OZZIE? HE GOOOOONE!!!!!!!!!!

[The Jackal]

Finit. Kaput. Ciao. Goodbye. Arivederci. Sayonara.

GOOOONE after eight years.

[mustang54]

  I guess that means he was the only one who was really all in.

[Guy_on_Clinton]

He'll be good for Miami.

[watcher]

  I guess that means he was the only one who was really all in.

He was never a perfect fit w/ the White Sox, either as a player or manager.  He'll do better with the Marlins.

The question now is who? The choice will speak to whether the team wants a manager or another side-show.

[pkd50]

Never a good fit?   What about '05?

[watcher]

Never a good fit?   What about '05?

Never a PERFECT fit, but what about it? Like the 85 Bears it had little to do with the head coach/ manager.
In fact, the Ozzie factor in `05 nearly cost the team its shot.  A lot was forgiven/forgotten when they won the WS, but
at least 3 times during the `05 season, Ozzie (or rather his mouth) put his job on the line and the season at risk. 

2006 was testament to Ozzie's shortcomings.

[dukesdad]

Miami is a great place for him. He'll sell tickets and people will understand what the fuck he's talking about.

[The Jackal]

I would think the '05 season was a testament to how Ozzie got a team to OVERACHIEVE as opposed to vice versa. Look at the talent on that team.....not nearly a WS winning caliber side....and the next 6 years proved it.

As for Ozzie's managerial ability, well, he won a WS...and NOBODY else has done that in the last 100 years or so in this city. But that's not hid defining moment, IMO. Game 3 (I believe) against the Red Sox in the ALCS (I believe), sixth inning (I think), bases loaded NOBODY out, and he brings in El Duqe...A STARTER....to retire the side. Game, set and match WS.

IMO, Kenny Williams is the WRONG fit...piss poor player, mediocre (at best) GM. Ozzie isn't the guy who saddled this team with the likes of Jake Peavy, Adam Dunn, Alex Rios, Gordon Beckham, Brent Morel, etc....the BOY WONDER is.   

[pkd50]

Ozzie was a good fit in '05.  Nobody is a perfect fit.   On the Kenny issue, I agree with you completely. 

[Bonster]

But that's not hid defining moment, IMO. Game 3 (I believe) against the Red Sox in the ALCS (I believe), sixth inning (I think), bases loaded NOBODY out, and he brings in El Duqe...A STARTER....to retire the side. Game, set and match WS.

+100!

El Duque and Contreras were flat out sick in '05.

[dukesdad]

My son and I were at Fenway for that game. I couldn't watch, most exciting inning I've ever not seen.

[pkd50]

I think we all held our breath and prayed.

[mustang54]

  Folks the easiest and most overpaid gig in sports is being a manager in the American League. You make out the lineup and then change the pitcher when he gets knocked around, big deal. Now Oz is going to the National league where a manager really has to know what he's doing. He will be lucky to last 2 seasons with the Marlins.
  As for Williams, I'm with Jackal. He has made the Sox into a mirror image of the Cubs. Long termed high priced deals on guys who are finished,a depleted minor league system and below average players on the roster. Its like Williams sat with Hendry in class for the Andy Mcfailure school of general managing. I'll bet Jerry Angelo was sitting with them.
But us Cub fans have something to look forward to at seasons end. We can go watch a movie at Wrigley!
I'll bet Ricketts tries to get the circus or Stars on Ice away from the United Center. The more I hear Ricketts the more I see Jerry Jones.

[Ted]

Williams made some good moves in 2003 and 2004 that brought a world championship in 2005.

  He brought in Garcia, El Duque and Contraras as pitchers; brought in AJ as a catcher; brought in Uribe at shortshop and brought in Dye and Pods to the outfield.

Those were all good moves that brought a world series championship to Chicago.

  Wiliams' problem in the last few years is his obsession with slow power hitters on their last legs.  He forgot what brought in a championship in 2005 and another good team in 2006.

  But, I still give him credit for what he did in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

[watcher]

Williams made some good moves in 2003 and 2004 that brought a world championship in 2005.

  He brought in Garcia, El Duque and Contraras as pitchers; brought in AJ as a catcher; brought in Uribe at shortshop and brought in Dye and Pods to the outfield.

Those were all good moves that brought a world series championship to Chicago.

  Wiliams' problem in the last few years is his obsession with slow power hitters on their last legs.  He forgot what brought in a championship in 2005 and another good team in 2006.

  But, I still give him credit for what he did in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Don't forget Crazy Carl! Neal Cotts! Aaron Rowand.  It hasn't been JUST slow power hitters, but old, slow, left-handed power hitters who statistically, weren't particularly strong clutch hitters.

The individuals on the 2005 WhiteSox developed a bond among themselves that transcended Ozzie. The 85 Bears were much the same thing. Chemistry.

[The Jackal]

Chemistry doesn't win you baseball games, TALENT does. That CHEMISTRY garbage is the biggest crop of crap I've ever heard in sports. Simple theorem...you win games, your chemistry is good, you lose games, chances are your chemistry is BAD. Show me one losing team in the history of baseball that EVER had GOOD chemistry. NONE. ZERO. ZIP. NADA.

On the flip side, the early 70's A's and late 70's Bronx Zoo Yankees blow the chemistry theory out of the water.

Over 162 games, for the most part, TALENT wins out. THIS Sox team simply was mediocre...at best...from the get go. Outside of Konerko and Ramirez (maybe Quentin), you really didn't have any other every day players you could count on. And their overhyped rotation proved to be just that....OVERHYPED....a collection of .500 pitchers. THAT doesn't win you division titles or WS championships....it leaves you below .500.   

[watcher]

Chemistry doesn't win you baseball games, TALENT does. That CHEMISTRY garbage is the biggest crop of crap I've ever heard in sports. Simple theorem...you win games, your chemistry is good, you lose games, chances are your chemistry is BAD. Show me one losing team in the history of baseball that EVER had GOOD chemistry. NONE. ZERO. ZIP. NADA.

On the flip side, the early 70's A's and late 70's Bronx Zoo Yankees blow the chemistry theory out of the water.

Over 162 games, for the most part, TALENT wins out. THIS Sox team simply was mediocre...at best...from the get go. Outside of Konerko and Ramirez (maybe Quentin), you really didn't have any other every day players you could count on. And their overhyped rotation proved to be just that....OVERHYPED....a collection of .500 pitchers. THAT doesn't win you division titles or WS championships....it leaves you below .500.   

The 2005 rotation pushed, tried to one-up and fed off each other. That rarely happens. Collective attitude is important. Swagger is important. "Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical."

The league's have-nots have occasionally defied the conventional wisdom.

This year's collection, on paper, could/should have been much better.  Still,  going in, they had glaring holes in their everyday line-up,  an iffy rotation and the Ozzie/Kenny sideshow working against them. Add in injuries, = fighting for .500

[Bonster]

Baseball is the sport that is perhaps least affected by "team chemistry."   I can see it in basketball when a certain core of players gel, but baseball is a highly individualized sport based largely execution.  It's the individual execution by all 9 players that makes the team run like the inner-workings of a time piece ("by the book").  There is positional strategy,  but most of the game is fundamental.   I think the mental idea Yogi made famous refers mostly to the regular trickery involved in individual matchups (pitcher/catcher/batter, baserunner/fielder).

[Ted]

Robin Ventura as new manager?  Seriously?

I was hoping the Sox would hire Francona.

[pkd50]

Kenny's loosing it