FanHouse BillyMartin

So the White Sox have lost their last three games, and are in danger of losing their spot on top of the AL Central if they lose to the Minnesota Twins tonight. You know what that means don't you? Yep, it's time for another Ozzie Guillen rant complaining about something.

This time Ozzie is getting tired of hearing about Paul Konerko, and to respond he pulled the "your critics" and "don't understand" and "diapers" cards out of his Rant Hat (patent pending), and here's what we ended up with.

"I don't understand the people out there," Guillen said Tuesday night. "I don't get it. I sit with [general manager] Kenny Williams and we try to do stuff, and we get pounded like we don't try or don't care or do good for the fans or for us.

"And I don't get it. I trust my players. I think they're good talent and will play hard for us.

"And hopefully the result will be the right one. Because if we win this thing, Billy Martin, Earl Weaver, all those guys will be in diapers with what I'm going to say, because I'm going to rip a lot of people apart if we win this year, because enough is enough. What are we going to do to satisfy people?"

Have you seen A Bronx Tale? If so, you'll likely remember the scene where 'C' asks Sonny if it's better to be loved or feared. Sonny answers that it's nice to be both, but it's difficult. He preferred to be feared but I think either approach works for a big league manager.

Guys like Billy Martin have won titles and so have ones like Joe Torre, the key is that you have to be one or the other. Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes today that part of the reason Willie Randolph may be in trouble with the Mets is because his players neither love him nor fear him.


If you had to choose one word to describe the way the Mets have taken the field this season, indifferent would be a very good choice. It's not that they aren't playing hard enough or with enough emotion, though both have been lacking at times, it just seems like they don't care all that much.

Bobby Cox, in his march towards history, is now a mere one ejection away from tying John McGraw's all time record after getting tossed by Ron Kulpa while arguing a fair/foul call.

When I think of managers who constantly and famously berate umpires such as Earl Weaver and Billy Martin, I can't imagine that umpires always thought highly of them. But blue certainly has a deep respect for Cox (either that or they're just being polite for the media):

"I've never had a problem with Bobby," Kulpa said. "This is my ninth year and this is the first time that I've ever ejected him. I don't think any umpire is out there looking to get Bobby. Bobby respects us and we have a lot of respect for him."

So that puts Cox one behind John McGraw, and 127 ahead of John Smoltz, who earned his third career thumb just minutes after Cox's. Smoltz accused Kulpa of having some rabbit ears.

"I didn't say anything that warranted getting thrown out, not one bit," Smoltz said. "I told him he missed the call, and the next thing you know, I'm getting thrown out. It's pretty weak. But maybe he's having a bad day."

An umpire having a bad day? Come on, Smoltzie, that never happens.

Smoltz has to learn to get his money's worth on these ejections like his manager. Cox knows what he's doing in that regard, and that's why he finds himself on the cusp of history. And for whoever starts that pool to try to predict who the umpire who ejects Cox to tie the record, give me Angel Hernandez. Just a guess.

Previously on The Fanhouse:
Bobby Cox Chases History