Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen braces for the worst
Even though nothing has been etched in stone, Ozzie Guillen is preparing for the worst. While making a morning appearance on ESPN 1000’s “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on Thursday 11 November, the Chicago White Sox manager commented on the prospect of starting
the 2011 campaign without the services of seasoned veterans A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko.
“To me, right now, I don’t [know],” Guillen said regarding the potential absence of either Konerko, a first baseman, or Pierzynski, a catcher, come spring training. “First of all because it’s too early. I talked to [chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] last night and
he didn’t mention either of the two names. I think I’m going to see [general manager] Kenny [Williams] in the next couple of days to talk about it.”
Although the club has already allocated $75.4 million in salary obligations for next season, the Sox would more than likely find themselves embroiled in backlash should they decide to decline the talents of either Konerko or Pierzynski (both of whom are fan
favourites) in 2011. Konerko has been a White Sox foundation over the past 12 seasons, while Pierzynski has been with the club for the last six.
However, Guillen, who has been at the the club’s helm since 2004, knows that the bottom line of sports boils down to business, value, worth, and production. “It’s a funny thing, because you want to make decisions with your heart, but you’re going to make your
decision with your brain,” the outspoken manager said. “It’s not easy to be in Kenny’s or Jerry’s position right now, because we all know we love PK and we love A.J., and it’s not easy. But the decision will be the best decision for the organization and the
best decision for the team and we’ll see what happens.”
Still, the manager remains simultaneously realistic and optimistic about the situation. “If you ask Kenny and Jerry right now, they’ll say yes, of course they want them,” Guillen said. “They play good for them. They had good years. The fans love them. I love
them. The decision will be a tough one, and I’ll be a big supporter of whatever decision they make.”
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