Has Blizzard of Oz gone too far this time?
What: Last week, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen went off again. He’s becoming baseball’s Britney — always in the news for increasingly bizarre behavior. What made his latest tirade different is that he tossed general manager Kenny Williams under the Greyhound bus. That would be the same Williams who hired Guillen and has supported him in the face of an endless stream of both hilarious and serious controversies.
When: Guillen is no stranger to candor. He rips his team and himself on frequent occasions. But this directive was more pointed. He implied that Williams needed to make roster changes, even hinting that it was time for hitting instructor Greg Walker to go. Walker was hurt by the outburst. His relationship with Guillen appears strained. Williams made it clear that Guillen was out of line, though he insists the two have patched things up. Did I mention all this happened as the White Sox sat in first place in the upside-down American League Central?
Renck’s take: As a reporter, it’s hard not to like Guillen. He provides good copy. But he’s becoming so many empty calories, hard to take seriously when he’s constantly ranting. If writers are growing a little weary of his act, imagine how his players feel. A former White Sox player told me recently that Guillen is crazy. Not like a fox. Just a bit nuts. Picking fights with the Cubs and columnists is one thing. But to call out your boss? That tells me that Guillen either wants to be fired or that he answers to owner Jerry Reinsdorf and nobody else.
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
