The Difference Between Class And Crass

I am still a huge Mark Buehrle fan. Despite his move to South Beach over another round on the South Side, I will support Buehrle and cheer him on. I will still collect his cards in a Marlins uniform. The only time I will ever root against Mark Buehrle will be when he faces the Chicago White Sox. Why? He has been a favorite of mine for many years and he is a class act all the way. His exit from Chicago was low key and heartfelt. We understood why he had to leave, but we wanted him to stay anyway. Buehrle will always get my respect. On the way out of town, he expressed his desire to come back to the White Sox someday. This is a man who was clearly torn and made a tough decision that was right for him and his family. These are the reasons why I will collect his Miami Marlins cards.
I appreciate everything that Ozzie Guillen brought to the White Sox, both as a player and as a manager. As a player, he helped bring the AL West crown to Chicago in 1993 and he was the voice of reason and experience on the field. He solidified the infield and managed to be a menace on the basepaths despite his low batting average. As a manager, he brought the first World Series title to Chicago in eighty-eight years. He squeezed an AL Central title out of the 2008 team.

Guillen was a flash fire. He burned brightly at first, but his flame died quickly. We knew his eccentricities and made exceptions for them. Then, along with his mouth, everything went south. The first crack in the armor was making Sean Tracey cry and making him lose enough confidence to never sniff the majors again. Ozzie tasted another man's tears and it seemed to suit him. During the last few years, it appeared that Ozzie was more interested in screwing with a player's frame of mind than winning ballgames. Questionable feuds popped up with everyone from umpires, players and reporters. I could even stomach the unnecessary Twitter wars, but the grand finale would be my last straw.

I don't mind that Ozzie went to Miami. No long term manager stays in the same place forever. Even Bobby Cox went to Toronto to manage for four years. After checking out somewhere in the middle of the season, Guillen couldn't be bothered to finish out the last two games of the season, thus exposing us all to the Don Cooper managerial experience.

While Reinsdorf may have reluctantly signed off on Ozzie's wish to leave his responsibility two days early, in the eyes of the fans, Guillen just abandoned his team that he had already given up on months before. The Tasmanian Devil act had finally rolled over on the most important piece of the Chicago White Sox; the fan. A whirlwind Miami appearance, and much later a half-hearted love letter to Chicago, and it was all over. If it wasn't for these last acts of desperation and greed by Ozzie Guillen, I probably would have held on to a few Miami Marlins cards of him. Sometimes it's not what you do, but how you exit that leaves the greatest impression on fans. After many great things, including a World Championship, Sox fans will remember Ozzie for his cowardice and selfishness. It shouldn't be like that. I wished it wouldn't have ended like that, but those actions are out of my control. It is what it is and that was a slap in the face to all the people who supported him, even when it seemed like the whole world was against Ozzie Guillen. I will not be actively pursuing any Miami Marlins cards of Ozzie Guillen.

The free agent poaching bonanza claimed some great names and some great talent, but only one player has both, plus the cool, laid back confidence that made him the steal of the offseason; Mark Buehrle.

Ozzie Exits Early

I was driving a friend to a Big & Tall store in Orland Park, when we heard a press conference on the radio, back in November 2003. Ozzie Guillen had just been hired to manage the White Sox. While my friend was skeptical, I turned to him and said, "Now the White Sox will win the World Series".

Of course my friend laughed and thought I was a little crazier than usual. I was dead serious and within two seasons, my prophetic statement had come true.

The next six seasons were about pursuing a repeat of that magical season, where everything went right. There were good teams in that time. Some overachieved and came up short, others fell apart when it counted, and others underachieved to an astonishing degree, which proves that no matter how good things look on paper, the human element always trumps the best laid plans.

Love him or hate him, everyone can agree that Ozzie Guillen was never boring. He was truthful, sometimes to a fault. He tried to deflect the media's wrath away from his players. Ozzie was a protector, in that respect.

The events of tonight have been building for a long time. The timing of everything is odd. With only two games left, Ozzie wanted (and was granted) his release. Rather than manage two more games, Ozzie walked away, and presumably Joey Cora will fill in the rest of the season. This is the only part of this release that I find unsettling. Joey Cora is a great baseball mind and would make a great manager, but it feels like Ozzie didn't get exactly what he wanted, so he picked up his ball and asked to go home.

Fortunately for the Sox, the warning signs have been there and plans are in place for 2012. Kenny Williams is tight lipped about the potential plans and that's exactly the way it should be. While Ozzie chewed a reporter out this evening for talking before he was finished speaking, Kenny looked like he was on the verge of tears. I can only imagine what Jerry Reinsdorf was going through today.

It's been a tough season for White Sox fans in 2011. A promising season turned into a bevy of spectacular meltdowns. Changes will be made for 2012, but as to what exactly, we will all have to wait awhile.

So long, Ozzie. It's been a fun ride, but like all fun things, they have to end sometime. I'm glad it lasted as long as it did.

A Twitter Pioneer

Meet the first man to be suspended by MLB for tweeting during a game. Well, technically it was during a game, but it wasn't like he was tweeting while he was working during a game. Ozzie had been ejected from the game before he started to tweet.

According to MLB rules, all social media messages must stop 30 minutes prior to the first pitch, and they can resume after the game at the individual club's discretion. Getting ejected is not an exemption from the rules.

MLB senior vice president of baseball operations Peter Woodfork confirmed Thursday that Major League Baseball has not had to deal with a player, coach or manager sending out social media messages while a game was still in play, and there was no standard policy on how to discipline the action.

Not that I condone the actions of Ozzie Guillen, or any other player, coach or manager for tweeting during gameplay, but once ejected from the game, one cannot go back out onto the field of play until after the game is over, so why can't regular non-game activities be resumed? I'm not looking for a lengthy explanation. Just thinking out loud. Or rather writing it for all the world to see, if they so desire.

I think the suspension, in regards to the tweeting, had more to do with the content rather than the timing. It's a little like the government fail safe of imprisonment for tax evasion and other similar nitpicky charges. Yes, you've done a bunch of things that they don't like, but none of it can stick with the current rules, so let's throw something vague out there and hang things on that. It worked against Barry Bonds, Rod Blagojevich and Al Capone. Granted, they aren't exactly the most likable characters, but neither is Ozzie, according to many out there.

Ozzie will serve his suspension tonight and Saturday, against the Orioles.

Congratulations, Ozzie! You are truly a Twitter pioneer.

Move Over Cos

Bill Cosby (1987): "You can't be a kid without it."

Ozzie Guillen (2011): "Watching the game and eating my jello."

I think JELL-O may have a new spokesperson!

Ozzie Speaks

Ozzie's blog

WARNING: May cause sensory overload with prolonged use.

600

Congrats to Ozzie Guillen for winning his 600th game as a manager!

How To Silence Ozzie

It seems that no one wants to talk about Jose Canseco's new book. Especially the players that are "named" in it or the people around those players.

Most players are giving the famous "no comment" speech, with various tweaks. Alex Rodriguez included "absolutely" to spice up his no comment. Others have declined to say anything at all. Not a "no comment" comment to be found.

You can always count on Ozzie Guillen to break the taboos and say something off the cuff. Right? Well, Ozzie does hold claim to one of the longest comments on this latest round of steroid talk. It also boasts the most information of any comment.

"Magglio isn't a player on my team anymore," said Ozzie.

Well, that about sums it up. All of that is true and is a clever way of saying no comment. It appears that Jose Canseco's second book is being taken a little more seriously by baseball personnel. Why else would everyone be so quiet about it. People seem scared by the accusations brought about in this book.

It should be interesting to see what happens after the release of this book. If a book can silence Ozzie Guillen, it stands to reason that it is powerful. There may be a few grains of truth in this book too.

Mariotti Yawns: Film At 11

Ozzie's "back to basics" direction has rubbed columnist Jay Mariotti the wrong way again. I believe that Jay was happiest when Ozzie was being muzzled last year by sensitivity classes and the ramifications that followed. Why was he happy? It was all Jay's doing.

I get that Jay is tired of Ozzie's antics. That's fine. He's entitled to his beliefs. I also know that Jay needs something to write about. Yesterday's column included Jay yawning in the middle of his column. I agree. Jay's rantings about Ozzie and the White Sox are boring. It's about time someone tells him.

Jay is a bitter man, who can't take a joke. I was initially excited by the hype that surrounded his hiring in Chicago. I was quickly bored to tears by his opinions and his columns. Then a funny thing happened. I started to dread reading the sports page. I knew I would have to flip past him to get to everything I wanted to read.

Not that I stopped reading Mariotti. I read his column to laugh. His serious opinions couldn't be read without laughing. They were that ludicrous. I was fine with him being in his own little corner of the newspaper, quietly bitching to himself. Then people started paying attention to him.

Other people started to get brainwashed by his unique perspective. He rode the Sox hard in 2005. He took joy in their near collapse late in the year. He was right all along and no one else's opinion mattered to him. When the White Sox won it all that year, I imagine Jay was throwing fits in a lonely stall in the mens room of the Sun Times building.

It was his goal to undermine the White Sox staff, who in his eyes, made him a laughingstock. I can almost picture him plotting his revenge behind closed doors. He started public war of words with Ken Harrelson, the White Sox television broadcaster. Hawk is easy to bait, and he took it as easy as his golf stories and Yaz stories roll off his tongue.

Then came his grand finale. Getting Ozzie in trouble. That was easy. Wait for Ozzie to say something off color, which is not as hard as it appears. Make a big deal out of it and the rest is history.

After Ozzie got in trouble, you could almost see the joy in Jay's writing. Now that Ozzie decided to return to his previous form, Jay naturally has a problem with it. The new attack culminated in a front page blurb that read, "Shut Up And Win".

I do agree with the last line in Mariotti's column on Tuesday. "Do yourself a favor and ignore him". I would just apply that to Jay Marrioti instead.

A Return To Form

Be warned. Ozzie Guillen will not hold back anymore. Cover your children's ears because the old Ozzie will be back this season. Ozzie is sick of the sensitivity training mode and blames that way of thinking for last year's lackluster performance.

I tend to agree with that statement. Ozzie can be an insensitive boob, but it's that kind of honest, first thing out of his mouth way of managing that makes him successful. Ozzie makes things in the clubhouse interesting. If there is any player bored in the dugout, they must be a cadaver.

Ozzie thrives on emotions. That was his style of play. That's his style of managing. It brings success. When he is forced to alter his management style, Ozzie is less effective.

Be prepared for a looser clubhouse. Don't be surprised if you hear Ozzie calling a player a @%*# or a #!^@. He is the manager who made a rookie pitcher cry. He called a Chicago area journalist a homophobic slur. The journalist deserved a harsher word than that, and Ozzie deserved less punishment for what he said.

I'm not defending Ozzie's actions, but it seems to be a lot better when Ozzie is just being Ozzie. I hope this lasts all season. Chicago has missed the real Ozzie. So have the Sox players. The 2007 record of 72-90 speaks for itself.

If that doesn't inspire confidence, maybe this Ozzie quote will.

"If we win this year, I might run naked down Michigan Avenue, like people expect me to do," Guillen said. "I suffered a lot last year. My family says that when I win, 'take advantage because when you lose, you are going to take the blame.' "

Inspiring words, but I'm not sure how many fans want to see a 44 year old, crazy Venezuelan running naked down Michigan Avenue. Maybe Ozzie's looking to crack his way into the Nude Olympics.

Remembering Harold

Growing up, Harold Baines was probably my favorite player. He and Carlton Fisk would flip flop for the top spot, depending on my mood. Harold was always #1 or an extremely close second. If I had to trace it back to a moment that solidified that feeling for me, it would have to go back to the Sunday day games that my dad took me to.

I always had fun at old Comiskey Park. It didn't really matter if the Sox won or lost, I still had a great time. The air was always buzzing with excitement of some kind. Sometimes it was the game, sometimes it was the fans themselves. Either way, it was a guaranteed good time.

I can only remember certain things from my childhood. That tends to happen the older you get. I concentrate on moments rather than details, when it comes to that period of time. Those are usually enough to spark my brain to reveal a little more information.

I distinctly recall sitting in the lower level on a Sunday and hearing a bunch of drunk Hispanics, a few rows behind me, shouting for Ozzie Guillen. I'm not sure if they were cheering for him or taunting him, but it always added to the atmosphere. If I wasn't into the game more, I might have been more concerned when security started to hang out by their rows a little more often that game. I was a kid watching baseball with my dad, eating a hot dog, drinking a soda and decked out in a White Sox t-shirt and pegged adjustable hat. I was in heaven.

One moment I will remember until my final days was one of Harold's finest moments. The Sox were trailing by two in the bottom of the ninth. I don't recall how many outs there were or who the White Sox were playing. All I remember is that two men got on somehow, by the skin of their teeth. Harold Baines stepped up to the plate. He swung and gave it his all, but only managed a long strike into the stands. It looked like the game was all but over. Then it happened.

Out of nowhere, the crowd started chanting, "Harold! Harold!", and it just kept kept going. Even my dad started chanting with the crowd and he rarely does things like that. He got another strike and the chanting got louder and louder. The whole park stopped and just focused their attention to Harold Baines. Security guards and park employees started chanting too. I had never seen anything quite like this. Nothing came close. It was the best feeling in the world until I heard something that shattered the chanting.

I heard the most beautiful, perfect sound coming from Harold's bat. As soon as the crack of the bat sounded, the crowd fell deathly silent. The crowd, who was already standing, stood on their tiptoes to watch this baseball fly off of Harold's bat. It felt like a movie. Only it was better because I was right there enjoying the whole scene as it played right in front of me.

The instant that ball went over the fence for a home run, the crowd erupted. I had never heard another crowd like that until the 2005 World Series. That is a moment I was always remember and always cherish. That is why Harold has never shied away from my top 2 spots. That is why I continued to follow his career away from Chicago. That is why his uniform was retired by the White Sox in 1989. That is why he deserves to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Ozzie Breaks The News To Cabrera

How's this for strange. When Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen called his wife last night to tell her that the Tigers had just traded for Miguel Cabrera, she had an unexpected reply.

"That's funny,'' she said, "He's sitting in the car right next to me.''

Ozzie's wife was driving Miguel Cabrera to the airport in Miami. Cabrera was on his way home to Venezuela at the time. To me, this illustrates how close the families really are. That had to be extremely tough on Ozzie.

Wow! Drama, anticipation, excitement, anguish... I can't wait to see how this off-season ends. It already has the makings of a Lifetime movie or, at the very least, a really good after school special. The 2006 Allen & Ginter card of Ozzie Guillen can be the DVD cover. Ozzie looks like he's in the middle of one of those sappy dramas with the arms crossed pose, looking off the one side.

Maybe Reinsdorf and Kenny can negotiate the rights to the movie in exchange for Johan Santana. Then the movie would have a happy ending! Yeah, you're right, only in the movies folks.

2006 Topps 52

I still think 2006 Topps 52 is a great set. This set does retro well. Topps has used their 1952 design to overkill the past decade. This set doesn't show it though. For some reason this seems fresh and new, yet old school.

Although, the Boone Logan card looks absolutely goofy. I don't really want to know what he's doing. If I had to speculate, I'd say maybe he's making faces at children. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check eBay for it. I won't dignify the blog with that unique pose.

Anyway here's the checklist of this fantastic set of White Sox cards. Yes, I included the Debut Flashbacks card too.

72 - Boone Logan
100 - Sean Tracey
127 - Brian Anderson
151 - Agustin Montero

DF18 - Frank Thomas

The Frank Thomas Debut Flashbacks looks nice. It shows him in the 1990 uniform, right before the change to the pinstripes. Sean Tracey looks nothing like the man that Ozzie Guillen made cry. Brian Anderson looks like he's trying to turn his back on the White Sox out of frustration. Agustin Montero seems like he's being very cautious for some reason. Maybe he got wind of what was going to happen to Sean Tracey when he wouldn't throw at a batter in retaliation.

Now, the interesting news. Topps 52 is coming out in 2007. Same design. Hopefully different players. This is what causes collectors to cry overkill. Shouldn't it be Topps 53? Maybe even Topps 51. Like I said, it's a great looking card, but two years in a row? I suppose everyone in the major leagues will have a 1952 Topps card in their own image eventually. I guess I could live with that. Originality suffers the more one goes back to the well. It's great to look back. I enjoy doing it, but there's also something to be said about living in the present.