"...LOOK AT YOU NOW!"

By request I was asked what I thought of this fun piece of fiction that Phil Rogers wrote today about the suddenly red hot White Sox. In it, he speculates (and for some reason points out he's been speculating this for a while) that with the Florida Marlins firing of manager Fredi Gonzalez today, it will open the door for Guillen to become the manager of the Marlins next season. It should immediately be pointed out that Ozzie quickly denied wanting the Marlins job when he was asked about it, so let's get that out of the way before I really pick this one apart.

Rogers' web of speculation has it that when Bobby Cox retires this season, Fredi will be named the Braves manager. Why is that a foregone conclusion? Fredi lives in Georgia, he was a coach on the Braves staff in 2003, and he benched Hanley Ramirez for not hustling this season. I guess those three pieces of information make it a lock that he would take the Braves job no matter what? I'd have to believe he would have other manager offers next season, and wouldn't immediately jump at the Braves job. Not to mention Fredi seems smart enough to know that you don't replace the Legend, you replace the REPLACEMENT for the Legend.

Rogers also speculates that Guillen would want the Marlins job should it be available...ignoring that Guillen is still under contract and that Reinsdorf has no intention of firing him. Phil pointed out that Guillen "...a personal favorite of Reinsdorf's even though he savagely criticized the team when his Chicago stint as shortstop was over..." Ummmmm WHAT?! PHIL...Ozzie ripped the organization when was cut in 1998. Do you know what's happened since that time? He's been the damn White Sox Manager since 2004 and in case you also don't remember this, he got Jerry his coveted World Series Trophy 5 years ago. I THINK REINSDORF HAS GOTTEN OVER GETTING RIPPED BY OZZIE IN 1998! My Goodness are you an idiot, but you don't stop there do you Phil?

Indeed he doesn't stop there because the third piece of this Fiction Trifecta involves the vastly overrated Tony LaRussa becoming a part of the White Sox organization in 2011. Rogers' sites an interview with the Chicago Tribune done in February where he said he would "love" to work for Jerry Reinsdorf again....but NOT as the manager. OK Phil....what would Tony be doing then?! Is he head of scouting? Is he Assistant GM because they will fire Rick Hahn? Is the the General Manager because they will fire Kenny and NOT hire Rick Hahn? Is he a bench coach because Joey Cora is going to be the manager or will he just cave in and be the White Sox manager when Ozzie is allowed to go to Miami? What's Tony going to do in the White Sox organization?! Show me where he's going to have a place?

This whole piece is absurd and fundamentally flawed from start to finish. Phil should be ashamed of himself for allowing this diarrhea of consciousness to be expressed via the printed word. Phil has been employed by the Chicago Tribune as their baseball "bigfoot" since 1997, but I still for the life of me cannot figure out why? Unless a real journalist like Joe Cowley of the Suntimes reports this, I'm going to assume this is absolute drivel.

Let's hope everyone else does the same...