Kuzul

I can understand where Oney Guillen is coming from.

Someone was taking shots at your dad, and you want to stick up for him.  I totally get it.

This wasn’t the way to do it.

The son of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen took it upon himself to respond to an interview departed White Sox reliever Bobby Jenks gave in which he criticized Guillen’s handling of the bullpen and his trust in Jenks.

Obviously, it would have been better if both of these former employees of the White Sox had just kept their mouths shut.  But they didn’t.  So here we are looking at another public feud.

Just remember that neither Jenks or Oney Guillen work for the White Sox.

Imagine you have an acquaintance who happens to be a relative of a local celebrity.  Someone pops off about said celebrity, you bring it up in conversation, the relative vents a while, and you move on.

In this day and age, a little venting amongst friends can circle the world pretty quickly.

Oney Guillen could have stomped around the beach for an hour or two telling his buddies what a punk he thought Jenks was, and the damage would have been minimal.  However, we live in a world where the most mundane of acts gets posted to Facebook and Twitter as if they were national news.

If Oney wanted to vent, why not call his dad?  Why not wait, oh, a half hour or so before posting?

Had he gone back and looked at his comments (which, unlike an interview, he easily could have done), he could have avoided a lot of scrutiny right now.

Oney appeared on several Chicago media outlets Wednesday to talk about the impact of his comments.  He stressed that he was sticking up the team and did not seem to think that his comments would damage the reputation of the organization because he wasn’t a team employee.

It seems that Oney reacted like a hot-headed fan and is now using the angle of defending the organization to defend his stance.  If you feel a certain way about the team, fine.  But don’t hide behind the team to bring up the personal issues of Jenks.

I think that we can agree that Ozzie Guillen is quite capable of speaking for himself.  He is capable of exchanging grievances with a host of former White Sox players.  He didn’t really need defending in a case of Jenks taking a departing shot. 

The past history of Jenks and the White Sox is pretty clear: the team felt that the price tag on Jenks was too much in return for what they thought they were getting, so they walked away.  Jenks commented on his sour grapes. 

If team wanted to return fire and get nasty, they could have.  They didn’t need Oney Guillen to throw gasoline on the dying embers of the situation.

Oney Guillen should have taken some of his own advice.  If he wanted to defend his dad, couldn’t he have called Jenks himself before launching personal attacks in the most public of forums?

Venting is acceptable.  Next time, do it away from your laptop.

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Former Chicago White Sox minor leaguer and scouting video technician Oney Guillen responded to former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks recent comments about his father, current White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on, on his Twitter Tuesday.

hahah memo to bobby jenks get a clue u drink to much and u have had marital problems hugeee ones and the sox stood behind u

they did not air out ur dirty laundry, u came to srping not drinking and then u sucked and started srinking again be a man

Im sorry thats ur answer to everything. How can u disrespect ur ex team like that.

Guillen previously was in the news for his criticism of White Sox general manager Kenny Williams.  After resigning from his scouting video technician position with the White Sox in March of 2010, Guillen has still been around and inside the White Sox clubhouse.

Jenks criticized Ozzie Guillen’s treatment of him this offseason and his inability to manage a bullpen in an interview Monday. 

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The Chicago White Sox have completed most of their holiday shopping for the 2011 season. However, there may be one item Kenny Williams desires before he feels his stocking is full.

Has the bullpen situation been fully addressed?

I think the White Sox are at least a piece or two short in the relief corps. Right now, I see the following guys in the bullpen on opening day:

Tony Pena, RHP-our spot starter/long relief man.

Jesse Crain, RHP-7th/8th inning setup man.

Sergio Santos, RHP-6th/7th inning short relief.

Matt Thornton, LHP-setup/closer

Chris Sale, LHP-setup/closer

This is assuming that:

1.  The Sox get Pena signed or get an arbitration number they like.

2.  Sale doesn’t get put in the starting rotation this spring.

If the Sox had either Bobby Jenks or J.J. Putz in the closer’s role for 2011, I’d feel pretty good about our bullpen. As it is, this unit lacks an experienced closer.

The White Sox could go by committee in the ninth inning with Crain, Sale, Thornton, and Santos. Of course, the organization tried to do that with the DH spot last season. The result? Adam Dunn in the spot this year.

The Sox have a lot of guys that can and have filled the set up role, but no solid, established closer to get the final three outs. There don’t seem to be funds to go out and buy that closer, so Williams needs to solve the problem another way.

Chicago took a risk in signing Putz and was rewarded with a solid season from a guy coming back from injury. Can Williams roll the dice again and come up with a winner?

You could throw a guy like Gregory Infante into the relief mix and go with a younger crew, but that situation could quickly go south. I don’t think the pocketbook can bring in a name-type closer, so I think Williams has three choices.

Option One

Let Thornton pitch for a big payday next season as the closer, and add Infante to the pen. Thornton is 34, but has been healthy and could earn a big contract from someone if he proves he can get the job done in the ninth. That carrot in front of Thornton could benefit the White Sox in 2011. Crain and Sale set up Thornton, and you hope that Thornton has developed the mindset to finish games.

Option Two

Pick up a rehabbing arm, or a cheaper-type reliever. Take a chance on a guy like, say, Kyle Farnsworth/Arthur Rhodes/Aging Reliever X, on the cheap and hope for the best. 

Option Three

Trade for a steady closer, using Carlos Quentin as the bait, and let Crain and Thornton stay in their familiar roles.

I don’t think the White Sox bullpen is a finished work by any means. Kenny Williams has a lot of options to solidify the late innings for his club.

How he does it is unknown to us at this point, but it’s safe to say that the wheels are turning as we speak.

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Somewhere, Ron Santo is beaming. Kerry Wood, a longtime Chicago Cub who never looked right in anyone else’s uniform, will reportedly come home to the North Side of Chicago.

Multiple sources, including Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of the Chicago Tribune, report that Wood and the Cubs are finalizing a deal.

If true, this news has to warm the hearts of Cubs fans everywhere. Wood became a fan favorite nonpareil in the post-Ryne Sandberg era, and the team has done its public relations a world of good by reeling in Wood just weeks after cutting ties with Sandberg.

Wood’s rumored demands make the terms of this deal interesting: He had been seeking a two-year, $12 million deal. He probably gave the Cubs a hometown discount, but even so, he may well be the highest-paid reliever in a 2011 bullpen in which he would fall third on the depth chart.

Still, his arrival solidifies the relief corps and makes life easier for the Cubs as they try to shore up countless other shortcomings.

Read on for five reasons to love this deal from the Cubs’ perspective.

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Now that the Winter Meetings are over and Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth have signed mammoth contracts, what’s next? What other impact free-agents are still out there? 

It looks more likely this winter that there will be significant player movement via trade. In this economic climate it makes sense for smaller market teams to trade players who are looking at large salary increases in the near future in exchange for younger players that they can control for a significant amount of time.

Let’s take a look at 15 of the various rumors still circulating and see if they have any juice behind them.

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You don’t need to tell Chicago Cubs fans how long it’s been since they won the World Series. The 2010 season was another forgettable summer for the Cubs, but there are players available that can help them improve for 2011.

One of those players is Carlos Pena, who the Cubs signed on Tuesday. The Cubs need more power in their lineup and a better infield defense, and Pena will help them in both areas.

The Cubs could also use help in their pitching rotation, especially in their bullpen. The Cubs have had a respectable payroll the last decade, but they need to start spending money more wisely.

Now let’s look at five free agents who could help the Cubs return to the postseason in 2011.

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The big signings have been completed by White Sox GM Kenny Williams during the Winter Meetings.  Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski are safely in the fold, and Adam Dunn is looking for some Chi-town digs.

Now the wheeling and dealing can begin.

I don’t think Williams is anywhere near finished trying to improve this team.  Right now payroll could be in the $125 million range next year, or even a few dollars more.  I don’t think Williams wants to spend quite that much.

At the same time, the bullpen has several needs following the departures of Bobby Jenks, J.J. Putz and Scott Linebrink.  Late-inning pitching hurt the team in key stretches last season and an overhaul is now in order.

Please excuse Mr. Williams while he puts on his trading hat.

I won’t rule out a free-agent signing for part of that bullpen, but if that’s the case, Williams has got to move some salary.  I’m not saying he’ll be able to pull off a move like unloading Scott Linebrink, but he’s a creative thinker and loves to make deals.

Short of the three guys they just signed, plus Alexei Ramirez, I don’t think anyone is off limits.  Even those guys may not want to get too comfortable.  Williams is all about making the deal that will win a pennant this year.

Who are the leading candidates?

Mark Buehrle and his $14 million price tag could go a long way in the bullpen.  So could Edwin Jackson’s salary.  Could Gavin Floyd fetch a closer?

Carlos Quentin, Mark Teahen, Alex Rios… could Williams take advantage of a big rebound year for the Sox center fielder and turn it into some relief help?

If the right deal came along, would he be willing to part with his middle infielders?  Chris Getz found out last year that Williams would.

There are plenty of phone calls to make, scouts to consult and risks to be calculated. 

The White Sox are all-in, according to Williams.  When it comes to trades, all bets could be off.

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It could just be a coincidence, or there could be something to it.  Adam Dunn is just another example of a player who has been linked with the crosstown Cubs who is headed to White Sox.  Let’s take a look into Kenny Williams’ past.

1. Jim Thome

Remember how Jim Thome always wanted to play with the Cubs?  The slugger tried his hardest to get the Cubs to consider signing him in 2003, but the North Siders decided to go another route and traded for Derek Lee.  Kenny Williams then pulled off a trade for Bartonville, IL native in 2005 much to Cubs fans’ chagrin.

2. Ken Griffey Jr.

Junior was supposed to be the Cubs’ left-handed power threat for years.  Every trade deadline from 2004 to 2007, the Cubs were always rumored to be working on acquiring the future hall of famer.  As soon as his trade value went down far enough, Williams snagged Griffey at the 2008 deadline.

3. Juan Pierre

Traded to the Cubs in 2006 for Ricky Nolasco and a pair of other pitchers, things never worked out like they were supposed to for Pierre on the North Side.  Pierre left the Cubs in free agency after just one year and was snatched up by Williams in a trade after three seasons with the Dodgers.

4. Kosuke Fukudome

The White Sox are happy that the former Japanese superstar never signed with the South Siders, but he almost did.  The Cubs were long seen to be the front-runner to sign the free agent in 2007, and the White Sox were not even known to be considering Fukudome. 

But after Fukudome signed a four-year, $47 million deal to play for the Cubs, it came out that Kenny Williams and the White Sox had actually offered him a bigger deal than the North Siders in negotiations.

5. Jake Peavy

He was always supposed to be a Cub.  The Cubs were rumored for years to be interested in the former Cy Young winner, and despite injury concerns in 2010 were still pursuing him at the deadline.  But the White Sox got to him first, and after initially rejecting a trade to the South Side, Peavy finally waived his no-trade clause and agreed to play for Ozzie Guillen.

6. Scott Podsednik

Obviously Podsednik played for the White Sox first, but don’t forget that the Cubs showed serious interest in signing the outfielder after he was released by the Sox in 2007. Podsednik eventually signed with the Rockies, and the Cubs continued to wonder if he could have been what Juan Pierre couldn’t be for them before Kenny Williams re-signed Podsednik in 2009.

7. Adam Dunn

Dunn is another player in a list of many who was supposed to come to the Cubs to finally fill the left handed power hole they’ve had for years.  The Cubs were seen by many to be one of the front runners for Dunn, before the White Sox came out of no where to sign the slugger.

Ozzie Guillen has made it clear, he doesn’t hate the Cubs, he just hates Wrigley Field.  But what about his GM?  Kenny Williams seems to have a personal goal to grab whoever it is that is currently catching the Cubs’ eye. 

It could just be a total coincidence, but its something to think about.  Maybe Kenny just really hates the Cubs. Maybe he hates how he can put a better product on the field year in and year out but the Cubs still outdraw the South Siders every year.  Who knows.  

Think I’m crazy?  The most recent player the Cubs have shown interest in is James Loney. If the Sox fail to resign Paul Konerko, don’t be surprised if Kenny Williams makes a play at him.

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Chicago Cubs icon Ron Santo has passed away due to complications in his struggle against bladder cancer, according to WGN Radio.

Santo was a great third baseman for the Cubs from 1960 to 1973 and later became part of the Cubs radio team in 1990.

Regarded as one of the best players to never earn induction into the MLB Hall of Fame, Santo was a nine time All-Star in his 15 major league seasons.

Santo was one of the most passionate Cubs fans, but like many others, he was not lucky enough to witness the Cubbies win the World Series. Santo explained his devotion for the Cubs to the Associated Press in August of 2009, “The emotion for me is strictly the love I have for this team. I want them to win so bad.”

Santo battled a number of medical ailments as a player and also in retirement. He was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 18 and up until his death he was in a fight with cancer.

Santo would not let diabetes prevent him from achieving his dream of becoming a major league baseball player, and he did not reveal to the Cubs he had the disease, until he made his first All-Star appearance in 1963.

In 2003, the Cubs retired his No. 10 jersey, placing it just below fellow Cubs legend Ernie Banks‘ No. 14. During his number retiring ceremony, Santo told the fans at Wrigley Field, “This flag hanging down the left-field line means more to me than the Hall of Fame.”

Year after year, Santo did not receive the call to the Hall of Fame, and this constant rejection brought the fans closer to him.

In his 15 seasons, Santo hit .277, amassed 2,254 hits, hit 342 home runs and scored 1,331 runs. He was a consistent player who was among the best of his era nearly his entire career.

His stats make him very worthy of admission into the Hall and even though his teams failed to make the postseason, it certainly wasn’t because of him.

Santo’s undying passion for his Cubs was evident through his final days and he’ll always be a fan favorite in Chicago.

In an EPSN.com article, last updated on December 3rd, 2010, current Cubs general manager Jim Hendry explains the man Ron Santo was.

“Ron Santo was one of the finest men—and toughest men—I’ve ever known,” Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. “He was a credit to the game and a model of what a person should be like, always giving back to others his entire life.”

Ron Santo was a great player and would have loved to receive the phone call inviting him to the hall of fame. 

For the Baseball Writers of America, it’s time to make this right. Put Ron Santo where he belongs:

In Cooperstown with the other all-time greats of baseball.

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With the signing of Adam Dunn for four years and $56 million, Kenny Williams asserted his power over White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

Williams stood tall and in one fell swoop declared: This is the American League. This is the AL Central. This is U.S. Cellular Field. We will hit the ball. We will hit the ball far, and we will win. Take your National League, small ball crap and shove it.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. I love Ozzie Guillen. There is no one I’d like to have managing my baseball team more than Ozzie Guillen. His crazed press conferences, his antics and his without-a-doubt ability to manage a major league ball club should keep him as a staple in the South Side dugout for years to come.

But, Ozzie had it wrong.

What seemed like small ball in 2005, or Ozzie ball, was a mirage. True, Scott Podsednik dazzled at the top of the lineup with his ability to reach base and wreak havoc on opposing pitchers while he perfected the art of the steal. But the 2005 White Sox won for two reasons:

They hit the hell out of the ball. And they pitched their arses off.

Last season, the decision to keep or dismiss Jim Thome fell in Ozzie’s lap. Ozzie let him go.

I agreed with the decision. Thome was too slow. Thome was getting up there in age. Thome’s strikeouts seemed to come more frequently than his bashing of said baseball.

Ozzie wanted more speed. So we got Mark Kotsay and Jayson Nix and Brent Lillibridge and Omar Vizquel and Juan Pierre. Was this the South Side hit men or the Florida Marlins?

Again, the White Sox win when the White Sox crush the baseball.

I know this, because Kenny Williams knows this.

Ozzie Guillen will soon know this, if he doesn’t already. You don’t need base stealers; you need table setters. If the White Sox manage to bring back Paul Konerko, their lineup will be a formidable murderers’ row. Both Konerko and Dunn are .900 OPS.

If you’re not a numbers guy, that’s good. That’s very good.

With the rotation the White Sox look to carry into the 2011 season, even without Jake Peavy, they should have the firepower at the plate and on the mound to be strong contenders for their third American League Central title in six years.

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