dasox24 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 It doesn't sound like Ozzie is too happy with our players... Let's hope we start playing how he wants us to. Sox's play angers Guillen 'Dead' dugout among his gripes By Bob Foltman Tribune staff reporter March 11, 2004, 11:01 PM CST TUCSON, Ariz. -- The honeymoon lasted 21 days. Now Ozzie Guillen knows what it's really like to be a major-league manager. After spending three weeks laughing and joking with his players, whom he termed his "friends," the rookie manager threw down the gauntlet after his White Sox lost 5-4 Thursday to the San Diego Padres. After winning their first three exhibition games, the Sox have lost four out of five and three in a row. "I hate to lose," Guillen said. "Even if I play Ping-Pong I want to win. I don't think we're playing good baseball, and I don't want this to get out of my hands. Not because we lost three in a row. [because] we're not playing the way we should be playing and I'm not happy." There was much displeasing to Guillen—from starting pitcher Esteban Loaiza to what he termed a "dead" dugout in the eighth and ninth innings. With the Sox trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Pedro Lopez led off with a walk. But Brian Anderson, Michael Morse and Mario Valenzuela all struck out on three pitches to end the game. None of those players will be on the 25-man roster, but that doesn't matter to Guillen. "I come here and give all my energy, I wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning ready to go," Guillen said. "My coaches are ready to go. I expect the players to come the same way. Whether you're playing three innings or nine innings, you better show up and play the game and have enthusiasm and thank the Lord for what kind of job you have." Loaiza worked four innings in his second start of the spring. In all, he threw 80 pitches, only 48 for strikes. "I think he threw too many pitches," Guillen said. "I'm not saying I'm mad at him, but I didn't like the way he threw. If you throw 80 pitches in four innings, that's not a good sign." Loaiza said he felt fine and actually asked to pitch another inning. Guillen almost lifted him in the fourth, but only Billy Koch was throwing and Guillen didn't want to bring him into a non-save situation. "He's a better pitcher than that," Guillen said of Loaiza. "His next start I want him to be more focused and pitch the way he should." Though it's still relatively early, there comes a point in every spring training when players hit a wall. Guillen may see Thursday as a way to put out any potential fires before they rage out of control. "I know spring training gets old sometimes, but that's what you're paid for," Guillen said. "I expect them to show up [Friday] and play a better game. I hope they read the papers." Guillen is a constant presence in the Sox clubhouse in the hours before a game, making the rounds and talking to nearly everybody in Spanish and English. He said he'll make a point to get his message across Friday. "They're not ready to play, and I don't like it," he said. "I could care less what [the players] think. They know they have a friend here, but I don't want this to go the wrong way. I want them to show up tomorrow and it should be the biggest game we're going to play." Guillen said he can accept losing games, but he can't accept a lack of enthusiasm or intensity. "I expect them to come with intensity every day," he said. "If it's spring training, the first day of the playoffs, the last game of the season, I don't want them to lay down and relax." Friday's game, against the Anaheim Angels, will be the 10th of the exhibition season, but it may be among the most important ones the Sox play this spring. Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonkeyKongerko Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Only time will tell whether the players actually listen to what Ozzie says or write him off as some raving Latino madman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 With the Sox trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Pedro Lopez led off with a walk. But Brian Anderson, Michael Morse and Mario Valenzuela all struck out on three pitches to end the game. Valenzuela fouled off 6 straight pitches in his final at-bat... Nice reporting asshole... Leave out the facts if it doesn't fit your story. :fyou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSF Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 With the Sox trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Pedro Lopez led off with a walk. But Brian Anderson, Michael Morse and Mario Valenzuela all struck out on three pitches to end the game. None of those players will be on the 25-man roster How can he be sure of that? Even with the strikeout, the way Valenzuela has been playing, he could force his way onto the 25 man roster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Rector Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Early on in his managerial career with the Sox, Tony LaRussa said that the biggest problem that he had was that a lot of the players remembered watching him play. That could be the problem here with the key difference being that while LaRussa realized that he was not a terribly good player, Ozzie suffers from delusions of grandeur. The Ozzie Experiment more and more seems destined to end up as a repeat of the Bevington Disaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Early on in his managerial career with the Sox, Tony LaRussa said that the biggest problem that he had was that a lot of the players remembered watching him play. That could be the problem here with the key difference being that while LaRussa realized that he was not a terribly good player, Ozzie suffers from delusions of grandeur. The Ozzie Experiment more and more seems destined to end up as a repeat of the Bevington Disaster. So you've said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Guys it's only Spring Training. I couldn't really care if we lost every game this pre - season, if it meant we could win da divison. Ozzie's got a lot of time to get his message thru, I just hope the players don't end up getting sick of him like they did with Manuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 So here we go. This is the early test of of Ozzie as a manager. It was all fun and easy up until now. Now we see if the player will listen to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Only time will tell whether the players actually listen to what Ozzie says or write him off as some raving Latino madman. Thats what I was wondering... how long will it take b4 they start ignoring him and doing what they want. If they start that they are dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I have not from day 1 been fond of Ozzie being manager I hope he is not going to go to pieceds and get all emotional over every 3 or 4 game losing streak because every team has those and especially during spring training in Chuck Tanner's first ST, he went all out to win but that was coming off a 106 loss season so he wanted to get the habit started Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I am glad he is trying to do something about 'corpse ball' instead of taking a nap on the bench and tolerating it. I guess we will see what happens. I hope Frank, Maggs and a few other stand up to the rest to get the butts going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Now we see if the player will listen to him. which player is that? I was kind of hoping that all the players would listen to him... and maybe even all the playas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 So here we go. This is the early test of of Ozzie as a manager. It was all fun and easy up until now. Now we see if the player will listen to him. I wonder if he said these things to the players themselves.. or left it up to them to read about his dissatisfaction in the papers.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Gee, if he's pissed now, he should have been around last year Hey Oz, let me offer you a couple tools <_ src="%7B___base_url___%7D/uploads/emoticons/default_mad.gif" alt=":angry:"> :puke :fyou :dips*** They all worked for us last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 And these :knob :sleep :headshake :banghead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I'm glad he isn't tolerating this. I don't think he is mad about pre season losses. I think he is mad about what he explained, seeing players in the late innings not giving a s***. He should be mad about that. He should not tolerate Loaiza's performance. He should not tolerate laziness or lack of focus. If he kept letting it go I can see it turning into a big problem. He had to take a stand at some point and he determined this would be a good time to do it. I believe he did the right thing because I am sick of seeing this attitude from the last couple years. Time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sox1422 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I wonder if he said these things to the players themselves.. or left it up to them to read about his dissatisfaction in the papers.. Do they even get the Tribune or the Sun-Times in Tucson? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Do they even get the Tribune or the Sun-Times in Tucson? No idea.. but they do have local papers there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I have a feeling the way Ozzie is. I am sure he ranted in front of his team. If not it totally goes against everything he has said thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 To me actually winning games is down the list for ST. Focus on evaluating players, getting guys in game shape, seeing what some of the guys can do, making evaluatuations on guys who may get called up later in the season are more important than the ST record. Setting expectations is also important and for that I salute Oz. I liked him as a player and believed from day 1 he was a great choice. In fact it's about the only thing this off season I cheered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 He talked to the team this morning (3/12). Maybe we can forever retire the words "corpse ball". I hope so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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