Oney versus Valentine

[Milkman delivers]

In Swisher's case? Probably. If it had happened to say Rios this year? No way.

 

This team has had quite a few guys leave here under better than ideal circumstances, yet I've never once heard of Konerko taking on the role of captain. He's a great guy and I'm sure everyone likes him, but that doesn't qualify him to be the captain. There are certain responsibilities a captain has to take on, and I don't think Konerko's personality fits with them.

 

But it's not like it's Konerko's fault. I don't think he demanded the captain mantle, but rather it was thrust upon him and he accepted because of his personality. It was just a bad choice from the beginning.

[The Ginger Kid]

"Who's running that team?"

 

Come on, that's just disrespectful. Had he said "Ozzie Guillen isn't doing a great job with that roster" then there's nil issue.

I have to agree, Bobby V was out of line calling out Ozzie like that. It's not like the team is doing a nosedive like the Pirates, nor is there any kind of clubhouse revolt going on.

[BigSqwert]

I have to agree, Bobby V was out of line calling out Ozzie like that. It's not like the team is doing a nosedive like the Pirates, nor is there any kind of clubhouse revolt going on.

 

He didn't mention Ozzie. Maybe he was referring to the GM, the team leader(s) (i.e., players), or even ownership.

Edited August 8, 2011 by BigSqwert

[Steve9347]

You and I both know it would have been mentioned by someone by now.

I'm fairly confident I remember Konerko calling out the Big Hurt in 2003 or 2004 for some reason.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I'm fairly confident I remember Konerko calling out the Big Hurt in 2003 or 2004 for some reason.

 

Let's hope it was '04. As PK had no room to call anybody out in '03. I'm thinkin' it was earlier than that.

[iamshack]

I'm fairly confident I remember Konerko calling out the Big Hurt in 2003 or 2004 for some reason.

I doubt it was in 2003.

[The Ginger Kid]

Let's hope it was '04. As PK had no room to call anybody out in '03. I'm thinkin' it was earlier than that.

Yeah, and he got smacked down by KW.

[Steve9347]

I doubt it was in 2003.

I was working at Blockbuster, that's all I remember. I'd always set the DirecTV to Comcast SportsNet (or FSC?) and remember it being a big story.

[The Ginger Kid]

He didn't mention Ozzie. Maybe he was referring to the GM, the team leader(s) (i.e., players), or even ownership.

C'mon dude, when someone says "who's running that team" you don't think it's a shot at the "manager" of that team?

[BigSqwert]

C'mon dude, when someone says "who's running that team" you don't think it's a shot at the "manager" of that team?

 

Sorry. I put my Soxbadger cap on for a second.

[chetkincaid]

can we please stop talking about this guy

 

This x 100,000,000,000,000!!!!!!

 

Just in case anyone missed it the first time, I'm going to quote it again using much bigger letters:

 

can we please stop talking about this guy

 

 

[soxrwhite]

no

[southsider2k5]

This x 100,000,000,000,000!!!!!!

 

Just in case anyone missed it the first time, I'm going to quote it again using much bigger letters:

 

 

Apparently not

[witesoxfan]

I'm fairly confident I remember Konerko calling out the Big Hurt in 2003 or 2004 for some reason.

 

I recall it being 2002 because I was still a little twit then and anybody who picked on my big Frank was a meanie butthead. Thomas was hitting something like .215 in the middle of the year and I don't even remember the gist of his comments but it was most definitely in criticism of Frank.

 

The closest thing I got was an article from July 24, 2002, where Thomas hit a monstrosity of a homer (longest in the park's history at that point) like a day after Konerko had criticized him for his poor performance. That's all I have, and any articles from that far back through Google cost $3 a pop. I'm not going to pony up $3 for an article.

[kjshoe04]

Konerko not having the right personality to be the captain hurts this team about as much as the fans booing.

[Steve9347]

I recall it being 2002 because I was still a little twit then and anybody who picked on my big Frank was a meanie butthead. Thomas was hitting something like .215 in the middle of the year and I don't even remember the gist of his comments but it was most definitely in criticism of Frank.

 

The closest thing I got was an article from July 24, 2002, where Thomas hit a monstrosity of a homer (longest in the park's history at that point) like a day after Konerko had criticized him for his poor performance. That's all I have, and any articles from that far back through Google cost $3 a pop. I'm not going to pony up $3 for an article.

Thanks, Wite. I definitely wasn't certain of the year, but I am certain it happened.

[Leonard Washington]

I recall it being 2002 because I was still a little twit then and anybody who picked on my big Frank was a meanie butthead. Thomas was hitting something like .215 in the middle of the year and I don't even remember the gist of his comments but it was most definitely in criticism of Frank.

 

The closest thing I got was an article from July 24, 2002, where Thomas hit a monstrosity of a homer (longest in the park's history at that point) like a day after Konerko had criticized him for his poor performance. That's all I have, and any articles from that far back through Google cost $3 a pop. I'm not going to pony up $3 for an article.

This is the only Sox home game I've ever been to. I have the newspaper article from the next day framed in my room. The Sox jumped out to a huge early lead against the Twins (off Johan Santana of all people), but Buehrle coughed most of it up. The Sox held on to win 8-7

 

I still am grateful that my first (and only) Sox game in Chicago featured such a mammoth Thomas HR. The picture of him in the newspaper says it all. He looks pissed off rounding third base and the headline reads "Thomas answers the call"

 

[caulfield12]

1) Valentine is a top candidate for the Marlins' job. Of course, there is a rivalry there. Oney wants his dad to have a job SOMEWHERE managing.

2) I'll bet Ozzie made a comment around the house or dinner table about Valentine never winning anything (besides Japan)...I highly doubt Oney came up with this on his own

3) Does Valentine routinely say the same thing about the Reds, Rockies and Twins' managers? What about Buck Showalter? Adam Jones made a throw so fundamentally bad it would have made Alex Rios red with jealousy. And, of course, because the winning run was then on 2B instead of at first, the baseball gods decreed that he be driven in to put the O's 24 games under .500. Instead of fixing that problem, Showalter's calling up the league offices in NYC to get a ball hit by Jones ruled a hit (instead of an error).

4) Will anyone in South Florida support the team because Valentine's the manager? Doubtful. He's getting up there in age. Maybe not like McKeon or Davey Johnson, but he's not the same manager he was 10-20 years ago.

[Leonard Washington]

1) Valentine is a top candidate for the Marlins' job. Of course, there is a rivalry there. Oney wants his dad to have a job SOMEWHERE managing.

2) I'll bet Ozzie made a comment around the house or dinner table about Valentine never winning anything (besides Japan)...I highly doubt Oney came up with this on his own

3) Does Valentine routinely say the same thing about the Reds, Rockies and Twins' managers? What about Buck Showalter? Adam Jones made a throw so fundamentally bad it would have made Alex Rios red with jealousy. And, of course, because the winning run was then on 2B instead of at first, the baseball gods decreed that he be driven in to put the O's 24 games under .500. Instead of fixing that problem, Showalter's calling up the league offices in NYC to get a ball hit by Jones ruled a hit (instead of an error).

4) Will anyone in South Florida support the team because Valentine's the manager? Doubtful. He's getting up there in age. Maybe not like McKeon or Davey Johnson, but he's not the same manager he was 10-20 years ago.

1.) This is an interesting point. He might be overly critical of Ozzie if he sees him as his primary competition for a job he wants. Who knows?

2.) I doubt this. Oney is (barely) smart enough to wikipedia Valentine's accomplishments before tweeting his childishness.

3.) Another interesting point. I'd be interested to see his other preseason picks and if he's made similar tweets about other teams.

4.) Nobody in any city will support a team because of the manager.

[caulfield12]

Point #4...and that's why we shouldn't be clamoring for Ryne Sandberg to manage the Sox. Somehow, it will backfire and have a bad ending.

 

 

As far as point 2, I think that came DIRECTLY FROM OZZIE. It was just shot back at Valentine under the cover of Oney, but this sounds exactly like something Ozzie would say in an interview about other managers around the sport that are currently inactive...if they asked, "Is Bobby Valentine more deserving of the Florida Marlins job (than you)?" You just know he's fall back on the 2005 thing right away.

 

But do you really think Ozzie would do that to Gardenhire? No way. He respects Gardenhire way too much to throw HIM under the bus like a media/attention whore on ESPN or MLB Network. Ozzie is threatened by his own kind. He wants to be the alpha dog and run the pack. Valentine and Showalter are baseball's versions of Donald Trump and Gallagher.

Edited August 9, 2011 by caulfield12