Guillen's just about had it with White Sox
Forget the raging debate about manager Ozzie Guillen's future with the White Sox for a moment.
Let's talk about the present.
After another gut-wrenching loss, this one a 6-5 decision to the Detroit Tigers in 10 innings Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field, Guillen almost sounded like he was ready to quit.
Guillen would never do that, I think, because he has too much respect for the game and he likes getting paid.
But after the White Sox failed to hold a 5-2 lead in the ninth inning, Guillen almost dropped the dreaded “quit” word — on his own players.
“(Heck) no,” Guillen said when asked if he sees any fight left in the Sox. “Their fight left three days ago. I don't care what they say. We've got coaches and all this stuff, we're still out there and hopefully we win some games.
“You know what's funny? Some coaches might need the $5,000, $3,000 to be in second place. (The players) might not.
“But (the coaches) do. They can buy Christmas gifts for their kids. Maybe the players don't need that, but some coaches do. Just think about them and make sure we win second place. It would be a little gift for the coaches' kids. But the fight? No, I don't see it.”
The red-hot Tigers came in and swept the three-game series from the White Sox, who could be officially eliminated from the AL Central race as soon as Thursday.
Unofficially, the Sox raised the surrender flag at the beginning of the month while losing three in row to Detroit at Comerica Park.
“Since probably we got knocked back there in Detroit, you know, mathematically out and realistically out are two different things,” Paul Konerko said. “(Guillen's) probably right. It's probably been more than three games.
“But that's what comes with the territory this time of year. There are a handful of other teams that are going through the same thing.”
Konerko is right, but few teams have looked as bad as the White Sox while fading out of sight.
Wednesday actually started out great for the Sox.
Making his first major-league start, Dylan Axelrod held the Tigers to 2 runs over 6 innings and was poised for the win.
Konerko's 2-run single in the second inning gave him 100 RBI for the sixth time of his career, and the Tigers' 11-game winning streak was in serious jeopardy.
But Detroit tied the game at 5-5 in the ninth inning when Ryan Raburn hit a solo home run off Chris Sale, and pinch hitter Alex Avila followed with a 2-run shot off Sergio Santos.
The Sox had runners on first and third with one out in the ninth, but A.J. Pierzynski grounded into a double play.
Carlos Guillen's RBI single off Santos in the 10th inning decided the outcome.
“I can't even … I'm out of words,” Pierzynski said. “It's just one of those things you can't stop. You play a really good game and have a 3-run lead in the ninth, lose it. I get up in the ninth and get a good pitch to hit and hit it real hard and it goes right to the second baseman for a double play.
“It's one of those things you can't believe it's happening. We just keep finding new things to happen and it keeps snowballing and growing on us. It has been that way for a long time.”
Rather than congratulating Detroit for its longest winning streak since 1934, Guillen verbally spanked the White Sox.
“It's hard to watch,” Guillen said. “I know the Tigers are playing well, I know they do a lot of things, but we have men on first and third with one out, double play. Tigers, nobody on base, boom, home run, win the game.
“That's the way we've played all year long. I'm not surprised we're doing this, at all.
“A lot of people are pointing at (Adam) Dunn, (Gordon) Beckham … there's a lot of bad things happening here. A lot of bad things. It's just not three guys, including myself. Every time I make a move, it doesn't work. I put myself in that spot, too.
“It's not frustrating; it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing because we should have won this (game). You're starting with a kid (Axelrod) that just came from, what's the league, the Independent League? And he shut them down and all of a sudden these big-league pitchers couldn't stop them.
“Look at yourself in the mirror and see how big-league you are. If they're happy the season's over, good. But every time you lose a game like that and you have a little bit of pride, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
sgregor@dailyherald.com