Guillen lets Sox have it after loss
ARLINGTON, Texas - As the White Sox have steadily slid into the abyss this season, manager Ozzie Guillen has assumed much of the blame while bending over backwards to defend his underachieving players.
But after the Sox' offense went AWOL again during Wednesday night's 5-4 loss to Texas in 11 innings at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Guillen took off the gloves and blasted his team.
"They're killing me," Guillen said after the White Sox (57-76) lost for the 15th time in 18 games. "They're killing my family. They're killing my coaching staff. Killing the White Sox fans. They kill the owner. They kill everyone. I hope they feel the same way we feel. I hope somebody out there cares the way we care.
"Good guys or nice guys finish (bleeping) last. I'm tired of seeing that (bleep), day in and day out. And I don't want to spend a miserable September seeing the same (bleep). If I have to see the same (bleep), I told (general manager) Kenny (Williams), 'Bring somebody up. (Bleep) it.' "
Guillen fielded only one postgame question and launched into a lengthy tirade.
"If it's my fault, I should be moving out of here," Guillen said. "If it's my fault, (bleeping) fire my (bleep) and I'll be fine. I have the job do to and I get paid a lot of (bleeping) money to make this club work, but it's not easy to work with people like that. It's not easy."
Guillen was particularly livid with the Sox' inept offense, which managed just 5 hits in 11 innings.
Another round of poor clutch hitting proved costly. With the score tied at 4-4 in the ninth inning, the White Sox had runners on first and second with no outs.
But after Juan Uribe sacrificed Andy Gonzalez and Darin Erstad up a base, Danny Richar and Jerry Owens struck out.
"That's what we're doing all year long, strikeouts and double-play balls,'' Guillen said. "I don't remember the last time we had a clutch hit. And every time we had a clutch hit, we're down by 7 (runs).
"People want to blame it on me, I'll take the blame. Everyone in that room should take a look in the mirror, and they should be embarrassed. Everyone. Because I am."
Guillen said he doesn't even know how to manage this club.
"Hit and run, it fails," he said. "We fail to move the guy over, bases loaded no outs. Second and third, one out. You keep failing like that, well (hitting coach) Greg Walker doesn't hit. Ozzie Guillen doesn't hit. (Pitching coach) Don Cooper isn't pitching. Then have fun.
"You don't see this today. You see this since April. I keep giving people a chance to succeed. A pat on the back. I wish I played for a manager like that. I swear to God I wish I could have played for a (bleeping) manager like that.
"Every time you fail and keep putting guys out there who fail day in and day out, that's easy to play."
Destination Arizona: The White Sox are scheduled to send six players to the Arizona Fall League at the end of the season.
Two are playing with Class AAA Charlotte: catcher Donny Lucy and relief pitcher Dewon Day. The other four are at Class AA Birmingham: pitchers Jack Egbert, Adam Russell and Fernando Hernandez and outfielder Chris Goetz.
Rangers 5, White Sox 4 (11)
At the plate: Jim Thome was 3-for-5 with 2 RBI. Juan Uribe (0-for-4) has 4 hits in his last 42 at-bats.
On the mound: Starter Jon Garland pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits. Boone Logan took the loss after allowing 1 run on 2 hit in the 11th.
- Scot Gregor