Ozzie convinced he'd get another job if fired

[lostfan]

Of course he would immediately get another job. He won the damn World Series.

He feels comfortable in Chicago. He'd shut the f*** up if he was the skipper of the Marlins or somebody.

He's Ozzie in Chicago; like Ditka. He is comfortable here after being with this organization so long and a fixture in the city. There's a big time comfort level with the owner and media.

And Ditka was eventually cast aside, and didn't coach again for 5 years (although he got hired as a broadcaster), but when he did get another shot he was a miserable failure and pretty much ruined the illusion that all those teams were good because of him (Buddy Ryan anyone...?). Ditka may have been an icon because of 1985, but really as a coach he wasn't all that...

Edited April 17, 2010 by lostfan

[The Gooch]

I think a lot of guys could have managed that team to a WS.

 

I disagree. Managing starting pitching and bullpens these days is not easy, and when a team without a ton of offensive bats wins the world series, using the starters and bullpen without much error is the only way a team like that can go all the way

[greg775]

And Ditka was eventually cast aside, and didn't coach again for 5 years (although he got hired as a broadcaster), but when he did get another shot he was a miserable failure and pretty much ruined the illusion that all those teams were good because of him (Buddy Ryan anyone...?). Ditka may have been an icon because of 1985, but really as a coach he wasn't all that...

 

Good points. Being a broadcaster isn't all bad, though. I'd think Oz could do that, but if he wants to manage I'd think he'd get a job pretty quickly. I really believe he'd tone down in another city. Wasn't Ditka relatively calm when he was coach of New Orleans? I seem to recall there weren't as many headlines regarding Ditka in his post-Chicago coaching days, but I could be mistaken.

Ozzie is kind of an institution in Chicago, IMO.

Edited April 17, 2010 by greg775

[lostfan]

Good points. Being a broadcaster isn't all bad, though. I'd think Oz could do that, but if he wants to manage I'd think he'd get a job pretty quickly. I really believe he'd tone down in another city. Wasn't Ditka relatively calm when he was coach of New Orleans? I seem to recall there weren't as many headlines regarding Ditka in his post-Chicago coaching days, but I could be mistaken.

Ozzie is kind of an institution in Chicago, IMO.

Ozzie would at least be funny as hell as a broadcaster if nothing else.

 

The main thing that Ditka made headlines for in New Orleans was trading all 7 of his 1999 draft picks plus a 1st and a 3rd for the 2000 draft to get the #1 pick to sign Ricky Williams, arguably one of the dumbest trades in NFL history. Although it was also as dumb for Williams to let his agent talk him into signing an incentive-laden deal with ridiculous production targets when he could've just taken a bunch of guaranteed $$ like any other #1 pick would do.

[greg775]

I forgot about that trade; what a dumbass Ditka was to do that. 7 draft picks; my god.

[lostfan]

Actually 9

[Milkman delivers]

And Ditka was eventually cast aside, and didn't coach again for 5 years (although he got hired as a broadcaster), but when he did get another shot he was a miserable failure and pretty much ruined the illusion that all those teams were good because of him (Buddy Ryan anyone...?). Ditka may have been an icon because of 1985, but really as a coach he wasn't all that...

 

Ditka is the most overrated sports figure in the history of Chicago. Almost ANY coach could have taken that 1985 Bears team all the way. In fact, it's hard to believe that they only won it once, which I think says a lot about Ditka. That championship was due to the defense and Buddy Ryan.

[Pants Rowland]

Ditka is the most overrated sports figure in the history of Chicago. Almost ANY coach could have taken that 1985 Bears team all the way. In fact, it's hard to believe that they only won it once, which I think says a lot about Ditka. That championship was due to the defense and Buddy Ryan.

 

THIS^^^ Oh my goodness, THIS!

 

Ditka was a drunken ass who rode around on a golf cart for years. He sold out his players during the strike and did not realize that the talent drafted by Jim Finks is what made him the Chicago sports icon he is today. SOOOOOO overrated. It is embarrassing that he could only win one title with that much talent. I know repeating is very difficult, but that team had so many elite players it wasn't even fair.

 

[ThunderBolt]

Ozzie just gave an interview that not only deflected blame from Walk, but threw Jayson Nix under the bus. What a lovely human being. "It's not Greg Walker's fault," Guillen said. "(Bleep) it. I'm not going to fire a guy that has nothing to do with this thing. Look at (Mark) Kotsay, (Omar) Vizquel and (Jayson) Nix, they don't need a hitting coach. They need to (bleeping) get hits.

 

"Every time I have a problem with my coaching staff, I'm the first one who fires them. This is like a chain, bro. If they don't hit, they blame the hitting coach and then the manager. If they are not pitching, they blame the pitching coach. It's about blaming people."

 

"I take the blame. I don't want Walk or Coop (pitching coach Don Cooper) or Joey (Joey Cora) to take the blame. All of this thing, blame it on Ozzie. Don't blame Kenny (general manager Ken Williams) or Jerry (chairman Jerry Reinsdorf) or anyone else. Don't put anyone in the middle. When we are not hitting, not pitching or not winning games, my name is out there. That's why I'm the manager.

 

"I'm not afraid to get blamed. I don't give a (bleep) to be blamed."

 

And Later we get this gem:

“There’s too much freaking information in baseball now,” Guillen said. “There’s too many (bleeping) guys on the computer. It’s simple. I say that. Pete Rose never watched a computer. Rod Carew never did. All those hitters, they go out and see the ball, hit it and move on.” I'm about ready to cut the cord with Ozzie.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/...kers-fault.html

Edited April 18, 2010 by Thunderbolt

[greg775]

Who cares? Al Lopez, Tom Lasorda, Jim Leyland, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox could not win s*** with this lineup. We could lose an astronomical number of games this season.

 

 

[ThunderBolt]

Who cares? Al Lopez, Tom Lasorda, Jim Leyland, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox could not win s*** with this lineup. We could lose an astronomical number of games this season.

I actually think a decent manager could have us playing .500 ball, right now. We're not great, but we're not this bad.

[Vote4Pedro]

Who cares? Al Lopez, Tom Lasorda, Jim Leyland, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox could not win s*** with this lineup. We could lose an astronomical number of games this season.

they probably would have never assembled this lineup to begin with

[caulfield12]

Ozzie just gave an interview that not only deflected blame from Walk, but threw Jayson Nix under the bus. What a lovely human being. "It's not Greg Walker's fault," Guillen said. "(Bleep) it. I'm not going to fire a guy that has nothing to do with this thing. Look at (Mark) Kotsay, (Omar) Vizquel and (Jayson) Nix, they don't need a hitting coach. They need to (bleeping) get hits.

 

"Every time I have a problem with my coaching staff, I'm the first one who fires them. This is like a chain, bro. If they don't hit, they blame the hitting coach and then the manager. If they are not pitching, they blame the pitching coach. It's about blaming people."

 

"I take the blame. I don't want Walk or Coop (pitching coach Don Cooper) or Joey (Joey Cora) to take the blame. All of this thing, blame it on Ozzie. Don't blame Kenny (general manager Ken Williams) or Jerry (chairman Jerry Reinsdorf) or anyone else. Don't put anyone in the middle. When we are not hitting, not pitching or not winning games, my name is out there. That's why I'm the manager.

 

"I'm not afraid to get blamed. I don't give a (bleep) to be blamed."

 

And Later we get this gem:

“There’s too much freaking information in baseball now,” Guillen said. “There’s too many (bleeping) guys on the computer. It’s simple. I say that. Pete Rose never watched a computer. Rod Carew never did. All those hitters, they go out and see the ball, hit it and move on.” I'm about ready to cut the cord with Ozzie.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/...kers-fault.html

 

 

Nix didn't deserve that at all, he actually got a hit this week.

 

Like how Ozzie cites how Cabrera was a much better match-up for a RHP than a LHP, and how afraid he was of fat guy MaTola (LaPorta) and Kearns facing Thornton. Really?

 

What's the difference between using a laptop and index cards? Ozzie is/was using Twitter before, he should have some growing intellectual concept about the possibilities of technology applications.

 

It's like that stupid argument all over again in Moneyball, the Fuson School and the DiPodesta/Ricciardi one. YOU HAVE TO USE BOTH...embrace the future. I think Ozzie knows he's "old school" and he sees all these guys like Epstein, Bill James, Daniels and Jack Z. and the writing is on the wall, TO HIM. We wouldn't want to threaten the "good 'ol boys" school of Baines, Walker, Cooper, Cora, Raines, etc., in the dugout, would WE?

 

I mean, it's not like it's EASY for someone without a background in playing (at the very least, minor league professionally) to get into coaching at any level with a major league team. It's next to impossible. Old traditions die hard. I think what would scare Ozzie even more is the kid in "Little Big League" or someone from Ranger's call-in show or one of the Sox message boards managing the team better than he does. Because he's always arguing about how uneducated the fans are about the game and how they have to go to work at 4 a.m. (I guess we're back to the all White Sox fans are blue collar factory laborers in the 1970's) and he's Ozzie so he can say whatever he wants with absolutely no consequences or accountability.

 

Thanks for 2005 and 2008 Ozzie, but that doesn't get you a lifetime pass...not with the paying fans. Maybe with JR.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chw42]

Maybe Ozzie should decide to take all that information and use it correctly...

 

Since when was ignorance a good thing...?

[knightni]

Who's a better manager option right now in April?

 

Cora will be interim if Ozzie's let go during the season, and Walker will still be here.

 

That's not any better, folks.

 

Save the "Fire Ozzie" threads until the end of the season.

[caulfield12]

"I'm going to sleep like a baby — wake up every (bleeping) two hours and cry," Guillen said after the Indians scored two runs in the eighth inning to pull out a 3-2 victory and drop the last-place Sox five games behind in the American League Central with their third straight loss.

 

Classic Ozzie.