Guillen call to Jenks in eighth inning speaks volumes for Sox

Ozzie Guillen's statements are usually straight from the hip and right from the lip.

On Wednesday in Cleveland, the White Sox' manager sent a message with a bit more subtlety.

Ending a bad road trip with a bad bullpen, unable to win a big game, missing half his lineup, and having been unable to get to closer Bobby Jenks through his setup men, with the vaunted Angels on their way to Chicago, Guillen simply went to Jenks with one out in the eighth inning.

Depending on your outlook, it smacked of desperation, or merely frustration.

Whatever the reason, Guillen made a statement to the relief corps when he went to Jenks for his longest appearance in a non-extra-innings game since June 2007 against the Cubs, a span of 87 outings.

With only 2 save opportunities in two weeks, Guillen had seen enough and obviously felt as though this was a game the Sox had to have, and he wasn't messing around anymore.

He pointed to Jenks with one out in the eighth and the tying runs on base, but Jenks needed just 2 pitches to induce an inning-ending double play, and 8 more tosses in the ninth, which included a double play and a strikeout.

So, not a long day by pitch-count standards, but Guillen's point was made nonetheless.

It's September, folks, and he's done waiting for players to get it right.

He's got a short fuse and an even shorter leash.

Guillen knows the Sox have been given a terrific opportunity to make the playoffs in a year in which few gave them a chance, and when even fewer believe they're good enough to play deep into October.

He loves the underdog role and relishes critics' doubt, but he also has little patience for failure at any time of the season, and certainly not down the stretch.

So with an off-day coming, he made the move to Jenks and made an even bigger gesture as he waved his arm to the bullpen.

It needed no translation or clarification.

Get the job done now, or don't bother bringing your glove to the park.

His achin' back

Where does Joe Crede go from here?

In his free-agent year, poised to get a monster deal as one of the best on the market, Crede has been besieged by back problems again.

It not only casts doubt on what he'll be able to fetch in free agency, but also whether he'll even bother.

Crede might have to sign short term with the White Sox, or elsewhere, and hope to get healthy for his run at the big dollars.

But with his injury history, you have to wonder if he'll ever score that huge deal.

Worse yet, the Sox were counting on him for the next few weeks and into October, when big money is made by the big hits and plays on the biggest of stages.

It's just sad to see such a terrific player with such ability going through the same difficulties over and over again.

And the timing is incredibly bad for the Sox.

All three rings

Carlos Zambrano has frequently been a clown from the first day he arrived in Chicago, so it's not surprising that he's once again turned an injury into a circus.

Other adults on the team show up for exams and routinely report their progress to people like the manager. Even if he had a good reason, it doesn't excuse the lack of communication.

This is the risk they understood when the Cubs signed Zambrano to a five-year, $91 million extension a year ago.

Guessing game

So what's wrong this time?

The Cubs are as baffled as anyone, because Zambrano's velocity Tuesday was better than it's been in months, his stuff was sharp, and his arm strength solid.

His location was off, but that's not unusual considering the extra days off and the circumstances.

But no one we talked to knew why Zambrano pulled himself from the game, because generally velocity drops when someone's injured.

But with Zambrano, who knows?

Say what?

CC Sabathia told the Dan Patrick radio show that the Brewers have a good shot at winning the World Series this year and are the best team in the National League.

Hey, maybe he'll be right, but so far, any time the Brewers get anywhere near the Cubs, they head directly for the toilet, and it's hard to imagine a team with such a constitution - not to mention Eric Gagne - being the Cubs' biggest threat in October.

Money talk

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, on the LPGA Tour requiring players to speak English: "This whole controversy could have been averted if all of those South Koreans dominating the tour had simply learned to say, 'Thank you for this large cardboard check.'"

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Hurricane too weak to put sports in perspective.''

And finally -

Foxsports.com's Mark Kriegel: "USC has Mark Sanchez and two highly capable backups. That's more quarterbacks than the Bears have had since Sid Luckman."

brozner@dailyherald.com