Unhappy Days
DETROIT – According to a source on Monday, if general manager Ken Williams is poised to start making changes in the wake of the disastrous start that has greeted the White Sox in the 2010 regular season, it will start with members of the coaching staff before it reaches moving player personnel.
Manager Ozzie Guillen confirmed the fact that the players are staying put for now before the game with Detroit was postponed, admitting that Williams told him in a text that "it's too early right now'' to start giving up on 25-man roster.
"I talked to Kenny [Sunday], he send me a text,'' Guillen said. "All the rumors out there are not … obviously, [Williams is] not happy but nobody is. He's losing patience but we all do.
"He said it's too early right now. But in the meanwhile, listen, I work for Kenny for seven years and if he sees something he likes out there and will help this organization right now and in the future, he will do it. Kenny does stuff very quietly. Maybe the rumors won't go anywhere, but all of a sudden he makes a move and it's, 'Ozzie, this guy got traded.' All right or we get this guy tomorrow. That's the way he's doing stuff.''
What is being debated between the two is the make-up of the current coaching staff. Guillen has made his feelings about his coaches more than obvious over the past few seasons, and did so again Monday.
"That's where I appreciate my coaching staff because those guys are never down,'' Guillen said. "Maybe the players are, but our coaching staff, I might be more down than our coaching staff. They are always optimistic, they come here and work, smile on their face, go to the cage, go to the bullpen. I'm lucky to have those guys because they refresh me, they refuel me.''
Williams put Guillen in charge of coaching decisions back in the 2006 season, both the hiring and firing of the staff.
There now seems to be a power struggle of whom has the final say on who stays and who goes, especially with the Sox dead last in the American League in batting average (.230) and 12th in the AL in ERA.
Not what was expected for a team that was built around pitching and defense this offseason, with an offense that was hyped as a small-ball group of athletes that could create runs, rather than relying on the longball.
Instead, the Sox have a dismal 15-22 record and a $103 million payroll.
As far as the rumors about catcher A.J. Pierzynski, the Sun-Times reported three weeks ago that the Sox were talking to teams about the catcher to try and gage interest if they do get in a fire sale mode, and at the time Williams did not like what he was hearing.
The source said that hasn't changed, and said that Williams had also been trying to gage what type of market there would be for Bobby Jenks and Scott Linebrink. Again, not hearing anything to peak his interest at the moment.
"[Williams] text me about … 'Right now I'm doing some stuff with the minor league things and the draft … tell those guys … because the stuff coming about A.J. [He said] tell those guys I'm not going to trade anybody,' '' Guillen said. "They're here to [bleeping] play for us or they're here to get traded, you have to play. Even if the rumors aren't good, well if you think you're going to be traded then play better. It's easier for the guy that's going to trade you and it's easier for the people that make the trade. You have to play good whether you're staying or leaving, that's all you have to do, play good for somebody.''
As far as the troubles the Sox could be headed for on the payroll end of things if the losing continues, Guillen said that's not in his job description.
"Are we struggling?'' Guillen added. "Yeah, everyone should know that. About moving people out of here, get the payroll down, that's Kenny, [board chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf], [assistant GM] Rick [Hahn].''
