Ozzie to be on Score - 12/05/08

[joejoesox]

Mully & Hanley doing radio interview/discussion with Ozzie this morning

 

Just thought i'd give everyone a heads up that can listen

 

Starts at 9:30

Edited December 5, 2008 by joesaiditstrue

[Kyyle23]

I wonder if they put Ozzie on a 10-20 second delay

[caulfield12]

The question of the day...what, if any (and you know he WANTS to say something) will Ozzie's comments be regarding the possibility of Cabrera coming back again?

Edited December 5, 2008 by caulfield12

[NorthSideSox72]

I wonder if they put Ozzie on a 10-20 second delay

Most radio is done with a 5 second dump loop or the like, so yeah, I'm sure they'll have a finger on the button.

 

[tonyho7476]

Mully & Hanley doing radio interview/discussion with Ozzie this morning

 

Just thought i'd give everyone a heads up that can listen

 

Starts at 9:30

 

Will they be able to fit Ozzie in with all the commercials they play?

[Kyyle23]

Most radio is done with a 5 second dump loop or the like, so yeah, I'm sure they'll have a finger on the button.

 

Normally its 7 seconds(i worked radio for 5 years), but personally I would give Ozzie a bigger bump because of his tendency to string together words and profanities so quickly.

 

Rock Momola will have a quite the time cleaning it up

[ThunderBolt]

Highlights from the interview

We can compete, once again, this year

We are looking into the future, and try to win the same years we make trades

Javy threw well all year long. He gave us innings and win, but was disappointing at the end. I did not expect him to be gone.

Right now, we got Getz, Lillibridge, Fields and Betemit (no mention of Nix). No one has a shot for sure, we are leaning towards a couple guys. We have good team depth. These guys impressed a lot of people. Right now, it’s Konerko, Getz, Fields Ramirez

Last year was the hardest year as a manager.

Says he wouldn't have a choice, but to live with O-Cab. He played real well, out of position in lineup, we'd win with 'em

The money sitiuation is a big factor. Ozzie would love to have a CC, but it's not realistic given the financial market, and the way the lineup is shaping up. CC is not on the wishlist

Garland would be welcomed back.

Swisher trade was for right now and the future. Swish did a good job, hitting out of position. The body language was a huge factor by the end of the year. We didn't get rid of him for that, we needed more people to help the ballclub.

"if you're happy when you're not playing you're a loser"

We're gambling, and in the past we've been pretty good at it.

Our pitching staff is going to be better. Speed is not just in the bases, it's in the field. We need a good leadoff hitter.

Joe (Crede) was great with me.

Dayan Vicideo "if the kid plays half better then Ramirez, i'd take him any minute."

the talent is there, knows how to play baseball, hopefully be good enough to help quickly at the Major League level"

"i feel like the manager from Cuba!"

 

Edited December 5, 2008 by Thunderbolt

[southsider2k5]

-Ozzie feels that his team can compete today. he is very excited about this team. he is disappointed to lose players because of his relationship with them, but he feels this will be a better team.

 

-He felt at the end of the year that Javy wouldn't be back. He won't say anything negative about him.

 

-nobody has a job for sure out of the new guys. They have to prove themselves. They have guys they are leaning towards, but no one is given a job.

 

-feels the pitching staff is pretty good as it is now.

 

-2008 was hardest season as a coach/mgr for staff. They had to do a lot of "crazy" things to win the division. He is proud of the team and their achievements for 2008.

 

-OC wouldn't be an uncomfortable if he came back. he played really well for them, even as out of position in the leadoff spot. Ultimately it is up to KW whether he is back or not.

 

-He has no idea if a big move is happening, but he mentions how bad the economy is, and that he doubts something big will happen.

 

-Would rather have a couple of guys versus one high priced guy. Said CC is not on his wish list.

 

-Jon Garland would be welcomed back here. He did a great job for them in the past.

 

-Swish was moved because they didn't have a position for him, and because they got some good players for him. He also didn't like his body language after he got benched. He did praise him for playing everyday, otu of position. Made is clear they did NOT move him because he pouted.

 

-Is he concerned about not having players with "track record". Oz sights all of the other players they have brought in with out track records (TCQ, Danks, Floyd, etc.)

 

-Speed show up not only on offense, but on D. They were bad team speed wise defensively.

 

-Crede was great with Ozzie in communciations, all thought he doesn't like injured players at the ball park

 

-If Viciedo plays half as good as they think, he will be great. Ozzie calls him "fat". Hasnt' seen him much, but was pushing for him to get signed. He has a lot of promise, knows how to play the game, and hopefully he will help quickly. He should be comfortable on the team with all of the other Cubans and latin players.

 

-Talks about the dangers back in the homelands, kind of implies that the media is making it worse.

 

-Saids the Soxfest Q&A ought to be interesting this year.

 

-Calls the winter meetings a "high school reunion". Hahn and KW don't wait for these meetings to try to fix the team.

 

FULL INTERVIEW WILL BE POSTED LATER ON WSCR.com

 

 

[MO2005]

Highlights from the interview

We can compete, once again, this year

We are looking into the future, and try to win the same years we make trades

Javy threw well all year long. He gave us innings and win, but was disappointing at the end. I did not expect him to be gone.

Right now, we got Getz, Lillibridge, Fields and Betemit (no mention of Nix). No one has a shot for sure, we are leaning towards a couple guys. We have good team depth. These guys impressed a lot of people. Right now, it’s Konerko, Getz, Fields Ramirez

Last year was the hardest year as a manager.

Says he wouldn't have a choice, but to live with O-Cab. He played real well, out of position in lineup, we'd win with 'em

The money sitiuation is a big factor. Ozzie would love to have a CC, but it's not realistic given the financial market, and the way the lineup is shaping up. CC is not on the wishlist

Garland would be welcomed back.

Swisher trade was for right now and the future. Swish did a good job, hitting out of position. The body language was a huge factor by the end of the year. We didn't get rid of him for that, we needed more people to help the ballclub.

"if you're happy when you're not playing you're a loser"

We're gambling, and in the past we've been pretty good at it.

Our pitching staff is going to be better. Speed is not just in the bases, it's in the field. We need a good leadoff hitter. Joe (Crede) was great with me.

Dayan Vicideo "if the kid plays half better then Ramirez, i'd take him any minute."

the talent is there, knows how to play baseball, hopefully be good enough to help quickly at the Major League level"

"i feel like the manager from Cuba!"

 

I loved the whole good leadoff hitter part. I think it is pretty clear what Kenny is doing with these trades to free up salary. I just wish I knew who it was!

 

[shipps]

There seems to be a reeeeeally good chance there are no big names or even semi big names coming to the Sox this off season.Everyone says its a smokescreen but this might be nothing but a rebuilding off season where we bring in nothing but young prospects,which is something I didnt expect from KW.

[Dick Allen]

There seems to be a reeeeeally good chance there are no big names or even semi big names coming to the Sox this off season.Everyone says its a smokescreen but this might be nothing but a rebuilding off season where we bring in nothing but young prospects,which is something I didnt expect from KW.

The more I hear, the more I think you could be right, but I still can't see them purging that much of the payroll while raising ticket prices. Something big is going to happen. If not and they aren't successful on the field after doing that, it would be a huge problem.

[caulfield12]

It would be pretty irresponsible to market Marquez and Richard/Poreda as the best answers for the 4/5 spots when you're increasing ticket prices 11%.

 

I can't believe the Yankees would so easily let go of ANY pitching prospect that had a chance to be "pretty good" so quickly, especially with Mussina retiring, and the struggles of Kennedy/Hughes, etc. They also let Rassner go, I think. Seems strange we can see something they can't, but it's hard to argue with successes of Floyd, Danks, Loaiza, Contreras and Thornton. OTOH, you have Sisco, Aardsma and MacDougal.

 

If not and they aren't successful on the field after doing that, it would be a huge problem.

 

I think Sox fans are willing to give KW the benefit of the doubt at this point. They know he wants to win as badly as they do. How many times as a White Sox fan have things looked bleak, if not desperate? We're still operating largely in the "era of good feeling" after the 2005 season, and the 2008 year was a plesant rebound. I mean, if we had lost to the Twins in the one game playoff, would this "reloading" phase be an even bigger problem? The fact of the matter is that the majority of clubs are going into cost-cutting mode, in anticipation of future revenue losses, and it's hard not to blame them. I mean, if 60-65% of Americans own stocks and houses, and these respective asset values have gone down from 15-65% in one year and coming up with cash (from home equity loans) for tickets is difficult and putting everything on the credit card (like Christmas shopping) is no longer an option, can we expect the White Sox to spend wildly when there's really no historical precedent for this 2006-2008 Sox spending spree? Many believe the US government needs to spend/invest and cut taxes to stimulate growth, but the situation for a major league ballclub isn't quite the same analogy.

Edited December 5, 2008 by caulfield12

[Chisoxfn]

Very happy with what Ozzie said.

[RockRaines]

There seems to be a reeeeeally good chance there are no big names or even semi big names coming to the Sox this off season.Everyone says its a smokescreen but this might be nothing but a rebuilding off season where we bring in nothing but young prospects,which is something I didnt expect from KW.

KW isnt going to go into ST with 2 holes in the rotation and no leadoff hitter.

[ThunderBolt]

KW isnt going to go into ST with 2 holes in the rotation and no leadoff hitter.

The thing is, in Kenny’s mind the team doesn’t have those holes. He seems to more than satisfied with the pool of Richard, Poreda, Marquez, Carrasco, Broadway, Egbert, and Van Benschoten for the 4 and 5 spots.

He also seems to think that, Owens, Getz and Lillibridge will me more than enough depth for the leadoff spot. Frankly, I don’t blame him occasionally you have to throw a couple guys against the wall and see who sticks.

 

[sayitaintso]

KW isnt going to go into ST with 2 holes in the rotation and no leadoff hitter.

In a sense, he did last year. The great Jerry O got hurt and Danks and Floyd were more or less considered holes. Nobody expected them (danks & floyd) in ST to be as effective and dominant as the were at seasons end.

Edited December 5, 2008 by sayitaintso

[BFirebird]

KW isnt going to go into ST with 2 holes in the rotation and no leadoff hitter.

I would normally agree with that...but all this cutting back talk is scaring me.

[sox1844]

Shocked that Ozzie has rational responses!

[NorthSideSox72]

The thing is, in Kenny’s mind the team doesn’t have those holes. He seems to more than satisfied with the pool of Richard, Poreda, Marquez, Carrasco, Broadway, Egbert, and Van Benschoten for the 4 and 5 spots.

He also seems to think that, Owens, Getz and Lillibridge will me more than enough depth for the leadoff spot. Frankly, I don’t blame him occasionally you have to throw a couple guys against the wall and see who sticks.

Of course he says those things. And he may, or may not, believe them. But he has to say them regardless.

 

[jenksycat]

Honestly, even if KW doesn't make any more moves/signings, we didn't really lose much.

 

-Swisher did nothing last year (although I still disagree with the trade)

-Javy blows and it shouldn't be impossible to get something near his productivity

 

 

 

 

[winninguglyin83]

look at the economy.

 

Wouldn't be surprising at all to me if Jerry cut $20 million from the payroll.

 

Probably a prudent move.

[greg775]

Garland would be welcomed back.

 

Please bring back Jon. And at least consider keeping OC.

[SkokieSox]

The thing is, in Kenny’s mind the team doesn’t have those holes. He seems to more than satisfied with the pool of Richard, Poreda, Marquez, Carrasco, Broadway, Egbert, and Van Benschoten for the 4 and 5 spots.

He also seems to think that, Owens, Getz and Lillibridge will me more than enough depth for the leadoff spot. Frankly, I don’t blame him occasionally you have to throw a couple guys against the wall and see who sticks.

 

I don't believe KW is ever more than satisfied... Especially with the team as it stands. Maybe he isn't able to do anything else, but he's not satisfied.

[ThunderBolt]

I don't believe KW is ever more than satisfied... Especially with the team as it stands. Maybe he isn't able to do anything else, but he's not satisfied.

Clearly If you were satisfied as a GM, you wouldn’t be doing your job right, but I think he’s content. Obviously, he’s going to keep trying to make moves, because KW’s anything, but complacent. I honestly think he’d be confident going into next season with this group of guys.

[scenario]

One thing that KW said in the teleconference that is sticking with me...

 

He said, "the infield is set... now I'm going to focus on the outfield".

 

What I take out of that is that somebody is going to get acquired, very likely this week.

 

And I don't think it's improbable at all that Dye is moved... both for salary and quality trade chip purposes.

 

So... IMO... we're looking at one new outfielder (>75% likely) and possibly two (25% likely).