Long overdue for Reinsdorf to step in

Ozzie Guillen has always acted like the spoiled brat who knows his dad won't do anything about it.

So what's gone on of late is nothing new.

He doesn't deserve to be fired. He just deserves a time out.

It's not the first time. It's more the 187th time. And it won't be the last.

Not unless Jerry Reinsdorf acts like a dad and gets Ozzie to behave.

The White Sox manager walks and talks as though he's the reason the sun rises every day, not to mention the reason the team won a World Series five years ago.

He gets away with it because he's an excellent manager, he's entertaining and the fans like him.

GM Kenny Williams puts up with him because Guillen gets the job done, but every man has his breaking point and Williams got to his during spring training this year.

At that point, the two stopped being friends. And while unpleasant, it doesn't mean they can't work together.

But now you have to wonder if they can work together.

Guillen hasn't stopped leaking information to news outlets where he is favored, and he hasn't stopped poking at the organization, and at some point it has to stop or somebody has to be fired.

If Reinsdorf doesn't want that to happen, then he has to step in and put Guillen in his place.

Meanwhile, Williams is the older brother who's done everything imaginable to pacify the 7-year-old that lives in Guillen's head, and he knows that on some days that's impossible.

But there's only so much he's going to take before he tells Reinsdorf that he just doesn't need this aggravation anymore and walks away.

It has to be pure misery for Williams to give Guillen everything he has asks for every day of his life and he still gets smacked around by Guillen through the media at least once a week.

It was truly shocking when Williams did Guillen a favor by drafting Guillen's son this week, only to read that Guillen said, "Twenty-second round? Anybody can go 22nd round ... I hope the 20 guys they picked before (Ozney) help us or help the White Sox."

That's Guillen ripping the organization for taking too many players before a Guillen and not knowing how to scout.

Nowhere was there a, "Thanks for drafting my son even though you didn't have to."

No, once again Williams was in a no-win situation.

If he takes Ozney too high he's wasting a pick and not doing his job for the White Sox organization.

If he doesn't draft him, Ozzie Guillen would have thrown a temper tantrum worthy of international news, something he can do daily with less cause.

So Williams tries to pacify the manager by drafting his son, but doing it where the scouts had him pegged, and still higher than 29 other teams had him pegged.

And what does Williams get for trying? Another round of, "Stick that up your draft" from the manager.

I wouldn't blame Williams for walking away so he never again has to deal with this childish nonsense.

The shame of it is, they're both good at what they do, and they've done it well together.

It just seems like that's increasingly less likely every day - unless Jerry Reinsdorf steps in and puts an end to the foolishness.

brozner@dailyherald.com

• Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's "Hit and Run" show at WSCR 670-AM.