Guillen: Blame me for poor season
It started off as a general question about Gavin Floyd on Monday morning.
Manager Ozzie Guillen answered with a rambling sermon that ended with him taking blame for the White Sox' disappointing season.
"This game is not about feelings, it's about winning," Guillen said. "If you can win, you don't have any feelings for this game. That's the way it is, man. I tell these guys, if this thing doesn't work, I blame myself.
"Don't blame (general manager) Kenny (Williams), don't blame my players, blame me. Why? Because I'm the one who draws up this lineup every day and takes a chance with those guys out there."
As he has said countless times in the past, Guillen is not afraid of being fired - not that there is even a slight chance of that happening.
"If Kenny doesn't like it, if (chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf) doesn't think I'm doing a good job with the guys out there, they have one thing to do: 'Ozzie, thank you for your help, for your support, we go a different way.'
"And I leave. But as long as I'm here, it's going to be my way, Kenny's way. If they don't like it, too bad.
"Getting fired? That's the last thing I worry about. Believe me, because that day will come. Sooner or later, that day will come. Because I'm not going to retire, they will have to fire me. I will find the way to get fired because I want to go home. I'm not going to resign.
"But that's what every guy does. Name me one guy. (Atlanta Braves manager) Bobby Cox, he might drop dead in the field and not have the chance to get fired. But everybody in this game, sooner or later, they're gone. That's part of the game."
Torres to bullpen? Kenny Williams said finding a left-handed bat, preferably with some pop, is high on his priority list this off-season.
Finding some reliable bullpen help is another need.
It's been a rough season for every Sox reliever except Matt Thornton and D.J. Carrasco, and veterans Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel have been particularly disappointing.
Looking ahead to 2010, the White Sox' rotation already looks set with Mark Buehrle, Jake Peavy, Gavin Floyd, John Danks and Freddy Garcia, who should receive a contract offer.
Carlos Torres was a dominant starter at Class AAA Charlotte this season (10-4, 2.39 ERA), and he pitched 7 shutout innings against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday to get his first major-league win.
Next year, Ozzie Guillen can see Torres pitching out of the bullpen.
"In my mind, I think this kid has a chance to be a bullpen guy soon," Guillen said. "But it depends what kind of club we have, our pitching staff. But right now, when you have a guy like this to give you innings, and throw strikes, he's got a few pitches, cutters and slider and changeup."
Beckham update: Gordon Beckham (oblique) said he was feeling much better after hitting and running Monday, but the White Sox' rookie third baseman isn't expected to return to the lineup until Wednesday.