You've Got Mail

[Linnwood]

Online mail to Ozzie often is out of line

 

April 7, 2008

BY JOE COWLEY jcowley@suntimes.com

 

DETROIT -- After a quick scan through his e-mails, Ozzie Guillen has read how he ''hates Brian Anderson'' as well as being a ''Venezuelan piece of [bleep] that is racist and only starts the Latino players.''

 

And those were sent in just the last few days.

 

Not that the Sox manager is a stranger to hearing that kind of talk, but now seemed the time to set the record straight on a few fronts.

 

Especially concerning the idea that he favors Latino players more than the ''white guys.''

 

''I got a bunch of e-mails that said I played the 'Cuban Missile' [rookie Alexei Ramirez in the season opener] because he's Cuban,'' Guillen said. ''Wow, did you see the spring training the 'Cuban Missile' had? You would play him, too. I don't make a lineup because of who is Latino and who is not. That's ignorant. The 'Cuban Missile' had bad games because he went against C.C. [sabathia] and [Fausto] Carmona.

 

''The one thing people need to understand is it takes me a long time to make the lineup. It's not easy. But people say some dumb things.''

 

Especially when it comes to some perceived disdain that Guillen supposedly has for Anderson.

 

''Believe me, the way I am and who I am, if I don't think Brian Anderson can help me, he wouldn't be here,'' Guillen said.

 

''And Brian made some comments in the minor leagues that I don't think were proper comments for me or the general manager to read. He said we never told him anything, but that's not the way we do stuff here. When I talked to him at the start of this spring, though, I told him, 'You come here to make this ballclub.' Not because of what happened in the winter or last season am I going to hold it against him.

 

''I was the one that picked him to make the team. When I don't like someone, I let him know. Brian will play when he has to play.''

 

And, yes, while Anderson is the only player on the roster to not get a start this season, he also was a player Guillen fought for in the spring-training organizational meetings the last week of March.

 

''Some battles you win,'' Guillen said.

 

Obviously, not all of them. Guillen admitted that the one player he was not keen on taking with them to Cleveland was backup catcher Toby Hall -- not because he doesn't like Hall, but he thought his injured shoulder would be a problem.

 

So while Hall passed his first test in his Saturday start, he will be watched closely by the fifth-year skipper.

 

''He has to prove himself,'' Guillen said. ''That was the guy at the end of spring training that I didn't think I could count on him.

 

''That doesn't mean I don't like Toby. It means I didn't know if he could hold up. We need him to be ready -- and as long as he shows he can be healthy and be ready to play, I have no problem with him.''

 

So, life goes on for Guillen, criticism and all.

 

''You know what I find funny,'' Guillen said. ''When I played him every day, they were e-mailing me and saying, 'How could you play him every day?' Now, 'You no play him because you like the Latin players.' C'mon.''

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...-ssep07.article

[Heads22]

Little does he know that half of those emails were from Brian.

[southsider2k5]

I am glad to see Ozzie finally say publically that Brian Anderson is not in the doghouse. It was even more interesting to see the Toby Hall stuff, especially combined with the closed-door meeting at the end of the spring.

[Gregory Pratt]

The thing that most annoys me about people in Soxdom is "Ozzie is racist!" and its more subtle incarnations. Not everyone, but those that do. Glad he spoke out about that, because there's just no evidence he has anything against white people but people say it.

Edited April 7, 2008 by Gregory Pratt

[mreye]

I'd be lying if I said it hasn't crossed my mind when it comes to Brian Anderson.

 

Just saying.

 

And, no, I haven't sent Ozzie any e-mails.

[lostfan]

The thing that most annoys me about people in Soxdom is "Ozzie is racist!" and its more subtle incarnations. Not everyone, but those that do. Glad he spoke out about that, because there's just no evidence he has anything against white people but people say it.

I used to wonder this around '05-'06, but I think there's been plenty of evidence since then to debunk that to anyone that has enough common sense. Ozzie's handling of the lineups is pretty bizarre sometimes, but more often than not if a guy is good and there is a reason to use him in the game, he will play, and being Latin has nothing to do with it. I just don't really have the energy to argue against it every time I see someone say it though.

[southsider2k5]

Besides if people want to throw Anderson out as a proof of hating white people, all you have to do is throw Mackowiak, Erstad, and Pods right back at them.

[Kyyle23]

You gotta give ozzie a little respect for at least reading and acknowledging these emails, regardless of their content. Do all other managers provide their emails address to fans?

[DBAHO]

Ozzie may have gotten the reputation for favoring latino's, when he used Andy Gonzalez last season for example.

 

But as pointed out above with the use of Pods, Erstad etc., that really isn't the case.

[RME JICO]

Ozzie just loves utility players.

[Kyyle23]

Ozzie just loves utility players.

 

aside from last year, ozzie has really gotten at least one utility player to over produce what was expected of him. in 2004 Juan Uribe went nuts, in 2005 he had Geoff blum and Willie Harris( you could even lump in Carl Everett and Pods here), in 2006 he had Pablo Ozuna. Last year he tried out Gonzalez, but it just didnt work.

[jackie hayes]

The 'racist' stuff was always weak. The Anderson stuff...sorry, I still believe there's something personal there.

[elrockinMT]

Folks are right to say here on this site that racial issues don't enter into basebball lineups or team makeups and shouldn't. It's ashame people use the anunymity of an e-mail or other blogging site to spew ignorance. I like the makeup of the team and feel the players that are there earned the right to be there.

[RME JICO]

aside from last year, ozzie has really gotten at least one utility player to over produce what was expected of him. in 2004 Juan Uribe went nuts, in 2005 he had Geoff blum and Willie Harris( you could even lump in Carl Everett and Pods here), in 2006 he had Pablo Ozuna. Last year he tried out Gonzalez, but it just didnt work.

Mackowiak in 2006 as well.

[JorgeFabregas]

The Toby Hall tidbit was kind of amusing.

[Soxpranos]

Hall has to go, he brings nothing to this team

[Balta1701]

Mackowiak in 2006 as well.

And the Widge in 05.

[heirdog]

Some people need consistent ABs and some people need a dose of reality. I think Brian Anderson needs both but perhaps, Ozzie feels that he needs a reality check more. Brian admits he wasn't always a hard worker and that his attitude needed improvement. What better way to hone that skill than by making him see how much fun it is in the big leagues. Right now, his hard work has allowed him a chance to be on the ball club as a bench player. He needs to continue to show an improved attitude as he gets sporadic PT and bring in some results. Winning is most important and if we are 16-7 and Brian has had 10 ABs and is complaining, then get him out of here. If he continues to help out with late inning defense, an occasional pinch hitting or pinch running role, then great. Let's see that improved attitude and then maybe you get some time.

[heirdog]

Hall has to go, he brings nothing to this team

 

Not sure we can really deduce anything about Hall from the time we have seen him in a Whitesox uniform. He has played 1 game so far this year and even without a hit from him, we won the game with decent pitching and more importantly rested AJ.

 

Hall is a back-up catcher that may in all likelihood play a max of 40-45 games this year (barring an injury to AJ). He was hurt in ST last year and is now just recovering. He has hit left handed pitching fairly well in his career and is not a liability defensively. If AJ is tearing the cover off the ball as he has been, no need to play Hall against lefties, other than the occasional rest for AJ.

 

I agree with Ozzie that he has to be able to count on Toby to be ready and not injured throughout the season and only he and the the team know best on that front. If he is healthy and he can spell AJ from time to time, great. But I'm not ready to write him off because he was hurt last year and didn't get a hit in his 1 game. Its not like he's blocking Joe Mauer in our minors or something...

[Balta1701]

Not sure we can really deduce anything about Hall from the time we have seen him in a Whitesox uniform. He has played 1 game so far this year and even without a hit from him, we won the game with decent pitching and more importantly rested AJ.

 

Hall is a back-up catcher that may in all likelihood play a max of 40-45 games this year (barring an injury to AJ). He was hurt in ST last year and is now just recovering. He has hit left handed pitching fairly well in his career and is not a liability defensively. If AJ is tearing the cover off the ball as he has been, no need to play Hall against lefties, other than the occasional rest for AJ.

 

I agree with Ozzie that he has to be able to count on Toby to be ready and not injured throughout the season and only he and the the team know best on that front. If he is healthy and he can spell AJ from time to time, great. But I'm not ready to write him off because he was hurt last year and didn't get a hit in his 1 game. Its not like he's blocking Joe Mauer in our minors or something...

In 06, we were angry enough about our backup catcher to make a trade to try to fill that position in June.

 

Hall will, as you say, likely play 40-45 games. If his shoulder is so bad that he provides very little on defense, and also provides very little on offense, then that creates a lot of problems for this team. In the other thread, people gave the ol' shoulder shrug to Uribe, saying that if Uribe continued to struggle but played good defense, he'd be tolerable if other people kept hitting. Well, you can say the same thing about Hall. But the problem is...you can only say that same thing so often, eventually you start needing someone to hit or field or do something.

 

If Hall's shoulder is so bad that he's ineffective with both the bat and with the throw to 2nd, then we have to look at replacing him.

[heirdog]

In 06, we were angry enough about our backup catcher to make a trade to try to fill that position in June.

 

Hall will, as you say, likely play 40-45 games. If his shoulder is so bad that he provides very little on defense, and also provides very little on offense, then that creates a lot of problems for this team. In the other thread, people gave the ol' shoulder shrug to Uribe, saying that if Uribe continued to struggle but played good defense, he'd be tolerable if other people kept hitting. Well, you can say the same thing about Hall. But the problem is...you can only say that same thing so often, eventually you start needing someone to hit or field or do something.

 

If Hall's shoulder is so bad that he's ineffective with both the bat and with the throw to 2nd, then we have to look at replacing him.

 

Do we really know that Toby Hall is ineffective? Are you saying that his shoulder is affecting his offense and defense so far...in the one game that he has played this season? Yes, it definitely affected him at the end of last season (based off his career up to that point) but I don't know that you can say he is hurt this year. Again, I wouldn't fault the organization if they had cut him because they felt his shoulder wasn't okay but at this point, going on Toby's word, I like the idea of having a decent right-handed hitting catcher that hits lefties fairly well backing up AJ.

[Balta1701]

Do we really know that Toby Hall is ineffective? Are you saying that his shoulder is affecting his offense and defense so far...in the one game that he has played this season? Yes, it definitely affected him at the end of last season (based off his career up to that point) but I don't know that you can say he is hurt this year. Again, I wouldn't fault the organization if they had cut him because they felt his shoulder wasn't okay but at this point, going on Toby's word, I like the idea of having a decent right-handed hitting catcher that hits lefties fairly well backing up AJ.

No, we don't know for sure yet. But what we do know pretty well is he looked bad in ST, and he looked bad in game 1, and he looked bad last year.

 

The fact is, I think we have to consider him "on notice". Don't cut him yet. Don't replace him yet. But if he's hitting sub .200 in his role come late May/early June, then that position has to be changed.

 

Last year, we put ourselves in a position early in the season where AJ was basically starting every game because Gustavo Molina was our backup and he couldn't do anything. It didn't matter last year because the team sucked. But if we're looking at having a shot at this division, we don't want ourselves to be in a position where our 2 options are a guy who can't hit or playing our catcher every day and wearing him down to the point he'll break down come September/October.

 

Toby's got to earn his playing time.

[heirdog]

No, we don't know for sure yet. But what we do know pretty well is he looked bad in ST, and he looked bad in game 1, and he looked bad last year.

 

The fact is, I think we have to consider him "on notice". Don't cut him yet. Don't replace him yet. But if he's hitting sub .200 in his role come late May/early June, then that position has to be changed.

 

Last year, we put ourselves in a position early in the season where AJ was basically starting every game because Gustavo Molina was our backup and he couldn't do anything. It didn't matter last year because the team sucked. But if we're looking at having a shot at this division, we don't want ourselves to be in a position where our 2 options are a guy who can't hit or playing our catcher every day and wearing him down to the point he'll break down come September/October.

 

Toby's got to earn his playing time.

 

Agreed.

[Texsox]

Well, that means officially, there is no rhyme or reason to his lineups

[SoxWS05]

And the Widge in 05.

 

Can't forget Gload either