Don't know about you, but the folks in Venezuela are rooting fora prolonged work stoppage.
That way, they finally will get a civic hero back in uniform.
White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen is considering playing winterball in his native country for the first time in nearly five years,depending on how long the strike lasts.
Guillen plans to meet with former Cubs infielder Luis Salazar,who now manages a team in Venezuela, then must get permission fromSox general manager Ron Schueler.
"They want to see you play, and you have to do good," Guillensaid. "They don't think I'm a human being. They expect me to get ahit every at-bat, so it's different.
"But I'd like to keep myself in baseball shape, maybe play twoor three times a week. There's a good chance I'll play."
Guillen, who is still in Chicago, underwent oral surgeryTuesday. He is awaiting the outcome of negotiating meetings todaybefore making travel plans to Venezuela, but it sounds like he has afew suitcases packed already.
"I knew it would be long, but I thought something would happenwithin a week and a half," Guillen said. "Now things don't look toogood."
Guillen, however, is one of the few players around who doesn'tblame the owners for their actions.
"There's a lot of ego and a lot of money involved," Guillensaid. "You're not talking about baseball, the game kids play; you'retalking about baseball, the business where millions are made oninterest.
"I don't blame them. They have the right to try and make theirmoney, just as the players have a right to tell them to (bleep)themselves."
STRANGE STUFF: At home in Sarasota, Fla., Sox manager GeneLamont has found himself playing a lot of golf, watching a lot oftelevision and answering a lot of questions.
"I've never been in Sarasota in the summer," Lamont said. "It'sdefinitely strange.
"What makes it hard is that everybody I see asks me what I thinkis going to happen with the strike. I don't know. You almost feellike you're evading people because you know what they're going to askyou. Truth is, except for a few people, nobody knows what's goingon."
HALL MARKS: It appears utility man Joe Hall is finally over thehamstring problem that ended his short stint with the Sox.
Hall is hitting .310 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 29 at-batsfor Class AAA Nashville.
But what really has impressed Schueler is Hall's versatility.Hall plays three positions - outfield, third base and catcher - andhas started behind the plate four times for the Sounds.
"They've used him a lot as a catcher, and he's looked good,"Schueler said.
Hall hit .393 in 17 games for the Sox before injuring thehamstring May 13.
DEPTH: Although incredibly deep in pitching, Schueler said theSox' farm system is close to providing some position players.
From his tour of Class AA Birmingham, Schueler touted third baseman Chris Snopek, shortstop GlennDiSarcina, first baseman Troy Fryman, catcher Chris Tremie and centerfielder Kerry Valrie.
Only Valrie (.288), however, is hitting above .260. AndDiSarcina has 51 errors to offset his .252 average and 54 RBI.
No comments:
Post a Comment