Cabrera Rips Teammates

[southsider2k5]

While OC made what I believe to be some valid points, one being they should win some games before they start, there are a couple problems with his comments in my mind.

 

Players prepare themselves for games differently. Some must focus for hours, some play cards, some joke around. Everyone who is on a major league roster, even if they suck, are excellent baseball players and have gone about their business most likely the same way for many years and its obviously been successful.

 

Why, if you're a leader, do you call out your teammates on a sports radio show? Why not face to face? I know some will say how do I know he hasn't done that. Reading Ozzie's comments, its rather obvious he has not.

 

And, if you're such a leader and you don't like how your team goes about their business, why is it you don't say anything until the end of September?

 

OC is a whiner. Ozzie doesn't like him because OC thinks Scoscia is a better manager than Ozzie. Of course every baseball person not named Hawk thinks exactly the same thing. OC perhaps had valid points, but his timing and venue of his remarks were terrible. I'm sure the Sox spin will be 24 guys + 1 guy. After building him up all season, they will say he's addition by subtraction. I hope they are right.

 

One question. Do we know Cabrera didn't say anything months ago?

[Princess Dye]

I dont see this as ripping teammates

 

Also, why are people saying he's the 'wrong guy to deliver the message' ? if he's right, he's right. he's one of the only guys who has a had a good offensive stretch. defensively he's been making some impressive plays to keep us in some of these games.

 

 

 

[whitesoxfan101]

Excuse me, I wish this team had more guys like OC.

 

I wish our organization agreed. But they'd rather have slow, washed up guys with questionable desire. And yeah, before the holier than thou's bombard me with "hey, the veterans on this team have rings too", save it. We played deadball late in 2006 and now we've done it again late in 2008. The veterans on this team are fat and happy with the ring they got in 2005, and that's a f***ing shame. I give OC credit, he has a ring too and he still gives a s*** at least.

Edited September 26, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[Dick Allen]

I wish our organization agreed. But they'd rather have slow, washed up guys with questionable desire. And yeah, before the holier than thou's bombard me with "hey, the veterans on this team have rings too", save it. We played deadball late in 2006 and now we've done it again late in 2008. The veterans on this team are fat and happy with the ring they got in 2005, and that's a f***ing shame. I give OC credit, he has a ring too and he still gives a s*** at least.

Just because a guy who can't wait to leave, goes on a radio talk show and questions his teammates' ways of going about their business, doesn't mean he's the only one who gives a s***. Just because a guy goes 0-4 doesn't mean he doesn't care. In fact, the White Sox slobbering of all things Twins and Metrodome probably has affected guys who have been around longer than OC. They have been convinced they cannot win there by the entire organization's defeatist attitude about that place. Anytime there's a small hint of trouble, its "here we go again". Its an attitude in serious need of adjustment.

'

Edited September 26, 2008 by Dick Allen

[Harry Chappas]

His comments were right on the money and I hate him and Swisher but they are true. This team seems to want to sit back and let what happens happen they do not force the issue.

 

That's about all I have to say about that.

[quickman]

I actually have respect for him for delivering this message. Everyone else has been too busy acting scared of Minnesota. Besides Ozzie, he is the only guy I have heard call out this team to step up and win some games. Good for OC.

 

 

I agree, I also think Konerko needed to step up but he is too busy feeling sorry for himself. Konerko is a terrible leader. Hopefully he will be gone next year.

[fathom]

Things are getting very ugly between Ozzie and OC. I really, really hope this s*** doesn't prevent us from offering him arbitration.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...-ssep26.article

 

 

[The Critic]

Things are getting very ugly between Ozzie and OC. I really, really hope this s*** doesn't prevent us from offering him arbitration.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...-ssep26.article

Cabrera's gone.

They're not even going to offer to call him a taxi after the final game.

[caulfield12]

Things are getting very ugly between Ozzie and OC. I really, really hope this s*** doesn't prevent us from offering him arbitration.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...-ssep26.article

 

 

It should make them MORE likely to offer it, and even less likely that he would accept it. His play of late has pushed up his BA, RBI's, OBP, OPS to respectable overall season numbers, very similar to seasons past.

 

KW is a smart enough guy not to let emotions get in the way of sound baseball decisions (except drafting his son and Oney Guillen, I guess).

 

At least, he was smart enough to part ways with players like Garcia and McCarthy instead of holding onto them longer. I don't think any negative/spiteful sentiment will come into their decision to offer or not offer.

 

Now what KW does with Brian Anderson, and whether he doesn't trade him (which would be the best thing for Brian's career and peace of mind), that will be an interesting thing to watch. Both Fields and Anderson are worth more to the Sox than they are to other teams, unfortunately. The same thing can be said of Dye and Thome too, because we can't field a team like the Twins and win in our ballpark without power hitters in the 2-6 spots.

 

[kjshoe04]

They better offer him arbitration. I don't care how much he is hated.

[nitetrain8601]

I don't fault Cabrera at all. I too wonder where has our "so-called" leader gone in Paul Konerko? I've thought he was overrated for awhile. Well before 2005, but fans seem to love him. He really does not lead or say anything. Just because he's a nice guy does not make him a leader. I rather have more guys like Cabrera who seem to at least give a damn instead of guys like Dye who are calling fans ignorant.

[Whitewashed in '05]

Ozzie's the same whether they win or lose? Really? Since when? If he's the leader not Cabrera like he said then maybe he needs to call his team out. Maybe he needs to make better decisions and make sure his battery make better pitch selections and adjust his lineup. Maybe he needs to shut his mouth because he motivates other teams better than his own.

 

This whole god damn team from management to the players need to shut their f***ing mouths and go out and win or shut the f*** up.

 

I almost can't wait until this choke fest is over because I just can't give up hope. My goodness...

 

 

[Wanne]

I don't fault Cabrera at all. I too wonder where has our "so-called" leader gone in Paul Konerko? I've thought he was overrated for awhile. Well before 2005, but fans seem to love him. He really does not lead or say anything. Just because he's a nice guy does not make him a leader. I rather have more guys like Cabrera who seem to at least give a damn instead of guys like Dye who are calling fans ignorant.

 

I'd rather have guys like Cabrera too...ANY day of the week. I for one would bring him back next year and shop Konerko AND Dye. Did Dye really call the fans ignorant? That just pisses me off. Hey JD...please explain why you've had your head up your ass the entire month of September...maybe I'm just ignorant.

[quickman]

Things are getting very ugly between Ozzie and OC. I really, really hope this s*** doesn't prevent us from offering him arbitration.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...-ssep26.article

 

 

Do you think pinella would go to the press like this. ozzie should shut up just like everyone said OC should be quiet. ozzie's ego is even bigger than OC's ego. I find it amazing that this is coming out with 4 games left. What a crap team.

[caulfield12]

I don't fault Cabrera at all. I too wonder where has our "so-called" leader gone in Paul Konerko? I've thought he was overrated for awhile. Well before 2005, but fans seem to love him. He really does not lead or say anything. Just because he's a nice guy does not make him a leader. I rather have more guys like Cabrera who seem to at least give a damn instead of guys like Dye who are calling fans ignorant.

 

Mike Sweeney is another good example. They tried to force him to be the captain and the face of the Royals, but he always resisted.

 

Of course, he was great with the fans, always signed autographs...but Muser once said, sometimes we need LEADERS.

 

"Chewing on cookies and eating milk and praying is not going to get it done," former Royals manager Tony Muser said. "I'd like them to go out and pound tequila … " Part of this was due to Sweeney's overt Christianity, but the essence was that being a nice guy alone and even being loved by the fans wasn't enough.

 

Of course, the examples of Everett and Rowand will always be cited here, and juxtaposed with "nice guys" like Jermaine, Thome, Konerko...but for whatever reason, and maybe you can attribute it to AJ's attitude as well...we just don't have that killer instinct anymore, Ozzie is losing ground year by year in the clubhouse with these same players.

 

They really need to start over again with some fresh blood and revitalize with even more youth, without tremendously overpaying. And that's hard to due, because we don't have many prospects left to trade and many spare parts on our major league roster that can be taken out. It's going to be one of those head-scratching, Pods/Carlos Lee "addition by subtraction" moves I think. We can part ways with Cabrera and Vazquez, but it will take a bigger cut to really change the overall mentality of this team/organization.

 

[nitetrain8601]

I'd rather have guys like Cabrera too...ANY day of the week. I for one would bring him back next year and shop Konerko AND Dye. Did Dye really call the fans ignorant? That just pisses me off. Hey JD...please explain why you've had your head up your ass the entire month of September...maybe I'm just ignorant.

 

MINNEAPOLIS -- The fact that White Sox fans were in a panic Thursday facing a sweep by the Twins didn't go unnoticed by Sox players. But the idea that the Sox were being accused of quitting? Well, right fielder Jermaine Dye called that ignorant.

[caulfield12]

Dye didn't call the fans ignorant. The team is tight, just like in 2005...Mariotti, every single day that September, was cheering and pulling for a choke and accusing the team of quitting/dying.

 

What do you expect Dye to say? "Sure, despite fighting for 145 days in first place, we just decided it wasn't worth the extra effort to play for one more week and extend ourselves into the playoffs. We know the Rays are a better team, and they play in a dome, so we basically decided after a team meeting that the Twins had a better chance of representing our division. Plus, the Twins just match up better with the Rays. F*** it, I'm going back to California with my money and wife and family. No matter what happens, I'll always have a ton of money and my future guaranteed, how many of those blue-collar Sox fans can say the same thing in this economy? Screw them!!!"

 

We are reading too much into comments now with all this stuff coming out about OC, Ozzie and Swisher.

 

He's a smart (and nice) guy, and has always been a fan favorite. This is starting to remind me of all the dissection that went on whenever Garland opened his mouth...or Garcia. Now it's Javier's turn to be toasted, and he deserves a lot of the flames he's receiving. But not Dye.

Edited September 26, 2008 by caulfield12

[quickman]

Mike Sweeney is another good example. They tried to force him to be the captain and the face of the Royals, but he always resisted.

 

Of course, he was great with the fans, always signed autographs...but Muser once said, sometimes we need LEADERS.

 

"Chewing on cookies and eating milk and praying is not going to get it done," former Royals manager Tony Muser said. "I'd like them to go out and pound tequila … " Part of this was due to Sweeney's overt Christianity, but the essence was that being a nice guy alone and even being loved by the fans wasn't enough.

 

Of course, the examples of Everett and Rowand will always be cited here, and juxtaposed with "nice guys" like Jermaine, Thome, Konerko...but for whatever reason, and maybe you can attribute it to AJ's attitude as well...we just don't have that killer instinct anymore, Ozzie is losing ground year by year in the clubhouse with these same players.

 

They really need to start over again with some fresh blood and revitalize with even more youth, without tremendously overpaying. And that's hard to due, because we don't have many prospects left to trade and many spare parts on our major league roster that can be taken out. It's going to be one of those head-scratching, Pods/Carlos Lee "addition by subtraction" moves I think. We can part ways with Cabrera and Vazquez, but it will take a bigger cut to really change the overall mentality of this team/organization.

 

 

I do actaully agree with you on much of this, but why in the world would you trust the people pulling the strings to start this thing over again? Why do the sox not pitch inside? why don't they get gamers to brush people back? Kubel and Gomez should have been knocked on there asses. We have a bunch of pussies running the game and squad and they certianly bark alot in the papers but don't play with much heart. You see I think that is exactly what OC was saying. Where is the KILL. Go out and kill them. Scratch claw, bite swear, kick and scream, just kill them.

[nitetrain8601]

Mike Sweeney is another good example. They tried to force him to be the captain and the face of the Royals, but he always resisted.

 

Of course, he was great with the fans, always signed autographs...but Muser once said, sometimes we need LEADERS.

 

"Chewing on cookies and eating milk and praying is not going to get it done," former Royals manager Tony Muser said. "I'd like them to go out and pound tequila … " Part of this was due to Sweeney's overt Christianity, but the essence was that being a nice guy alone and even being loved by the fans wasn't enough.

 

Of course, the examples of Everett and Rowand will always be cited here, and juxtaposed with "nice guys" like Jermaine, Thome, Konerko...but for whatever reason, and maybe you can attribute it to AJ's attitude as well...we just don't have that killer instinct anymore, Ozzie is losing ground year by year in the clubhouse with these same players.

 

They really need to start over again with some fresh blood and revitalize with even more youth, without tremendously overpaying. And that's hard to due, because we don't have many prospects left to trade and many spare parts on our major league roster that can be taken out. It's going to be one of those head-scratching, Pods/Carlos Lee "addition by subtraction" moves I think. We can part ways with Cabrera and Vazquez, but it will take a bigger cut to really change the overall mentality of this team/organization.

 

Bingo. It's the mentality that needs a change. On paper, certainly we have a team that I think is World Series worthy. But the mentality that these players have minus an Orlando Cabrera and sometimes AJ, it sucks. I think being around the other guys really has rubbed on AJ rather than the reverse effect that I would prefer happen. That's why Carl was valuable. That's why Rowand was valuable. People may have called them crazy, but they weren't afraid to say anything. Now all we have is Orlando and everyone else is basically telling him to STFU.

 

[santo=dorf]

Excuse me, I wish this team had more guys like OC.

blah, blah, blah. Just like how you "freaking loved" Erstad, I can never take your opinion seriously on ex or current Angel players. Sorry.

[nitetrain8601]

I do actaully agree with you on much of this, but why in the world would you trust the people pulling the strings to start this thing over again? Why do the sox not pitch inside? why don't they get gamers to brush people back? Kubel and Gomez should have been knocked on there asses. We have a bunch of pussies running the game and squad and they certianly bark alot in the papers but don't play with much heart. You see I think that is exactly what OC was saying. Where is the KILL. Go out and kill them. Scratch claw, bite swear, kick and scream, just kill them.

 

I do agree with that. No one on this team is playing with the confidence of, "we're going to go in, win this game, and kick their butts in the process".

[Wanne]

Do you think pinella would go to the press like this. ozzie should shut up just like everyone said OC should be quiet. ozzie's ego is even bigger than OC's ego. I find it amazing that this is coming out with 4 games left. What a crap team.

 

True....

In that article this quote from OC was a direct shot at Swisher and Toby (which I can't really blame him):

 

But that was child's play compared with his appearance on ''Boers and Bernstein,'' where he insisted, ''There are guys that want to be clowns or want to be funny or want to be this, but what I don't like is there is a time for that and a time to get serious in a ballgame, and I don't see that.''

[santo=dorf]

Of course Cabrera wants to make the postseason. It's one step closer to seeing his buddies in Anaheim again. (Yes, I'm not giving Boston a chance against LAA)

[nitetrain8601]

blah, blah, blah. Just like how you "freaking loved" Erstad, I can never take your opinion seriously on ex or current Angel players. Sorry.

 

I didn't like Erstad all that much either, but Erstad could have been a valuable bench player. Problem is, we used him as a starter in which he never should of been.

[quickman]

First off, Dye didn't call the fans ignorant.

 

Second, read these boards for a while, and you can understand where that thought would come from, even if he didn't say it.

 

 

This whole topic is totally ignorant. There are posts in here talking about shipping both Dye and Konerko away, but keeping Cabrera, because Cabrera is a "leader". Really? So because all you see if a guy talking to the media, instead of keeping it in the clubhouse, he is a leader? Because Dye and Konerko don't whore themselves out to the media, and keep things "in house", they aren't "leaders"? Bulls***.

 

 

I really don't know whether I would call OC a leader. I do think he appears he actaully cares about winning or losing or playing hard. I guess I like that. Swisher sulks, konerko is a big baby, and Griffey never offered much leadership in other places, why would he here. I would love for griffey to come out and say, look guys I really want to win, I am dying to win, Lets make this happen. Can you imagine Clemens acting like Vasquez, and yes I knwo clemens was a jerk and did roids, but hell , he pitched like a bulldog, so did gibson, seaver, cone, black Jack Mcdowell, sabbathia, and on and on. We need more assholes like these guys.We need gamers.