Knuckle Curve » ozzie guillen

White Sox GM Ken Williams Upset

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:00:51 +0000

Ken Williams, the general manager of the Chicago White Sox, isn’t known for biting his tongue. On Monday, he talked about how upset he is with his team.

Said Williams: “We’ve thrown away a dozen games that way this year. We’ve deserved what we’ve got. I’m not happy. I’m not happy with a lot of what I see, we’re underachievers, period.”

On the season, the White Sox are 61-58. In the AL Central, they trail the Detroit Tigers by two games. Manager Ozzie Guillen agreed with Williams’ assessment.

“Look at those guys we’ve got on the field, look at the guys we have on the bench,” said Guillen. “If we want to win this thing, we better get better than .500. Do we have the talent to do it? I think so. Do we have the right people on the field to do it? There’s no doubt.”

Williams has been willing to add a lot of money to the books to help the team on the field. He went out and traded for star pitcher Jake Peavy and acquired Alex Rios from the waiver wire.

If the White Sox don’t improve and get well over .500, expect Williams to make major changes in the offseason.

Ken Williams is mad at his Chicago White Sox (Image: Zuma Press)

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Baseball Power Rankings – July Rankings

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:37:30 +0000

Here’s a look at the best teams in baseball as we head into the month of July.

1. Boston Red Sox – The defending champions still the best in the business.
2. Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays are starting to look like they are for real.
3. Chicago Cubs – Could the 100-year curse finally be ready to die?
4. Los Angeles Angels – When they get hot, the Angels can beat anyone.
5. St. Louis Cardinals – With Pujols healthy, the Cardinals are good enough.
6. Chicago White Sox – The madder Ozzie Guillen gets, the better they play.
7. Philadelphia Phillies – Does any lineup in the majors have more talent?
8. New York Yankees – The Yankees have too much money to count out.
9. Minnesota Twins – The Twins are hot but it’ll be tough to keep it up.
10. Milwaukee Brewers – Braun and Fielder need to carry the load.

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Ozzie Guillen and Lou Piniella Rap Video

Stephen Kersey — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:49:40 +0000

Money can make people do some crazy things. Just ask Ozzie Guillen and Lou Piniella, who were featured in a rap video that was pimping a Chicago car dealership.

Guillen, coach of the Chicago White Sox, and Piniella, coach of the Chicago Cubs, actually both do a pretty decent job of staying on the beat. In the rap video, the two rap about the rivalry between the two Chicago teams.

While the rap video and rivalry won’t make anyone forget about Tupac Shakur versus Biggie Smalls or Jay-Z versus Nas — or even Eminem versus the Insane Clown Posse — it will probably help the dealership sell a few cars to Chicago’s baseball fans.

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MLB Power Rankings – Best in Baseball

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:34:38 +0000

1. Boston Red Sox
At 40-26, the Red Sox on well on their way to another spot in the postseason. The defending World Series champions have a few weak spots on their roster, however they are a team no one wants to play. Boston has to be the favorite to take home another championship in 2008.

2. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have the best record in baseball. Their hitting is arguably the best in baseball. With a good combination of average, power and speed, the Cubs are a pitching nightmare right now. However, their 14-16 road record indicates an area where this team can improve.

3. Philadelphia Phillies
Few teams are as talented as the Phillies. From Chase Utley to Ryan Howard to Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies definitely have star power. If they can get hot at the right now, they could steamroll to a NL pennant.

4. Chicago White Sox
After manager Ozzie Guillen laid into his team, the White Sox have responded by winning seven straight games. Even though they’ve underachieved for much of the season, the White Sox remain one of the best teams in baseball.

5. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have been the talk of baseball in 2008. While they are obviously a very good team, they still face an uphill climb to make the playoffs. It’s definitely possible but a lot of teams in the AL will make a hard push. Do the Rays have the experience to hold on? I guess we’ll see.

Will BJ Upton and the Tampa Bay Rays stay hot enough?

Photo: Newscom

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Guillen Promises Changes for White Sox – Video

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:06:17 +0000

Ozzie Guillen, the combustible manager of the Chicago White Sox, was again letting his feelings known to the gathered media. This time, Guillen exploded on his own team.

Guillen pointed to Tuesday as the day where changes were going to be made. While he wasn’t specific in what the changes were going to be, chances are he was talking about lineup changes and calling up a few minor leaguers. A trade could also be a possibility.

Even though the White Sox have lost three straight games, Chicago remains in first place in the AL Central. With a 30-26 record, Guillen doesn’t have to worry about his own job but fans and management do expect the team to be better. Anything short of a deep postseason run won’t be considered a successful season for the White Sox.

Perhaps the White Sox should once again go to their blowup doll slump buster routine.

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Chicago White Sox use Blowup Doll Slump Buster

Stephen Kersey — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:36:59 +0000

Major League Baseball is looking into the inventive and possibly insensitive way the Chicago White Sox decided to use a blowup doll as a slump buster. According to reports, the team’s locker room had two blowup dolls that were decorated with signs.

One sign reportedly said Let’s Go White Sox, while the other sign said You’ve Got To Push. Baseball bats were strategically placed around the dolls, most likely for comedic purposes.

The White Sox, who were mired in a six-game losing streak when the inflatable blowup dolls were placed in the locker room, have apologized for the incident. Manager Ozzie Guillen didn’t apologize, however he did say that no harm or disrespect was intended.

While no player has yet to step forward and claim responsibility for the prank, most local media members presume that Nick Swisher was the mastermind behind the blowup doll slump busters.

Oh and the White Sox won their next game to end their six-game slump. If they win many more games, we might see blowup dolls in locker rooms across the major leagues.

The above blowup doll had no comment and was not amused by this story.

Photo: Newscom

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