Earlier today I wondered isn’t time for Ozzie to tell us he made the right move going without Jim Thome. Well, Scot Gregor has Ozzie’s latest justification:
“My conscience is very clear,” Ozzie said. “If people, like I say, want to blame me, blame me. We had Jim here for four years and I always say I’m the luckiest manager ever in the history of baseball because I had him. He went another way. Good for them.”
You feel you are the luckiest manager ever in the history of baseball because you managed Jim Thome and then you ran him out of town? Yeah right.
And he went another way? That’s creative! But Ozzie’s own words from January disagree:
“Right now, the only reason that holds me up with our conversation about Jimmy is I don’t know how many at-bats we can give him,” said Guillen.
I don”t see any ‘if Jimmy wants to play for the Sox.’ And what about Jimmy’s own words?
“Ultimately, if things work out, I would love to come back. It’s a great city. It’s home. It has been a great place. Jerry, Ozzie, the whole organization, they have all treated me great.”
Jimmy waited for the Sox. He didn’t went anywhere until Ozzie rejected him.
Now, let’s return to today’s Ozzie:
“If it wasn’t Jim, it could have been someone else. If (Nick) Punto hit the home run, I would have been ‘God, I can’t believe it.’ If Jim hit the home run, good for them. I have no regrets.”
I have the impression Nick Punto’s home run hitting power is much smaller than Jim Thome’s. And a visit to Baseball-Reference.com confirms my impression. Jim Thome hits a HR every 10.7 AB in 2010, while Nick Punto hits a HR every 233.0 at-bats in 2010. Damn!
What will Ozzie’s next excuse be?
Will it involve aliens? What about UFOs?
