If there's one person who sees the softer side of Ozzie Guillen,
it has to be Scott Podsednik:
''I had a feeling at the beginning of the year that this would
happen,'' Guillen said of Podsednik's latest injury. ''I don't know
why. I keep saying, 'I have a Plan B, I have a Plan B.' I just had a
feeling that this would happen.
''One thing about it was it worked for us in the past, but all of a
sudden ... I mean, this kid can be one of the best leadoff hitters in
the game, but it's up to him. We believe in him as an organization, and
I believe in him as a manager that he could still do it. But like I
said, it's up to him.''
Podsednik has done a few things over the last couple of years that other Sox have paid the price for:
- Questionable self-opinion of health (Damaso Marte)
- Not responding to poking or prodding by the coaching staff (Brian Anderson)
- Playing poor defense in the outfield for considerable periods of time (Rob Mackowiak)
Yet time and time again, Ozzie offers only measured, lightly worded criticism that he attempts to balance with an encouraging word. On one hand, that's good -- it's probably a smart idea for Ozzie to scale back, and Pods is a World Series hero. On the other, I'm wondering how many chances he'll cost Ryan Sweeney if the rookie continues to perform at the level he's shown over the past week, and Pods returns from injury only to look tentative again.
I can't say I have high hopes for Sweeney yet, but he's done everything asked of him so far. He's made all the plays in left, not embarrassed himself at the plate and busted it down the line on balls in play. He also appears to have the ability to hit something between a single and a homer, a skill escaping the Sox lineup right now.
Fortunately, we'll have about a month before Pods' return forces Ozzie and Kenny Williams' hand. While Pods can be a better player than Sweeney, his presence is intrinsically a net negative because it handcuffs Ozzie Guillen into fielding a 25-man roster with three similar players, and none of them are worth starting.
Podsednik, Sweeney and Darin Erstad are all left-handed with flimsy power numbers and mediocre-to-decent on-base skills. However, Sweeney has upside and defends well, and Erstad can play first, center and left and runs the bases well. Meanwhile, it looks like Ozzie's afraid to utilize Pods' one unique talent -- his speed -- and I can't blame him.
Hopefully in the next month, Kenny Williams will dust off the rolodex and start thinking of trades, because which scenario do you think is more likely?
- Podsednik returns to the majors, hits like he did before the injury and manages to stay healthy.
- Podsednik comes back and struggles, while Sweeney hits a rut and makes unauthoritative contact day in, day out.
I'd say the former. And if Darin Erstad, who is playing well enough to start every day right now, hurts himself again, the Sox face having to fill the gap with a mish-mash of Luis Terrero, Rob Mackowiak and Brian Anderson. Ozzie has already rejected the latter two, but Terrero is probably more toxic than all the others.
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Minor league round-up:- Charlotte 4, Richmond 3
- Charlie Haeger finally got in the win column by allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings. He only walked two, a nice rebound from his last outing in which he walked eight in four innings.
- Jerry Owens had three hits and two RBI; Brian Anderson went 1-for-3 and scored a run.
- Birmingham 6, Jacksonville 3
- Jason Bourgeois went 4-for-4 with two doubles; Chris Getz had a hit and drew two walks to raise the OBP to .389; Ricardo Nanita and Cory Aldridge both went deep.
- Robert Valido went 0-for-4, and is now hitting .173.
- Kris Honel gave up only one run over five innings, but walked six; Dewon Day gave up two runs and two hits in two-thirds of an inning, and was tagged with a blown save. Oneli Perez claimed the victory with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
- Salem 3, Winston-Salem 0
- Daron Roberts and Adam Ricks had the only two hits for the Warthogs; Aaron Cunningham went 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Ryan Rodriguez took the loss by allowing one unearned run over six innings. He allowed seven hits, but walked none.
- Kannapolis OFF