southsider2k5 Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Ozzie Guillen walked through the White Sox clubhouse and told his team just to forget about it. "Go out and get drunk, do whatever," Guillen said. Drowning their sorrows in something strong might be about all the Sox can do after Monday's stunning 9-7 Opening Day loss to the Kansas City Royals. Trailing 7-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Royals struck for six runs, with the tying and game-winning runs coming on long home runs off Damaso Marte. Mendy Lopez's three-run pinch homer tied it, and Carlos Beltran won it with a two-run shot. "That might have been the strangest loss of my career," Frank Thomas said. "It just felt like we thumped them. We basically manhandled them all day and then in the ninth inning they throw up six runs." For eight innings, the Sox did thump and manhandle the Royals, building a 7-3 lead behind home runs from Sandy Alomar Jr. and Carlos Lee, a two-run double by Paul Konerko and RBI hits from Jose Valentin and Magglio Ordonez. Starting pitcher Mark Buehrle wasn't brilliant, but whatever trouble he got into he escaped with three double-play balls. "I really didn't think I had really good stuff," Buehrle said. "I fell behind in the count a lot. If I have this outing the next time out [saturday in New York], it's not going to go as well as it did. I got lucky." When Buehrle came out with two outs in the seventh inning after throwing 95 pitches, Cliff Politte ended the seventh and got through the eighth. Earlier Monday, Politte talked about the different mind-set a pitcher has to have to close games. Three outs in the ninth inning shouldn't be any different than getting three outs in any other inning. "It's easy to say, but it's not that easy," he said. How well he knows that now. The trouble in the ninth began when Politte walked Joe Randa and Ken Harvey. Guillen had Billy Koch and Marte throwing in the bullpen, and with the right-handed-hitting Benito Santiago up, Guillen went with Koch. The ageless Santiago already had driven in one run with a groundout and had taken Buehrle deep for a homer. His double down the left-field line off Koch scored Randa and put runners on second and third. "The pitch I threw to Santiago was in off the plate," Koch said. "It was thigh-high, so it was up a little bit, but it was off the plate. The only way he keeps it fair is because he was cheating." Guillen left Koch in to face left-handed-hitting Aaron Guiel, who struck out looking for the first out of the inning and the Sox still ahead 7-4. With left-hander Matt Stairs waiting on-deck to pinch-hit, Guillen went with Marte. "I wanted to get the best matchup," Guillen said. "I didn't want Stairs to tie the game [with a home run]. I'm going to play with my gut feeling." Kansas City manager Tony Pena countered by inserting right-handed-hitting Lopez, who hit Marte's 3-1 pitch over the wall in left-center to tie the game at 7-7. After Angel Berroa's single, Beltran drilled a no-doubt, 2-2 pitch. There was also no doubt about what happened to Marte. "All my pitches were in the middle of the plate," he said. "It's the first day. You have to learn to understand that something like this can happen." After his first game as a major-league manager, Guillen will be put to the test immediately. One of the main reasons he was hired was to change the atmosphere in the clubhouse. The Royals' three-game sweep here to open last season put the Sox behind the eight-ball from the start, and with a four-game series in New York this weekend, Wednesday looms large after an off day Tuesday. "That was the kind of game you should be smiling on the bench," Guillen said. "All of a sudden, uh-oh, what went wrong? Wednesday is the biggest game we're going to play." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 After his first game as a major-league manager, Guillen will be put to the test immediately. One of the main reasons he was hired was to change the atmosphere in the clubhouse. The Royals' three-game sweep here to open last season put the Sox behind the eight-ball from the start, and with a four-game series in New York this weekend, Wednesday looms large after an off day Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Why not? Our pitchers got lit up during the ninth--why shouldn't the rest of the team get their turn.... Oh, wait... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 What a positive message to the younger fans of the game... Careless reporting, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Why not? Our pitchers got lit up during the ninth--why shouldn't the rest of the team get their turn.... Oh, wait... Steff is correct, I wish the newspapers had not of reported that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 What a positive message to the younger fans of the game... Careless reporting, IMO. Isn't that how we should solve all our problems, Steff? :puke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 At least OZ didn't say to call a California Lab and get some 'roids, or fire up the crack pipe Shall we play, "what would JM have said"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sox1422 Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 My beers started going down a lot faster after Mendy hit his shot. I like the message to the team. Go get f***ed up and don't worry about it. There are 161 left. Come back on Wednesday with a chip on your shoulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiff Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 I like it too. What are you gonna do, go home and cry about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 6, 2004 Author Share Posted April 6, 2004 What a positive message to the younger fans of the game... Careless reporting, IMO. Hmm now who said they were going out bowling and drinking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 What a positive message to the younger fans of the game... Careless reporting, IMO. Maybe to kids 10 and under...Teens love to do it. Plus, that's what they have parents for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 And my comments get taken the wrong way... First of all.. I don't give a crap what Ozzie told them, and actually applaud the "don't sweat it" attitude. What I don't applaud is that these guys.. who kids DO look up to.. being told to go get drunk and THAT being in the papers. Careless reporting, not careless managing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aboz56 Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 And my comments get taken the wrong way... First of all.. I don't give a crap what Ozzie told them, and actually applaud the "don't sweat it" attitude. What I don't applaud is that these guys.. who kids DO look up to.. being told to go get drunk and THAT being in the papers. Careless reporting, not careless managing. Agreed 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiff Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 And my comments get taken the wrong way... First of all.. I don't give a crap what Ozzie told them, and actually applaud the "don't sweat it" attitude. What I don't applaud is that these guys.. who kids DO look up to.. being told to go get drunk and THAT being in the papers. Careless reporting, not careless managing. I knew what you were saying, about putting something like that in the papers and sending the wrong message about how role models solve their problems. I was just agreeing with 1422 as far as, that's how we should all solve our problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 6, 2004 Author Share Posted April 6, 2004 And my comments get taken the wrong way... First of all.. I don't give a crap what Ozzie told them, and actually applaud the "don't sweat it" attitude. What I don't applaud is that these guys.. who kids DO look up to.. being told to go get drunk and THAT being in the papers. Careless reporting, not careless managing. I was just joking with you hence Mr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 I would have gotten f***ed up. Anyone notice that Dotel got lit up yesterday too...so atleast were not the only ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 And my comments get taken the wrong way... First of all.. I don't give a crap what Ozzie told them, and actually applaud the "don't sweat it" attitude. What I don't applaud is that these guys.. who kids DO look up to.. being told to go get drunk and THAT being in the papers. Careless reporting, not careless managing. Dear Steff, The Five Graders at North Elementary School in Des Plaines would like to thank you for taking a stand on the unfortunate reporting by the local newspaper of the statement by Mr. Guillen. We think it is important to set a good example for young people today and you are a shining example of that. We are wondering one thing, what does it mean to be doable? With Warm Regards, Miss Simpson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 I just thought of something. No wonder this team was so messed up last year. They have to be told to go get drunk!? Man, they are worse off than I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 That was great Tex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Agreed 100% Agreed all the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 That was great Tex. I am glad you took it in the spirit it was intended Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Hudler Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Tex, I am having one helluva a stressful day. I sneaked on here to get a 5 minute break and saw your post from Miss Simpson. I laughed my ass off, so thanks for that. I needed it. By the way, is Miss Simpson doable? I have always had a thing for teachers. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Tex, I am having one helluva a stressful day. I sneaked on here to get a 5 minute break and saw your post from Miss Simpson. I laughed my ass off, so thanks for that. I needed it. By the way, is Miss Simpson doable? I have always had a thing for teachers. ;-) By the way, is Miss Simpson doable? I have always had a thing for teachers. ;-) I think I saw the video with the baseball player and the naughty teacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 I just thought of something. No wonder this team was so messed up last year. They have to be told to go get drunk!? Man, they are worse off than I thought. LMAO to both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Tex, I am having one helluva a stressful day. I sneaked on here to get a 5 minute break and saw your post from Miss Simpson. I laughed my ass off, so thanks for that. I needed it. By the way, is Miss Simpson doable? I have always had a thing for teachers. ;-) It sure seems that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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