The Devil (or Guillen's) Advocate (also criticisms)

[3E8]

I don't know if you were around in the 80's and 90's or if you just jumped in 5 years ago or so, but I have seen too many mediocre seasons. Ozzie brought in a ring his second year, and has fielded solid teams since he became manager. Nothing you crybabies say will change my view.

Why is it "Ozzie brought in a ring" over "Kenny brought in a ring"? KW deserves more credit than any non-player for our World Series. The trades and signings he made to amass the amount of talent he did within a short timespan and limited budget was more than impressive.

[southsideirish71]

This team would be better served with Anderson in AAA getting abs until someone gets hurt. And Eduardo Perez on the team to pound lefties and help break up the LOOGY strikeout sweep at the end of the game.

[CWSGuy406]

Not to defend Greg Walker here, but maybe the reason the offense has been bad for the past three plus months of actual baseball (going back into last season) is because, in reality, the players we're bringing in aren't very good offensive players. I mean, look up-and-down the lineup.

 

Our top of the order has got to be one of the worst in baseball. You're looking at two players -- two outfielders, much less -- who struggle to crack the .700 OPS mark. That's pathetic.

 

Thome, Konerko, Dye -- those guys will be fine. By the end of the year, I'm confident we'll get the usual ~.950 OPS combined from the three of them (that's a pessimistic estimate, too).

 

Then look at the bottom of the order. Iguchi and Pierzynski are no better than league-average hitters. And Uribe is (more or less) just there for his defense, although if he can hit a bit, that's awesome.

 

I just don't expect our offense to be able to overcome the probable offensive drops from Crede and Dye. That's not to say they won't be good this year, just that it may be tough for both of them to replicate their great seasons.

 

I really hate to beat a dead horse, here, but the obvious spot to upgrade is LF. I can't say enough how EASY it is to find .800 OPS guys at that spot. At the very least -- if you can't do it with one guy, you can make a platoon to get that .800 OPS.

 

It's funny... we're crying about the lack of spending money the WHOLE winter, and there cash-strapped Cleveland is picking up TWO outfielders who are than two-thirds of our OF.

[The Ginger Kid]

Brian Anderson. The cure for all that ails this team a whopping 10 games into the season.

 

Let's wait until it at least stops snowing before changing the starting lineup out of spring training.

[witesoxfan]

Why is it "Ozzie brought in a ring" over "Kenny brought in a ring"? KW deserves more credit than any non-player for our World Series. The trades and signings he made to amass the amount of talent he did within a short timespan and limited budget was more than impressive.

\

 

God, f***ing thank you. Ozzie hasn't put s*** on this roster, he didnt trade for Thome, he didnt sign Hermanson, he didn't call up Jenks, he didn't sign Shingo...I can go on, but its f***ing pointless.

 

The 2005 postseason had as much to do with Ozzie as it did with me, period. Without the roster Kenny Williams put together, that team doesnt do a f***ing thing. I'm tired of blind supporters of Ozzie Guillen, because blind supporters of anything are entirely wrong.

 

Brian Anderson. The cure for all that ails this team a whopping 10 games into the season.

 

Let's wait until it at least stops snowing before changing the starting lineup out of spring training.

 

what's Erstad done in the past 2 and a half years to justify a starting spot over Brian Anderson? Hell, what's Erstad done in those 2 and a half years to justify a spot over Luis f'ing Terrero?

 

the answer you would be looking for would include injury and everything else mediocre

[Jordan4life_2007]

I don't know if you were around in the 80's and 90's or if you just jumped in 5 years ago or so, but I have seen too many mediocre seasons. Ozzie brought in a ring his second year, and has fielded solid teams since he became manager. Nothing you crybabies say will change my view.

 

Don't worry about it, ranger. The Soxtalk "geniuses" that think they know everything are the same ones that were calling for Gene Lamont, Terry Bevington and Jerry Manuel's head at one point or another (assuming, of course, that they didn't jump on the bandwagon in 2005). What's funny is, that if you go by Soxtalk, Ozzie is the only manager in baseball that deserves to be questioned at ALL TIMES. Go to ANY other team's message board; there's always multiple wannabees questioning the manager. Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, Tony Larussa -- it goes on and on. To say Ozzie had nothing to do with the 2005 title is to say Bobby Cox had nothing to do with the Braves' run because he had arms like Smoltz. Maddux and Glavine. Or Joe Torre is a bum because the Yankees were loaded every year they won. Ozzie, along with Kenny, changed the culture around here. We went from a wannabe to a team that is now expected to atleast get to the post-season ever year. Do I agree with everything Ozzie does? No. Do I respect the fact that Ozzie is a PROVEN winner, and knows more about the game of baseball than I EVER will, yes.

 

The season is 10 games old and we've got people hating Ozzie; saying he's a moron for going with Erstad. It's really silly. Erstad deserves a solid month before we deem him garbage. If he's hitting .240, or whatever it is, come May 1st, then you can question. Not after one 1/16 streak that has seen his average drop. The season is so young that he can go 3/4 tomorrow and raise his average 30+ points.

Edited April 15, 2007 by Jordan4life_2007