Yet another reason I’m excited with pitchers and catchers reporting can be seen to your immediate right.
You’re welcome.
So, yesterday, I’m talking with a buddy’s son. The kid is a huge baseball fan and just got a job in a team’s office. He mentioned that it was the capper for a perfect week since he’d just gotten back from his honeymoon. As I was congratulating him he interjected with “Of course dad’s not thrilled since he’s Italian.” Now, since I happen to know that dad was, and still is, African American I had to jump to the assumption that his new spouse was both male and Italian.
You learn something new every day.
I asked the only question I could think of; “Can he cook?”
With the answer in the excitedly affirmative I sent him a link for the JTJ cookbook. Which led to this email this morning, “Tony and I loved the cookbook. He made Adam Barta’s Vodka Pasta (no, we didn’t realize he was gay until we looked him up later, it just worked out that way) and we had it with grilled chicken and a white wine. It was delicious. He wants to try the Pangang Curry Shrimp tonight. I can’t wait. I printed out a copy so that I can put it in the break room at the office. I bet a lot of people will love it too. Tony and I will be in Chi soon. Hopefully we can have you for dinner.”
Wait? They’re cannibals too?
Well, maybe I’ll be okay with some extra salt.
Speaking of spicing things up, Paul Sullivan is reporting that Dale Sveum is already markedly different than previous managers in that he actually expects the players on his team to know how to play baseball.
The Cubs have had three managers run spring training the last three seasons, and all of them have had their own style.
It may be too early in Camp Dale Sveum to notice any distinct changes from the ones run by Lou Piniella and Mike Quade. But the addition of video to the pitchers’ workout sessions, the stressing of pitchers’ fielding practices and the introduction of a team-wide bunting tournament are concepts that differentiate Sveum from his predecessors.
“They’re stressing the little things on the bases, they want us to be a good running club,” second baseman Darwin Barney said. “We’ve got to take advantage of those things. We’ve got to take advantage of the extra bases and stuff like that. That gets players excited.”
Spring training is a long and sometimes boring period where players repeat drills over and over to make sure they remember what to do when the season begins. That’s why the bunting tournament, which begins Thursday, is one of the most refreshing ideas in camp.
Sveum is not only running the tournament, he gave himself one of the 64 spots in the NCAA-style bracket, facing Kerry Wood in the first round.
“We had to get it to 64 and we had 63 guys in camp, so I said ‘Just throw myself in there,’” Sveum said. “Then losing (Chris) Carpenter to the Red Sox, we put (strength coach Tim Buss) in his spot.”
Wood called his first-round matchup with Sveum a “layup,” adding he “should get through that one with no problem.” Wood doesn’t bat much as a setup man but is considered a decent bunter.
“If I’m bunting, there’s a good chance the game is out of hand, good or bad,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a good way to kind of keep it lively over there. Bunting gets very monotonous, and covering first and all that stuff. It’s nice to throw us a little bone, make a competition out of it and get some work done at the same time.”
Sveum came up with the idea while managing in the minors. Lines are drawn on the infield with different point totals allotted depending on where the ball lands. The winner of each matchup moves on to the next round, with pitchers and hitters in different brackets.
“I remembered it and wanted to do something if I ever managed,” Sveum said. “I thought it would be fun for the team, break things up a little bit.”
The consensus favorites are starters Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells, who get more opportunities to bunt during actual games. Matt Garza, who was glaringly lacking in bunting skills last year due to seasons in the American League, will face Carlos Marmol, who seldom batted because he’s a closer.
Bryan LaHair will face Anthony Rizzo, with the winner possibly facing Tony Campana, who considers himself the tourney favorite. LaHair compared the possible second-round matchup between Campana and him as the equivalent of a second-round NCAA game between Kentucky and Syracuse, both likely No. 1 seeds.
Either way, Sveum’s tourney has camp buzzing, and no one wants to embarrass themselves.
“Everyone as athletes likes to compete,” Barney said.
According to a source, the top prize will be $2,000, and Sveum is eligible to win.
“Of course,” he said. “My $50 is already in.”
The Cubs ranked in the bottom 5 when it came to situational offense the last 10 years, so this may be nutty but it is sorely needed.
Svuem’s got game, which means stuff’s not the same.
Rhyme time at Jay the Joke is now officially over.
On the Southside they know it’s time for baseball too. As Darryl van Schouwen reports, they sighted the first Robin of the season.
Rookie Robin Ventura looked — and talked — like a veteran when he sat down for his first official interview of spring training as manager of the White Sox, lodging a brief but not very cranky complaint about having to face the bright Arizona sun late Wednesday morning.
The cameras he looked into are nothing new for a 16-season star player. Facing the music when the Sox encounter their first losing streak, well, it wasn’t a day for that. Not on the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting for their first official workouts of Camp Ventura.
Ventura looked as relaxed as any manager who’s done this for a long time. He fielded questions as comfortably as he picked up ground balls as a six-time Gold Glove third baseman, offering only what needed to be said.
Take the Sox’ closer situation. The job is open between Matt Thornton, Jesse Crain and possibly Addison Reed, but Ventura wasn’t tipping his hand this soon.
“I have a lot of ideas I will keep between us and the coaching staff,’’ Ventura said. “I’m not going to pinpoint anything right now. Just get spring going and see how it goes.’’
Ventura has an idea about what he’ll say when he addresses the full squad, which has its first workout Tuesday, but he was keeping most of that to himself as well.
“I know what I want to basically say as far as them understanding who I am and what’s expected. I don’t have it all written out, but I know what I want to say.’’
Which is?
“Which I will do on the 28th when everyone is here. I can’t waste all my material right now.’’
Ventura’s goals for camp are basic and sound: stay healthy and have his first team prepared to play at a high level. Once the games begin he wants maximum effort and his players to enjoy coming to the park every day.
“You want to be ready to start,’’ he said. “The goal is to get us as prepared as we can for Opening Day and for the season. I don’t want guys getting hurt. I want them to get enough at-bats and playing time. If there are guys working for spots, I want to give them enough at-bats or appearances to show what they have. We’ll make decisions off that. That’s what spring is for, to get prepared to actually play in the season. That’s the goal.’’
Much has been made of Ventura’s zero-experience resume and his laid-back demeanor.
“I don’t consider it always laid back,’’ he said. “I do have things I believe in as far as the way they play. Hopefully guys can play better. That’s just obviously something from last year that’s the situation we’re in. Nobody’s going to let them up from that until you have an extended period of playing well and guys playing well. That’s just the facts. That’s just the way it is. We have a long way to go to prove that wrong.’’
None of the players have yet to applaud Ozzie Guillen’s departure. Many are cheering on Ventura’s arrival, however. Right-hander Gavin Floyd was the latest Wednesday.
“I think he’s a great fit for this team,’’ Floyd said. “He’s going to lead this team real well. I think he’s going to be a good encourager and motivator. He’s going to manage the ballgame well. I have no doubt about that. From the times I’ve met him, he’s been a class-act guy.’’
“He’s got a good sense of humor,’’ right-hander Philip Humber said. “As far as the X’s and O’s, I don’t know if he knows because this is his first time so everyone has to adjust as they go. But I know that he knows the game very well.’’
For having never managed, Ventura seems plenty comfortable but far from a know-it-all. There’s a lot to learn on the job.
“I’ve never gone to the mound and taken somebody out,’’ he deadpanned. “That will obviously be new.’’
A buddy of mine works for the Cubs. He was whimpering last night. He said, and it’s worth sharing,"You know how we can finally prove that (expletive) God (expletive) hates the (expletive) Cubs? When we get to watch the (expletive) Marlins and the (expletive) Sox in the World (expletive) Series this year. That’s what’s gonna (expletive) happen too. You just wait and (expletive) see.”
From his foul mouth to God’s ear. One can only hope.
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Hi kids. If you applied for membership between Saturday night at 9 PM and Monday morning at 8:30 AM, your submission was deleted. It’s not that I had anything against you personally, it’s just that some tool thought it would be fun to load the board with 3,000 plus submissions all tied to an offshore gaming site.
Anyway, as always, when stuff like this happens I follow the required procedures.
(1) I mark the site as banned in the back-end to prevent future occurrences.
(2) I notify the FBI.
(3) I listen patiently as the Chicago office of the FBI says “Gosh, that’s too bad.”
(4) I realize that Tom Clancy is wrong about how savvy the FBI is. These people are baffled by email.
(5) I delete the messages.
It would be (5) that is salient to your attempt to join our merry band of miscreants.
So, send me an email with your info and I’ll load you in or you can just reapply. Either way will work fine.
Anyway, until I get a moment to toss up a new front page, CLICK HERE to make fun of ESPN.
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Oddly enough, at no point during today’s blog will female breasts be relevant whatsoever. In fact, they won’t even be a minor point in the conversation. But, and this is the important part, I like them. So, in an effort to keep me happy, I tossed up this pic.
Hopefully you like it too.
Now, on to Chicago sports.
The Bears: BWAH HA HA HA HA ...
I’m not overreacting.
The Hawks: Forget “Trade Kane”, trade Toews and Sharp and then dump Quenneville and light Bowman on fire.
I might be overreacting, but I don’t think so.
The Bulls: Trade Rose. He’s injured and of no use to the team.
I might be overreacting.
Let’s move on.
The Cubs are proud of the fact that they have a hitting coach who worked with the most steroid laden hitting roster in the history of MLB. Of course those days are behind him and the fact that Darwin Barney added 50 pounds of ripped abs this off season is a coincidence. Carrie Muskat doesn’t even want you to begin to think about Tony Campana looking like the Hulk on speed.
You thought Tony Campana was fast last year? Now, he’s even faster.
He’s also stronger and well aware of what he needs to do to make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster.
Campana led the Cubs last season with 24 steals, but this will be his first big league Spring Training camp. The slender outfielder had a perfectly timed callup on May 17 when the Cubs were in Cincinnati, near his hometown of Springboro, Ohio. He was batting .342 at Triple-A Iowa at the time, and he hit .259 in 95 games with the Cubs.
After a month off, he arrived in Mesa on Nov. 1 to start his offseason program under strength coach Tim Buss.
“I didn’t get the at-bats I usually get, so I was kind of fresh after the year. So why not jump right into it?” Campana said Tuesday at Fitch Park, which has been his second home this offseason.
Buss’ program included adding nearly 12 pounds to Campana’s slight frame. Won’t that slow him down?
“I think it’s just a matter of lifting the right way,” Campana said. “If you get a little stronger and keep your flexibility, you can even get a little bit faster—and I think I did that. It was a successful offseason.”
He did drills to increase his speed. Look out Nyjer Morgan, Michael Bourn and Dee Gordon.
“It’s mostly mechanics,” Campana said. “I’m naturally pretty fast. You just work on mechanics and if you’re right, you can be faster.”
Maybe not fast enough. Veteran Marlon Byrd walked by and said Campana was the “second fastest guy in baseball.” Who’s No. 1? Byrd believes he is after losing 20 pounds this offseason.
“He thinks he can challenge me,” a smiling Campana said. “but I’ll have to put him in his place.”
Expect some competitive sprinting this spring.
Campana swiped 66 bases in the Minors in 2009. The last—and only—Cubs player to reach 60 steals in a single season was Frank Chance in 1903. The Cubs begin organizational meetings on Wednesday and one of the topics will be the lineup. Chicago manager Dale Sveum suggested last month that he will consider Campana for the leadoff spot.
“That would be awesome,” Campana said. “I have to go out and show I can hold my own offensively. And if I can show them what I can do offensively, maybe I’ll get my chance. They’ll probably start out that I’ll get my spots and it’ll increase from there.”
He has to show he can get on base. Told that a veteran scout suggested Campana should be fined every time he hits the ball in the air, the outfielder nodded.
“I agree,” Campana said. “Me hitting the ball in the air, I’m not making any money up there. I’m not going to hit even 10 home runs a year—maybe a couple. Why would you hit the ball in the air?
“You can hit line drives, and I have to be able to hit the ball in gaps, so I can get a little respect,” he said. “You don’t want outfielders playing 10 feet from the infielders. I got a little stronger so I think I’ll get that respect. Then it’s just putting bat on ball.”
He does have one home run in the pros, a two-run, inside-the-park homer Aug. 5 off the Reds’ Mike Leake at Wrigley Field. His only other professional homer came during the playoffs in 2010 with Double-A Tennessee, and that also was an inside-the-park dash. His last homer before that was his last hit for the University of Cincinnati in 2008. He used an aluminum bat then.
Campana has a career .303 batting average and .359 on-base percentage in the Minors. He’s working on improving his bunting, but knows he also has to be able to make contact, especially if the opposing third baseman is so far in on the grass he can shake Campana’s hand.
“There’s a lot of advantages of me being able to bunt,” Campana said. “Bringing [the third baseman] in will make it easier for me.”
The long days at Fitch Park usually began around 8 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m., with just enough time to work on his golf game. The good news? Being in Arizona helped Campana lower his handicap.
He also joined other Cubs Minor Leaguers making a hospital visit in Mesa and stopped by an orphanage to say hello. In January, Campana received the 22nd annual Tony Conigliaro Award, which is presented to a Major League player who has overcome adversity through spirit, determination and courage. Campana has survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“I was really nervous and I had to give a speech in front of almost 1,000 people,” he said. “It was a blast. I got to meet [David] Ortiz—he’s a really funny, good guy.”
He’s not the only one on the Cubs who has overcome Hodgkin’s lymphoma. So has first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and the two shared stories at the Cubs Convention in January.
“He’s huge,” Campana said of Rizzo, who is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. “It’s hard to imagine we’re the same species, me and him.”
Campana is big enough. The Cubs are hoping he’s still fast enough, too.
Remember the movie Major League? Every time Willy Mayes Hayes hit a ball in the air he had to do 20 push ups. The same should apply to Campana.
As to the fact that dudes who would have trouble lifting a tire iron now look like professional body builders, that has nothing to do with Rudy Jaramillo. Someone else must have left those little syringes lying around.
You might have guessed that I am mildly suspicious of the sudden health spurt this club is showing.
On the Southside the big players got that way the way God intended; burgers and beer. Since that’s not an issue, let’s let new dad Joe Cowley tell us what is; the team doesn’t trust K-Dub or Coop.
If there was an ideal location for a self-proclaimed ‘‘good ol’ boy’’ to get some R & R, a winter in Georgia should have done the trick.
But former White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker is learning that some wounds take longer to heal than others.
Walker never has been one to pull punches, but what he said in a phone interview Wednesday was as candid as anyone has been about what derailed the Sox in recent seasons. His assessment is also a red flag as the Sox move forward.
Walker insists the 2011 season never should have unfolded the way it did because most of the staff should have moved on after 2010.
‘‘You can dissect it any way you want, blame it on whoever you want, but it was not a positive situation for anyone involved,’’ Walker said. ‘‘We talked about it. There was a feeling in the clubhouse and the coaches’ office that we should have never been back for 2011. After 2010, it was obvious that the first sign of adversity was going to make things bad.
‘‘When it gets off track like it did and you have more going on than the normal team, it’s too hard to overcome. The atmosphere the past few years reached the point where winning baseball could no longer be played, no matter which players were brought in.’’
Walker took it a step further and said the idea that the players weren’t affected by the circus atmosphere — whether it was former manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams sparring, Williams and members of the coaching staff quarreling or the coach-on-coach distrust that existed — just wasn’t true.
All the questions about Adam Dunn’s mechanics, Alex Rios’ passion and Gordon Beckham’s overthinking were just excuses. The real reason the Sox finished where they did last season despite a $127 million payroll was because the dysfunctional atmosphere proved too big an obstacle for them to overcome.
‘‘I hope all those guys bounce back, and I really think they have a chance to,’’ Walker said. ‘‘Most of the problems that went on last year weren’t baseball-related, and it was tough on the players. We hit that first roadblock, and everyone suffered. We all should have seen it coming.’’
Sox fans were promised a dynasty after the 2005 World Series, and Williams said they needed that to capture the city. Seven years later, all they have captured is irrelevance entering spring training.
Who’s to blame? Everyone, just like Walker said.
The Sox dressed up a $127 million pig under the premise they were ‘‘all in,’’ all the while knowing they would be a sinking ship once the first wave hit.
And while a majority of Sox fans just want to move forward, what are they moving forward to?
Sure, Guillen is gone and managing the Miami Marlins. If feeling like he was the main culprit makes you sleep better at night, have at it. And Walker is the hitting coach of the Atlanta Braves, so he is no longer around.
But is the house really clean? Most of the roster is back, and so are Williams and pitching coach Don Cooper. The players have trust issues with both. What happens when there’s some adversity in April?
Walker couldn’t answer that. Then again, it’s not his problem anymore.
‘‘I still fight with my emotions,’’ Walker said. ‘‘It was such a bad ending. I know that I will always consider [Sox chairman] Jerry Reinsdorf like a father to me. I will never be able to repay him for what he’s done.
‘‘I had the right to come back this year if I wanted to. And while Jerry’s always had my back and I love [new manager] Robin [Ventura], I knew there were too many circumstances that told me to move on. There are some fresh wounds that still need to heal, and part of that is moving to another organization.’’
You’re right, Sox fans. You shouldn’t care anymore that Walker and Guillen are gone.
But you should be concerned about what remains.
As some of you are aware I do know a couple of people who are involved with Chicago’s pro teams. They are usually very polite when they discuss management of any team. For example, not one has ever said anything bad to me about Quade or how the team perceived him last year.
Not one of them have a single nice thing to say about “the Demonic Duo”; which is what one person called K-Dub and Coop.
No, that’s not a good nickname.
I wish Ventura well but wonder if he knows how badly he is being used here and, worse, how badly he’s being set up to fail.
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This site used to be all about Chicago sports. Bears, Bulls, Hawks, Bliss, Fire ... even the Cubs and Sox once in a while. We seem to have drifted slightly away from that and that is entirely my fault.
This site used to also be about Jay Mariotti, the Malignant Dwarf Bad Word. Thanks to various legal issues he’s become irrelevant. Joe Cowley has tried to pick up the slack but he has non-inflatable friends and a real family, not one purchased from a Russian porn site. In other words ‘he just doesn’t have the same level of moral depravity required.
This site also used to be about boobs. Glorious jugs of jiggly goodness that were enjoyed by all.
It all tied together well since Mariotti, a/k/a Jay the Joke, was a Chicago sports boob.
We also were about hope. Fred Mitchell, who clearly has been drinking, says there’s no reason the Bears can’t win the Super Bowl.
If the New York Giants can get into the playoffs with a 9-7 record and win a Super Bowl, why can’t the Chicago Bears?
“Just get in the playoffs. Anything is possible,” Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett said Monday night before accepting an honor at the 24th annual Comcast SportsNet Awards Dinner. “You’ve just got to continue to work hard and stay focused. Those (Giants) did a great job with doing that and they won a Super Bowl.”
The Bears were 7-3 last season before injuries to quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte contributed mightily to a five-game losing streak. The Bears finished 8-8 and out of the NFC playoffs. The Giants, on the other hand, rebounded from a slow start to capture the NFC East before running the table in the postseason.
Big plays from Giants receivers caught the attention of Bennett.
“(Mario) Manningham stepped up and (Hakeem) Nicks played big throughout the playoffs,” Bennett said. “And Victor Cruz was lights out throughout the whole season. So we look to build on what we had early in the season last year, and just pick up and get everybody healthy and we will be all right.”
This time last year, the NFL lockout inhibited opportunities to stage regular organized workouts for players. That is not an issue this year. The Bears have a new offensive coordinator in Mike Tice, as well as other new assistant coaches.
“We’ve got a lot of time to work out and a lot of time to get timing and route-running down,” Bennett said. “So I look forward to bringing in new plays that coach Tice has drawn up for us. New coaches, new coordinator … it’s just going to continue to help us get better and I look forward to the season.”
Bennett received the “Bear of the Year” award at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers during the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards presented by Navistar to benefit the March of Dimes. Previous dinners had raised nearly $8 million for the March of Dimes. Daniel C. Ustian, chairman, president and CEO of Navistar International Corporation, was the honorary chair of the dinner. William T. Barry, Senior Vice President of Draper & Kramer was the event’s chairman, and James J. Corno is the president of Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
Other honorees during the program that was televised live on Comcast SportsNet and emceed by Steve Dahl were Carlos Boozer (Bulls), Corey Crawford (Blackhawks), Kerry Wood (Cubs), Alexei Ramirez (White Sox) and Logan Pause (Fire).
“I am very happy to be back in a Cubs uniform for another season,” said Wood, who continues to promote his own charitable foundation along with his wife, Sarah, who also attended Monday night’s event.
“Receiving an award like this is very humbling,” Boozer said.In addition, Blackhawks Hall of Fame goaltender Tony Esposito was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
The March of Dimes “Inspirational Athlete” award winner was 16-year-old Chicagoan Tywaun Crain, who has excelled as a student/athlete after being born with cerebral palsy. The Sox’s Ramirez was unable to attend the dinner because of a family emergency, but took time to call Crain before the dinner to offer congratulations and support.
“This has allowed me to feel the thrill of victory,” Crain said. “It has allowed me to be a part of something special. I am not accepting this award for myself. I am accepting this award for every athlete in every sport who has overcome disabilities.”
Big ups from all of us here at JTJ to Mr. Crain.
As to the Bears winning the Super Bowl .... BWAH HA HA HA HA ......
I have a better chance of having sex with a 22 year old hard body who ...... oh wait.
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“You know, this is all very wrong.”
“I know.”
“There’s the age thing.”
“True. When you get to be my age I’ll be eating meat through a straw and wearing a diaper.’
“You’re not that much …. Ewwww, yuck.”
“Yeah.”
“And there’s the race thing.”
“Not as big a deal as it used to be, but coupled with the age difference we’re a head snapping couple. And not in a good way.”
“Then there’s the mom thing.”
“Hey, that’s not on me. I left with my head held high and my leg swollen like a parade balloon. You called me, remember?”
“Yeah. Sorry about the leg.”
“It healed but no more harnesses, okay?”
“Okay. …. So why do we do it?”
(pause) “When was the last time you howled with laughter and joy in the middle of sex?”
“Oh, yeah, …. Wow … thanks for that.”
“You’re most welcome. I assure you that it was my pleasure.”
“Still …”
“I know. Do you want me to leave?”
“You idiot, this is your apartment!”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot.”
(snuggle) “You make a good pillow.”
“You make an excellent blanket.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day Big Guy.”
“Back atcha.”
As you can easily see, logic and reason have gone for a distant walk and may never return. We both know there is absolutely no upside to this arrangement for her and no downside for me. I should be the adult here and end it but there’s this part of my brain that keeps reminding me YOU’RE A FREAKING IDIOT! SHE’S WILLING TO GET NAKED, DOESN’T REQUIRE A CREDIT CARD OR CASH UP FRONT AND SHE’S SMOKING HOT!!!
Yeah, there’s that.
So, in honor of that, let’s look at two more doomed relationships.
When the Cubs signed Soriano there was only one sports columnist in town who was demanding that the Cubs spend nutty money to prove they belonged with the big boys. That was Jay Mariotti. That fact alone shows you what a bad idea this was.
Soriano was a massive defensive liability in his prime. Plus he was a free swinging prima donna who demanded to lead off even though he had none of the usual skills of a leadoff hitter.
The Cubs not only gave Soriano a busload of money, they put enough years on the contract to guarantee his grandchildren would retire as Cubs.
Realistically, the Cubs had about two years to win the whole thing before Soriano became more of a liability than an asset. He was, and is, a horror with runners in scoring position, at one point hitting around .125 in that situation, and he was a .220 hitter in playoff situations. Not that he faced many of those, but there you go.
Well, those two years came and went and now the Cubs have a left fielder that no one wants. Not even them.
Before you get your Northside knickers in a twist, the Sox are no better. For one brief shining moment in 2010 Ozzie had the team he wanted with the players he needed all healthy. That team went 25-5. Then injuries piled up and Kenny Williams began imposing his vision of baseball, an antiquated and wrong one, on the team.
So the team got Manny Ramirez. A twice convicted steroid abuser with fading skills. In the off season Ozzie and others begged for speed and an arm. K-Dub went and signed Adam Dunn. Exactly the kind of player Ozzie hates.
This is not to rip on Dunn. When signed he was one of the best hitters in baseball. But the fact is that he’s slow and one dimensional. Ozzie, and everyone not named Kenny Williams, would happily sacrifice some power for flexibility and speed.
The fact that Dunn missed setting a record in futility in 2011 by 6 at bats is due solely to Ozzie taking pity on the guy and benching him. I have no idea what went wrong last year but it stopped being funny in May and was actually tragic by July.
But with his monstrous contract and no way to replace him without shorting the field, the Sox were doomed. And, even if he does hit this year, does anyone realistically believe he can get this team a division title?
The two things that win championships, pitching and defense, never appear in the DH spot.
Oh, and to answer the obvious question, she’s reading this over my shoulder.
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