You can learn a lot from a postgame show...

[macsandz]

Well, Ozzie's press conference was very telling. He looks exhausted and completely out of ideas. After only 16 games, he's lost his team. He used his last card and that's calling his team out for the media.

"I already feel like I need a goddamned All Star break. They should be embarrassed with the way they play. People sit in the freezing cold and freeze their asses off to watch this team."

 

...blah...blah...blah, Oz. We all see through your BS these days. This team is full of veterans and these statements are gonna have as much effect as you telling them to "play loose out there tomorrow" did tonight.

 

To have the manager get to this point after only two weeks of games is unreal and really indicates just how f*&%ked up this team is already.

 

Big Frank was on to comment and he said "the locker room was dead this afternoon. These guys are really down."

 

So, much like this team never steps up and makes a run when trailing within a game, as of now don't look for them to have any idea how to make a run at a winning streak within the season.

[TitoMB345]

There's no doubt in my mind that this team appears down. Something just isn't clicking and everyone is slumping at the same time. I don't know if anything can really fix this, except some good luck, some good swings, and some patience.

[MiddleCoastBias]

Or blow-up dolls. Edited April 23, 2010 by The Baconator

[TheMegalonDON]

I still believe deep down that this team has more talent than it has shown.

 

I really do

[greg775]

They should activate the Big Hurt to loosen up the team for a day.

[chisoxfan09]

Or blow-up dolls.

 

Or "blow-up" the team in 2-3 months.

[Chisoxfn]

They need someone to loosen the mood and let them have fun.

[Bubba Philips]

Or "blow-up" the team in 2-3 months.

When we play a good team with a good pitcher or a newly brought up minor leaguer. Our hitters our lost. No one is having good at bats. I see the same old problems year after year where we strand hitters or can't seem to get on base. Pierre has a good lifetime average but a leadoff man that can't get on base. Then teams like the twins or the rays get the little hits and do the little things that beat us. Why can't we do that? Maybe we should be doing more of the little things, like hitting to the opposite field. It can't be all bad luck. In 05 we played with confidence we made other teams make mistakes > we took advantages of those mistakes. Where is the confidence ?

[Dick Allen]

So in about a week, Ozzie has gone from any fan that disagrees with him should go root for the Cubs to feeling compassion for the people who pay to go watch the crap he throws on the field?

 

Maybe Ozzie should have done a double take on the line up he made out last night. You don't have to know baseball as well as Oney to figure runs were probably going to be at a premium. I made a comment before the game in the game thread thinking the opposite of what you think may happen and the Sox hopefully would score 6 or 7. That obviously didn't happen and even if it did, it would have been woefully short. Another awful game. Maybe this team can turn it around, but the question is how long do you wait? I really don't think its a 95-100 loss team as constructed, but the object is to win that amount. Something has to be done.

[Balta1701]

So in about a week, Ozzie has gone from any fan that disagrees with him should go root for the Cubs to feeling compassion for the people who pay to go watch the crap he throws on the field?

Sometimes, when people are struggling mentally, you support them. Sometimes, if that doesn't work, you try a good swift kick in the arse.

 

Remember, you're not Ozzie's only audience here.

[NorthSideSox72]

I still believe deep down that this team has more talent than it has shown.

 

I really do

There really isn't any doubt about that. With the pitching staff the team has, and talent all around, even WITH the DH hole, this team should certainly be better than 5-11.

 

[BaseballNick]

They need someone to loosen the mood and let them have fun.

 

They need to hit and start winning. When you win, you have fun.

[jasonxctf]

this team needs something that will rock it to its core, shock the sh*t out of them and cause them to refocus.

 

That could be a firing, big player trade, something.

[Harry Chappas]

this team needs something that will rock it to its core, shock the sh*t out of them and cause them to refocus.

 

That could be a firing, big player trade, something.

 

It should be a DFA of Omar and Kotsay but it will not.

[Balta1701]

It should be a DFA of Omar and Kotsay but it will not.

Because you know what will save this team? Better backups.

[Harry Chappas]

Because you know what will save this team? Better backups.

 

But these guys are not back ups they are starting too often, that is the problem. Beckham and Rios do not need two days off out of four.

[Balta1701]

But these guys are not back ups they are starting too often, that is the problem. Beckham and Rios do not need two days off out of four.

Why might those guys be starting too often? It couldn't be because Beckham and Rios haven't been hitting any better than Vizquel and Kotsay, could it?

[bschmaranz]

I think we need to just get it over with and replace Ozzie with...

 

[Harry Chappas]

Why might those guys be starting too often? It couldn't be because Beckham and Rios haven't been hitting any better than Vizquel and Kotsay, could it?

 

Those two are the future regadless of how bleak it may be Omar and Kotsay are not and if you think playing them is a good thing I do not know what to tell you. If they served the roles they were signed for I would be fine but they are in the lineup way too often thus I think they shoudl be realeased. That and they both are worthless but keep thinkingthey will get better because ozzeroo thinks they will.

[Balta1701]

Those two are the future regadless of how bleak it may be Omar and Kotsay are not and if you think playing them is a good thing I do not know what to tell you. If they served the roles they were signed for I would be fine but they are in the lineup way too often thus I think they shoudl be realeased. That and they both are worthless but keep thinkingthey will get better because ozzeroo thinks they will.

Part of the role of a backup is to give a guy who's struggling an extra day or two off to work on his swing and clear his mind.

[dmbjeff]

Part of the role of a backup is to give a guy who's struggling an extra day or two off to work on his swing and clear his mind.

 

Yeah you can do this when it is just 1 or 2 guys struggling and they need a breather and the rest of the team is hitting. In times like this, sitting 2 of your better players for Kotsay and Vizquel is just stupid.

[Balta1701]

Yeah you can do this when it is just 1 or 2 guys struggling and they need a breather and the rest of the team is hitting. In times like this, sitting 2 of your better players for Kotsay and Vizquel is just stupid.

If Beckham isn't hitting and Quentin/Pierre aren't hitting...how exactly does playing either Kotsay or Vizquel make us worse? Beckham, Pierre, Rios, and Quentin can go 0/4 just as well as Kotsay or Vizquel right now.

 

The only way it would make us worse is if that day would have been the day where the actual important guy snapped out of his slump.

[The Ginger Kid]

it would be good to have a vocal vet like Carl around to try and shake their cages, but who knows?

 

Lost control of this team? What's there for Ozzie to control right now other than lineups? He's not a psychologist.

[Balta1701]

Lost control of this team? What's there for Ozzie to control right now other than lineups? He's not a psychologist.

Frankly...that is actually part of his job. He's been out-managed in game lots of times. If he can't get his team's mental state where it needs to be...then he isn't really doing anything.

[Rex Kickass]

Frankly...that is actually part of his job. He's been out-managed in game lots of times. If he can't get his team's mental state where it needs to be...then he isn't really doing anything.

 

Exactly. Atmosphere is important, and if its not right in the clubhouse, its not going to be right on the field. And if a manager can't get it right in the clubhouse, how can we expect him to get it right on the field?