Jose upset that Ozuna's leaving, per Cowley

[tonyho7476]

i still dont fully understand the ozuna being released, we have a 12 man bullpen and we are the least used bullpen in majors or close to it... also with jenks possibly going on DL just makes 0 sense

 

Made perfect sense to me...Ozuna was easily the most expendable guy on this team. His glove is brutal and we don't need his speed, with Brian and Wise able to provide that off the bench. Brian not as much, but Wise is fast.

[gosox41]

The team has seem to not take this news like men.Its pretty disgraceful,THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!

 

 

Agreed. It's time to move on. It' one thing to be upset when a coworker is released, but it's another to let it affect your perfomance at your job.

 

 

[Felix]

i hate when people say this because it's not at all freaking true. ozuna was great for us. unless a .290 average is now somehow considered sucking.

It is when you don't take walks and can't hit the ball out of the infield, all with bad defense at multiple infield positions.

 

He was "great" in 2006. Thats all.

 

(also, hilariously, he only hit .290 once in his time with us.. 2006)

Edited July 9, 2008 by Felix

[Chisoxfn]

The guys been on the squad for a couple years, I have zero problem with players being upset that he's gone or at least disappointed. They became friends with him. I've had layoffs a few times at the company I work for and in some instances it was my very good friends from work that got axed. I definitely was bummed out about it and said such but it didn't mean I let my work performance suffer and I'm sure the Sox won't let it effect themselves.

 

I also don't think Ozzie needed to make a public statement. I still disagree with this 12 pitcher thing and would have kept Ozuna but thats a whole other argument.

[southsider2k5]

I think it is ironic that we are all on here telling Jose how he should act at his job, when half of us are at work surfing the net...

[watchtower41]

I better not hear this as an excuse, especially after Jose last season being given a free pass.

 

 

where did he get this "FREE" pass? If I remember correctly, most whitesox fans, and especially on this board were helping in the effort to build a raft to ship his ass back to Cuba. Organization excuse?? Nobody even knew about his divorce until the season was over, and even still, that's nobody's business but his own. It's like people expect him to win every time out, otherwise chopping block. He's old. He sucks. Trade him. Then fans forgot he won 16 in a row and continues to be a reliable pitcher when he became the backbone of this rotation early on this year. ETDB will be fine people.

Edited July 9, 2008 by watchtower41

[chw42]

Seriously, Did Jose secretly marry Pablo after he divorced his wife? Because I don't know how you can be so damn upset over a DFA. Things happen all the time in the Majors, guys get dealt and released, Jose needs to deal with it.

[Chisoxfn]

where did he get this "FREE" pass? If I remember correctly, most whitesox fans, and especially on this board were helping in the effort to build a raft to ship his ass back to Cuba. Organization excuse?? Nobody even knew about his divorce until the season was over, and even still, that's nobody's business but his own. It's like people expect him to win every time out, otherwise chopping block. He's old. He sucks. Trade him. Then fans forgot he won 16 in a row and continues to be a reliable pitcher when he became the backbone of this rotation early on this year. ETDB will be fine people.

It was actually well discussed on here about Jose and his divorce right after his opening start last season (I believe he was served divorce papers that day).

[Steve9347]

I'm really sick of Jose.

[Leonard Zelig]

I do not get some of you guys. If you really cannot understand how somebody could be upset when a person he worked with for 3 1/2 years and became close friends with is suddenly and somewhat surprisingly let go then you must have never established any close friendships in your lives.

 

Jose is a professional and he will get over it, but to be upset over it is a natural initial reaction. I think sometimes people forget these players are humans and have actual feelings. I mean some people on here were seriously depressed when Rowand was traded and they never even met the guy.

[Princess Dye]

Seriously, Did Jose secretly marry Pablo after he divorced his wife? Because I don't know how you can be so damn upset over a DFA. Things happen all the time in the Majors, guys get dealt and released, Jose needs to deal with it.

The team has seem to not take this news like men.Its pretty disgraceful,THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!

 

For everyone feeling this way, then lets never again say that athletes care only about money, and that they are cold and have no care for the team or the game.

 

We suddenly approve of the Maggs Ordonez and Albert Belle philosophy. Cool.

 

 

 

On top of all this, did Contreras even really speak out to the media? Did he get himself quoted?? Not from what I can tell. Cowley, pretty much a sniveling pud from what he writes in his Twitters, ran this thing for NO APPARENT REASON. Newsflash, guy gets fired, his coworkers feel bad. It's happening in 250 offices downtown right now, and it should be no shock and no front page news when it happens in the White Sox office.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Princess Dye

[Steve9347]

I do not get some of you guys. If you really cannot understand how somebody could be upset when a person he worked with for 3 1/2 years and became close friends with is suddenly and somewhat surprisingly let go then you must have never established any close friendships in your lives.

He should have been prepared. This board has been debating Uribe/Ozuna for weeks.

[chw42]

For everyone feeling this way, then lets never again say that athletes care only about money, and that they are cold and have no care for the team or the game.

 

We suddenly approve of the Maggs Ordonez and Albert Belle philosophy. Cool.

 

 

 

On top of all this, did Contreras even really speak out to the media? Did he get himself quoted?? Not from what I can tell. Cowley, pretty much a sniveling pud from what he writes in his Twitters, ran this thing for NO APPARENT REASON. Newsflash, guy gets fired, his coworkers feel bad. It's happening in 250 offices downtown right now, and it should be no shock and no front page news when it happens in the White Sox office.

 

Yes, I know. However, what's off the field needs to stay off the field. Don't bring that baggage with you to the mound. OC didn't let his phone call to the official scorer screw him up. Hell, he's done much better since then.

[Princess Dye]

He should have been prepared. This board has been debating Uribe/Ozuna for weeks.

 

Not so set in stone that Ozuna wasnt in KC with the team on the trip. Mustve added to the surprise factor, in my view.

 

But the surprise thing is moot anyway. You cant prepare yourself for saying goodbye to a friend and coworker, it's just something that sucks, and his reaction is very understandable.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Princess Dye

[The Ginger Kid]

any word on who's taking Bobby's place?

[fathom]

From what Mully and Hanley made it sound like, Contreras yelled at Ozzie in a meeting and then stormed out of the room after the Ozuna decision was announced, and then refused to talk with Ozzie during the game.

[watchtower41]

On top of all this, did Contreras even really speak out to the media? Did he get himself quoted?? Not from what I can tell. Cowley, pretty much a sniveling pud from what he writes in his Twitters, ran this thing for NO APPARENT REASON. Newsflash, guy gets fired, his coworkers feel bad. It's happening in 250 offices downtown right now, and it should be no shock and no front page news when it happens in the White Sox office.

 

 

Couldn't agree more, but it's a bigger story here because it is "popular" to bash Contreras on Soxtalk with every smalll opportunity. He is the new Scott Podsednik of Soxtalk. He can do NO right. I'm surprised someone hasn't mentioned that we shouldn't have DFA'd him instead.

 

[DABearSoX]

From what Mully and Hanley made it sound like, Contreras yelled at Ozzie in a meeting and then stormed out of the room after the Ozuna decision was announced, and then refused to talk with Ozzie during the game.

 

WOW......thats a little much don't you think....come on Jose

[Dick Allen]

Yes, I know. However, what's off the field needs to stay off the field. Don't bring that baggage with you to the mound. OC didn't let his phone call to the official scorer screw him up. Hell, he's done much better since then.

How do you know it affected Contreras' performance? He was upset a friend is gone. So what. Have you ever had a good friend move away? Even if you know its coming, the day it happens kind of sucks.

[ptatc]

I do not get some of you guys. If you really cannot understand how somebody could be upset when a person he worked with for 3 1/2 years and became close friends with is suddenly and somewhat surprisingly let go then you must have never established any close friendships in your lives.

 

Jose is a professional and he will get over it, but to be upset over it is a natural initial reaction. I think sometimes people forget these players are humans and have actual feelings. I mean some people on here were seriously depressed when Rowand was traded and they never even met the guy.

 

i couldn't agree more. Relationships on baseball teams go very deep. These guys travel together go out to dinner together almost every night on the road. The are together all of the time. While someone compared it to having a co-worker laid off, that is a fair example but it goes much deeper because of all of the time the spend together even after work. Baseball is a game of routines before during and after games.

 

I'm not saying it should be an excuse for a season or multiple starts but I can see it for a day or that start.

 

He needs to put it behind him now.

 

[Dick Allen]

From what Mully and Hanley made it sound like, Contreras yelled at Ozzie in a meeting and then stormed out of the room after the Ozuna decision was announced, and then refused to talk with Ozzie during the game.

I doubt that is true. I also think Ozzie's "f*** Contreras" quote was taken way out of context. If you read the entire quote he's pretty much saying forget how upset about this Contreras is, its bothering me even more. I really think this is so blown out of proportion its sickening, and I usually don't defend Ozzie's mouth.

[NorthSideSox72]

Lost in all this discussion is that Jose was not nearly as bad last night as the numbers indicated. He gave up more B.S. hits in his outing than I've ever seen a starter give up. Rarely did anyone hit the ball hard. He made a mental mistake at 1B, and threw a WP, both of which made things worse. His outing actually doesn't upset me at all.

 

[Flash Tizzle]

From what Mully and Hanley made it sound like, Contreras yelled at Ozzie in a meeting and then stormed out of the room after the Ozuna decision was announced, and then refused to talk with Ozzie during the game.

He's just passionate, like all Cubans. Haven't you ever yelled at your boss when a fellow employee was fired?

 

And regardless of his pitching performance last night, his stuff was enough to vomit with rage. No fastball, and his forkball was hanging as if Jason Marquis and Kirk Sarloos were throwing it. Against stronger offensive ballclubs, it may not be pretty.

[Princess Dye]

Even if Jose did yell at Ozzie, that is fine. That's in house, and exactly how an issue like this should be handled.

 

Ozzie sets the tone for there to be heated exchanges. Yelling is on the table with him.

 

Now Ozzie saying F Jose Contreras to the media, I have a little more of a problem with. I'm far from an Ozzie hater, but I want my organization transparent, not my manager/player dealings. There's really no need for that.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Princess Dye

[Chisoxfn]

The velocity on his fastball is definitely down. I hope Cooper has some tricks up his sleeve to get Jose's fastball back up (maybe it means just throwing more fastballs in his bullpen sessions to strengthen the arm) or giving him an extra day or two of rest for a couple starts (given the all star break approaching, the Sox should be able to alter the rotation to give Jose a few extra days).

 

Than again there is always my preference of trading him (but I realize losing his experience would be huge and the Sox would have to acquire another starter that is better and that will likely cost a lot).