 weeks of 2007, he has led the Rockies to a .455 winning percentage and 100 games under .500 over 7 plus seasons.

It might be time to realize that two week run and pennant drive was a fluke.


ERIC WEDGE, Cleveland Indians

2009 has not been kind to managers who had success in 2007.

The NL Manager of the Year Bob Melvin was canned. I am calling for the head of the manager of the 2007 NL Champion Rockies and the manager of the Padres, a team that made it to a one game playoff in 2007.

So why not give the 2007 AL Manager of the Year the Robespierre treatment?

After winning 96 games in 2007 and being one jaw droppingly stupid third base coach decision away from tying Game 7 of the ALCS in the 7th inning, the Indians were supposed to be a World Series contender in 2008.

Instead they scrambled to .500. This year they were supposed to be contenders, only now they can't seem to get out of their own way.

They've had no winning streak longer than 2 and can not put away series.

Perhaps Wedge can take heart that the Cavaliers run to the NBA Finals will take a little heat off of the Indians (and the Browns for that matter) in terms of delivering a title to Cleveland. But this talented group might need some new direction... or start the fire sale.


OZZIE GUILLEN, Chicago White Sox

Now mind you I am not saying Ozzie should be fired. I am a confirmed Ozzie Guillen fan. We need more managers who are actually, you know... fun!

And I think his winning the 2005 World Series so convincingly without a Hall of Famer in his lineup (Frank Thomas was hurt) and without an MVP nor Cy Young winner on the roster is one of the great managing jobs of the last few decades.

Plus he has delivered 4 winning teams in his first 5 seasons plus another trip to the playoffs last year. He has changed the culture in the South Side and turned the White Sox from an after thought to the team that can actually WIN in Chicago.

So why is he in trouble?

Well, there are opera singers who would call him a diva. Plus he threatens to quit every 10 minutes. His crazy act looks inspired when the team is winning, but when they are losing I am sure it gets tiring.

And the Sox are in the middle of a 5 game slide right now and letting a winnable AL Central slip away. One of these days Ozzie might go into Kenny Williams' office and say "I quit!"

And Kenny might say "OK."

I don't want him to, but he might.


MANNY ACTA, Washington Nationals

Earlier this year, I made fun of the notion of Acta being fired, as if this train wreck of a team was his fault.

Now I am not so sure.

Acta's career mark is 143-217. That's a .397 winning percentage over 2 1/4 seasons.

And this team looks like it could be one of those spectacularly bad teams.

It's not just that they are on pace to go 49-113 (10 games WORSE than last year's 59-102 finish).

It's not just they are in their second five game slide of the season and have had three other 3 game skids.

But they just play a horrific brand of baseball. Their bullpen blows games... their bats go dead... they make bonehead plays in the field... and evidently they aren't even taking infield before the game.

Yeah because when you need to have a big finish to win 60 games, you've earned the right to kick your feet up.

Now if the plan is to get the #1 pick over all in back to back seasons, then hang up the Mission Accomplished banner!

But if the Nationals want to start filling those empty red seats in their beautiful new ballpark, maybe a sacrificial lamb is in order.




Now will ALL SIX of these guys be out of a job?
Probably not, but no doubt there will be a job vacancy this year. And as last year's bizarre firing of Ned Yost showed it is never too late to fire a manager.

All I can say is this to the teams thinking about a managerial change... would it KILL you to interview Chris Chambliss????