In which Kenny Williams puts everyone ‘On Notice’

From Kenny Williams’ comments after today’s trade:

On more trade opportunities:

… The other part of doing what we ended up doing today allowed us to get (Alejandro) De Aza in the lineup and in centerfield to afford Ozzie more than Rios has been giving us.  Rios is going to have to take a backseat now and we’re going to see if De Aza can give us a little bit of a spark and provide us with a way to manufacture some runs.”

On who to play, who to sit:

“Here’s what I told Ozzie: don’t worry about the size of the contracts, just worry about putting the players out there on a given day that can help you win.  The size of the contracts is not Ozzie’s problem, it’s not Jerry’s problem, it’s not the coaches’ problem, it’s my problem.  So, put the players on the field that can win and I don’t give a darn if one guy is making $400,000 and the other guy is making $12 million. I’m sending a message to everyone.”

Kenny continues:

“Throw the contracts and salaries aside. If we’ve got $20 [million] or $30 million sitting on the bench, then that’s a Kenny Williams problem. That’s not Ozzie’s problem. We’ll have pretty good pinch-hitters.”

Video of Kenny (2:16).

and Ozzie Guillen:

“We’ve talked about it maybe three times about how we feel about [Rios]. I don’t think you bring people [up] to push people to get better,” Guillen said. “I think you bring people [up] to make the ballclub better, and hopefully that move does that.”

Other White Sox links: James looks at the Edwin Jackson/Mark Teahen for Jason Frasor/Zach Stewart trade, and Kevin Goldstein tweets that he doesn’t like the aforementioned trade.

Sox scouting Rangers UPDATE: and Braves

Gonzales @ CT:

The Rangers, who are looking for relief help and could settle for a left-hander such as Matt Thornton, had a scout follow the Sox in Detroit and Kansas City recently. One of the Sox’s top scouts was watching the Rangers on Tuesday.

Manager Ozzie Guillen doesn’t believe the Sox would add to their payroll.

“I think (Chairman) Jerry Reinsdorf’s broke now,” Guillen said.

UPDATE: Stark @ ESPN:

An executive of one club predicted Tuesday that the Braves would wind up dealing for Josh Willingham. But for what it’s worth, the White Sox continue to scout Atlanta’s system, in case they decide to move Carlos Quentin.

Scouting reports on newest Sox prospect RHP Zach Stewart

Sickels @ MLBall:

He uses a 90 MPH sinker, a slider, an improved change, and an occasional curve. You can find a full report on him here on the link below. I make him as a Grade B/B- type right now, with his stock having slipped some over the last year. He could make a good inning-eater with a decent defense behind him, or he could dominate more readily if used in the pen.

Sickels @ MLBall (June 16):

Stewart threw 95-96 MPH in the bullpen but has settled into the 89-93 range as a starter, though his fastball has sinking action. His best secondary pitch is an effective variable-speed slider. His changeup has improved over the last year and rates as average overall, sometimes better than average, sometimes a bit worse. He’s made great progress refining his mechanics and command since college, and has shown the ability to eat innings without ill-effect.

Sickels @ MLBall (January 9):

4) Zach Stewart, RHP, Grade B+: His stock has dropped a little, but I still like him. If he can’t cut it as a starter he can close.

Eddy @ BA:

Stewart works quickly and throws four pitches for strikes, making him a future mid-rotation candidate for Chicago. His fastball features sinking and tailing action at 88-92 mph, while his quality low-80s slider functions as his No. 2 pitch. Stewart worked in a mid-80s changeup more frequently this season with New Hampshire, and he sells the change of pace with good arm speed. He also surprises opponents with a seldom-used curveball.

Anderson @ BP:

Frasor is a nice enough reliever with a modest price tag for next season that comes in the form of a club option. Being the prospect in the deal, Stewart’s perceived upside is higher. Stewart has what you’d want in a starting pitcher. He throws hard (reaching the mid-90s with his fastball) and has a vicious slider. The problem, though, is that he lacks a third pitch, and his statistical track record in the minor leagues is underwhelming for a pitcher with his profile.  At 24, Stewart has appeared in 20 Triple-A games (all in relief) and has spent this season back in the rotation at Double-A New Hampshire, striking out seven batters per nine innings pitched while allowing more than a hit per inning pitched and holding a 4.20 earned run average. The cons have led some, like Kevin Goldstein, to believe his upside (twitter) might be limited to that of a number four starter or set-up man.

Hulet @ FG:

His repertoire includes an 89-94 mph fastball, good slider, and changeup. Stewart produces easy velocity and has a solid delivery with minimal effort. He utilizes a low three-quarter arm angle. At worst, the right-hander should become a successful high-leverage reliever in the eighth or ninth inning.

Padilla @ ESPN:

As recently as last season in the minor leagues, Stewart had a fastball was clocking in as high as 97 mph. He isn’t throwing as hard but can still touch 93-94 mph on the radar gun, although sits a bit lower than that consistently. He relies mainly on a sinking fastball and slider.

For more links to prospect lists go to fantasyrundown’s ’2011 MLB Prospects’ index.

White Sox trade Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen to Toronto for reliever Jason Frasor and pitching prospect Zach Stewart

Merkin @ CWS:

The White Sox and Blue Jays completed a trade Wednesday that sent Chicago starter Edwin Jackson and third baseman Mark Teahen to Toronto in exchange for reliever Jason Frasor and pitching prospect Zach Stewart. …

Let’s see what B-R says for the 2 guys that came back. For Jason Frasor:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB	Awards
1999	21	DET-min	A-,A	5	4	.556	1.96	16	15	0	1	1	0	82.2	53	26	18	5	31	0	102	3	5	3	326		1.016	5.8	0.5	3.4	11.1	3.29	ONE,WMI · NYPL,MIDW
2000	22	DET-min	A	5	3	.625	3.28	14	14	0	0	0	0	71.1	55	32	26	2	29	0	65	4	1	5	300		1.178	6.9	0.3	3.7	8.2	2.24	WMI · MIDW
2002	24	DET-min	A+	5	6	.455	3.54	24	24	0	0	0	0	117.0	112	54	46	10	46	1	87	8	2	2	494		1.350	8.6	0.8	3.5	6.7	1.89	LAK · FLOR
2003	25	LAD-min	AA,A+	2	0	1.000	2.51	50	0	41	0	0	23	61.0	49	21	17	2	18	0	86	1	1	1	248		1.098	7.2	0.3	2.7	12.7	4.78	JCK,VRO · SOUL,FLOR
2004	26	TOR-min	AAA	0	0		2.25	3	0	2	0	0	0	4.0	1	1	1	0	5	0	6	0	0	0	18		1.500	2.2	0.0	11.2	13.5	1.20	SYR · IL
2004	26	TOR	AL	4	6	.400	4.08	63	0	37	0	0	17	68.1	64	31	31	4	36	3	54	2	2	4	299	119	1.463	8.4	0.5	4.7	7.1	1.50
2005	27	TOR	AL	3	5	.375	3.25	67	0	12	0	0	1	74.2	67	31	27	8	28	2	62	3	0	1	305	137	1.272	8.1	1.0	3.4	7.5	2.21
2006	28	TOR-min	AAA	3	1	.750	3.98	18	0	6	0	0	1	20.1	21	10	9	1	13	0	33	0	0	3	92		1.672	9.3	0.4	5.8	14.6	2.54	SYR · IL
2006	28	TOR	AL	3	2	.600	4.32	51	0	12	0	0	0	50.0	47	24	24	8	17	1	51	2	0	3	215	106	1.280	8.5	1.4	3.1	9.2	3.00
2007	29	TOR	AL	1	5	.167	4.58	51	0	18	0	0	3	57.0	47	29	29	3	23	1	59	2	1	2	242	98	1.228	7.4	0.5	3.6	9.3	2.57
2008	30	TOR	AL	1	2	.333	4.18	49	0	21	0	0	0	47.1	36	23	22	4	32	4	42	1	0	6	208	102	1.437	6.8	0.8	6.1	8.0	1.31
2009	31	TOR	AL	7	3	.700	2.50	61	0	36	0	0	11	57.2	43	17	16	4	16	3	56	2	0	2	227	178	1.023	6.7	0.6	2.5	8.7	3.50
2010	32	TOR	AL	3	4	.429	3.68	69	0	18	0	0	4	63.2	61	30	26	4	27	6	65	4	0	5	279	114	1.382	8.6	0.6	3.8	9.2	2.41
2011	33	TOR	AL	2	1	.667	2.98	44	0	6	0	0	0	42.1	38	15	14	4	15	1	37	2	0	2	178	137	1.252	8.1	0.9	3.2	7.9	2.47
8 Seasons				24	28	.462	3.69	455	0	160	0	0	36	461.0	403	200	189	39	194	21	426	18	3	25	1953	120	1.295	7.9	0.8	3.8	8.3	2.20
162 Game Avg.				4	4	.462	3.69	68	0	24	0	0	5	69	60	30	28	6	29	3	64	3	0	4	292	120	1.295	7.9	0.8	3.8	8.3	2.20

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/27/2011.

and Zach Stewart:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
2008	21	2 Teams	2 Lgs	A+-A	CIN	1	4	.200	1.09	24	0	21	0	0	5	33.0	26	7	4	0	14	2	36	2	0	0	136	1.212	7.1	0.0	3.8	9.8	2.57
2008	21	Dayton	MIDW	A	CIN	1	2	.333	0.55	11	0	10	0	0	3	16.1	10	2	1	0	3	0	13	1	0	0	61	0.796	5.5	0.0	1.7	7.2	4.33
2008	21	Sarasota	FLOR	A+	CIN	0	2	.000	1.62	13	0	11	0	0	2	16.2	16	5	3	0	11	2	23	1	0	0	75	1.620	8.6	0.0	5.9	12.4	2.09
2009	22	4 Teams	4 Lgs	A+-AA-AAA	TOR,CIN	4	1	.800	1.89	34	14	7	1	0	2	105.0	105	34	22	3	32	0	93	2	0	4	439	1.305	9.0	0.3	2.7	8.0	2.91
2009	22	Sarasota	FLOR	A+	CIN	1	1	.500	2.13	7	7	0	1	0	0	42.1	47	17	10	1	8	0	32	1	0	1	177	1.299	10.0	0.2	1.7	6.8	4.00
2009	22	Carolina	SOUL	AA	CIN	3	0	1.000	1.46	7	7	0	0	0	0	37.0	29	7	6	1	10	0	31	1	0	1	145	1.054	7.1	0.2	2.4	7.5	3.10
2009	22	Las Vegas	PCL	AAA	TOR	0	0		3.38	11	0	3	0	0	0	13.1	18	8	5	1	6	0	14	0	0	1	62	1.800	12.2	0.7	4.0	9.4	2.33
2009	22	Louisville	IL	AAA	CIN	0	0		0.73	9	0	4	0	0	2	12.1	11	2	1	0	8	0	16	0	0	1	55	1.541	8.0	0.0	5.8	11.7	2.00
2010	23	New Hampshire	EL	AA	TOR	8	3	.727	3.63	26	26	0	0	0	0	136.1	131	59	55	13	54	0	106	5	2	5	575	1.357	8.6	0.9	3.6	7.0	1.96
2011	24	New Hampshire	EL	AA	TOR	5	5	.500	4.20	16	16	0	1	0	0	94.1	106	49	44	6	27	0	74	1	1	3	403	1.410	10.1	0.6	2.6	7.1	2.74
4 Seasons						18	13	.581	3.05	100	56	28	2	0	7	368.2	368	149	125	22	127	2	309	10	3	12	1553	1.343	9.0	0.5	3.1	7.5	2.43
AA (3 seasons)				AA		16	8	.667	3.53	49	49	0	1	0	0	267.2	266	115	105	20	91	0	211	7	3	9	1123	1.334	8.9	0.7	3.1	7.1	2.32
AAA (1 season)				AAA		0	0		2.10	20	0	7	0	0	2	25.2	29	10	6	1	14	0	30	0	0	2	117	1.675	10.2	0.4	4.9	10.5	2.14
A+ (2 seasons)				A+		1	3	.250	1.98	20	7	11	1	0	2	59.0	63	22	13	1	19	2	55	2	0	1	252	1.390	9.6	0.2	2.9	8.4	2.89
A (1 season)				A		1	2	.333	0.55	11	0	10	0	0	3	16.1	10	2	1	0	3	0	13	1	0	0	61	0.796	5.5	0.0	1.7	7.2	4.33

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/27/2011.

I see Toronto trade Edwin Jackson and some relievers to St. Louis for Colby Rasmus. And not any good relievers. I’d prefer getting Rasmus to getting Frasor/Stewart. Yes, Rasmus has his negatives but it would have been a better return than Frasor/Stewart.

Ken Rosenthal says Jerry Reinsdorf wants to trim the White Sox payroll [UPDATE #2]

Rosenthal @ MLB Buzz:

The White Sox do not figure to become outright sellers, not when they’re only 3 1/2 games out of first place in the AL Central. But owner Jerry Reinsdorf wants to trim payroll, according to a major-league source.

So, while the White Sox aren’t about to dust off their dreaded “white flag,” Williams could seek to make deals that lower the payroll while keeping the team competitive for a post-season run.

The Sox went “all-in” this season, increasing their Opening Day payroll to a club-record $127.7 million, the fifth-highest in the majors. However, the team ranks only 19^th in home attendance, and their average is down more than 2,000 from a year ago, dropping from 27,091 to 24,647.

Those numbers hint at financial pressure, and the White Sox possibly could move two players – right-hander Edwin Jackson ($8.35 million) and right fielder Carlos Quentin ($5.05 million) without greatly compromising their chances. …

Other White Sox trade links:

• Alejandro De Aza was pulled in the top of the 1st inning of Charlotte’s game today. Will he come up? Will he be traded? Brett Ballantini takes a look, and  J.J. puts odds on the various scenarios. UPDATE #2: De Aza was called up and played CF instead of Alex Rios, who was benched.
• James looks back at Kenny Williams’ buy/sell moves in the previous years.
• Mike has a hard time believing that Kenny Williams will conduct a fire sale.
• Joe Pawlikowski at Fangraphs wonders ‘What Would A White Sox Fire Sale Look Like?’ and ‘Should/Would The White Sox Do A Fire Sale?‘
• And a couple “scouting” tweets: the Phillies are scouting Carlos Quentin in case the Sox decide to move him, while the Sox are spending a lot of time scouting the [minor-league] systems of the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Phillies.

UPDATE: Kenny’s answer to Rosenthal’s report:

“We should just get to the Trade Deadline and where we are, what we do, what we may do, all these questions will be answered,” Williams said. “And let’s go from there. We’ll see how we do this week.”When asked if there were any untouchables on his roster, Williams smiled and reiterated, “Let’s see how we do this week.”

New York Yankees interested in Matt Thornton?

ESPN:

A major league source said Monday that the Yankees have interest in White Sox left-hander Matt Thornton if Williams starts making moves. Thornton was also said to be of interest to the St. Louis Cardinals in a report on the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

and Gonzales @ CT:

A major league source said the Cardinals remain interested in [Edwin] Jackson, and [Colby] Rasmus is receiving interest from two American League East teams.

UPDATE: Other White Sox links: Mike looks at the Edwin Jackson/Matt Thornton for Colby Rasmus trade rumor, James recaps the past week and comments on many more things, J.J. looks at some spring training game-worn jerseys, and Brett Ballantini calculates the Sox player values for the past 10 days.

White Sox sign 33rd round draft pick C Bryce Mosier (HS)

Nitz @ MDH:

Bryce Mosier thought he had his mind set on attending San Diego State University.

Mosier, a 33rd round pick by the White Sox in June’s amateur draft, had Sox scout George Cachigian come to his house and make him an offer to sign last week.

With the offer not being what he wanted, Mosier was planning on delaying pro ball and playing collegiately for three years, which is what players are forced to do before they’re eligible for the draft again.

However, Mosier ended up having a change of heart. He talked to people he knew who had played college ball and decided that going pro straight out of high school would be better in the long run. …

Bats: R
Throws: R
Height: 6’02″
Weight: 200
Born: 1993-05-21

Mosier was assigned to Bristol.

Scouting reports:

Baseball America:

Bryce Mosier, a physical catcher with a slightly above-average arm and solid receiving skills. Mosier impressed scouts at the Jesse Flores Memorial All-Star Game in November, earning MVP honors with a two-run triple. He has some feel for the barrel and power potential, and he could sneak into the back of the top 10 rounds.

BaseballBeginnings:

Bryce Mosier (Valhalla HS) should be a very good college catcher at the next level. He will throw and catch enough and showed some pop during BP. He’s not a physically imposing catcher and won’t be a basher, but he’s going to some value for the next few years.

PerfectGame.org:

Bryce Mosier is a 2011 C/3B with a 6-2 185 lb. frame from El Cajon, CA who attends Valhalla HS. Tall well proportioned build, good present strength. Tall balanced hitting stance, good balance, shows nice bat speed, ball comes off the barrel hard, solid gap power, hits under control, polished hitter who should keep improving. Good raw arm strength behind the plate, 1.93 best pop, compact release, straight back receiver, still developing footwork/quickness.

Here are his High School Stats:

Year	BA	OBP	SLG	FLD%	R	RBI
2011	.343	.391	.495	1.000	16	17
2010	.368	.434	.588	.949	27	20

Kenny Williams talks about the Colby Rasmus rumors and more

Reifert @ ITWS:

Q:  On the Colby Rasmus rumors:

A: “I’m not going to get into who we’re talking to or what sort of deals are out there for us, but that, as reported, is incorrect.  Here’s the deal: you can virtually speak to most of the teams with impact players at any given time where there’s any kind of trade talk, and you can put us in a room because we are constantly, aggressively asking how we can acquire an impact player to help our situation.  It’s easy to get it wrong, too.  Generally, the things you’re hearing in public too loudly, don’t usually happen for us.  Seems like the things that we’re able to get done, we get done and make the announcement.”

Brett Ballantini tweets the translation:

Ken Williams translation key: When KW adds the “as reported” into his denials, the mettle of the rumor is true.

Maybe the Thornton part is incorrect?

UPDATE: Video from CSN (1:46).

Edwin Jackson and Matt Thornton plus minor leaguers to St. Louis for Colby Rasmus?

Strauss @ SPD:

Publicly insistent that they are not seeking a destination for center fielder Colby Rasmus, the Cardinals have made the struggling 24-year-old talent available for the right deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to several sources familiar with the situation.

… Negotiations with White Sox general manager Kenny Williams have accelerated in recent days, according to sources, with the Sox able to dangle pending free agent pitcher Edwin Jackson or high-salary lefthanded reliever Matt Thornton.

Talks also hinge on minor-league or cost-controlled talent the White Sox could include in a deal and, according to a source, a third team may be sought to facilitate a trade.

Dammit Kenny. That’s too much. Rasmus had a good year last year due to a high-BABIP. He hit .276/.361/.498/.859 with a .356 BABIP. He had the 7th highest BABIP-xBABIP difference in baseball (chart)! This year when his BABIP is down to a normal .286, his batting line is down to .241/.327/.402/.730. And why give away Thornton too and weaken the bullpen? When Chris Sale goes to the rotation next year, the bullpen will be 2 lefties down. And I don’t see any good, not even adequate, lefties in the minors (starters or relievers).

UPDATE: Oh, I forgot Hector Santiago and his new screwball. He MIGHT be an option.

BTW,

For what it's worth, Kenny Williams has long been a fan of Colby Rasmus and Edwin Jackson's value is at a season-high.—
Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) July 24, 2011

Ozzie Guillen doesn’t like all the Dayan Viciedo talk

Padilla @ ESPN:

With Saturday’s rained out game against the Indians expected to be moved to September as part of a day-night doubleheader, Guillen was asked in jest if that means Viciedo will be there to help the cause.

“Well if Viciedo is going to be the White Sox’s savior we will be in deep [expletive] … and you can quote me on that,” Guillen said. “If we wait for [expletive] Viciedo to be the savior, we’re in deep [expletive] if we wait for a Triple-A kid to come here and be the savior.”

The Cuban has cooled off a bit at Triple-A Charlotte, but is still batting .307 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs heading into play Saturday.

“Can he help? Yes,” Guillen said. “Is he going to be the savior? I like the talent we have here.”

“we will be in deep [expletive]“? we already are in deep [expletive]

Other White Sox links: James looks at the improvement in Gordon Beckham’s defense and Tyler Flowers filling the backup catcher position, J.J. looks at the lack of moves in the White Sox roster after Ozzie’s rant, and Mike looks at Ozzie Guillen’s frequent “lack of effort” rants.

Is Dayan Viciedo coming up? No. [UPDATE #2]

7/23 Play-by-Play:

Louisville Bottom of the 6th

• Defensive switch from first base to right field for Jim Gallagher.
• Defensive Substitution: Gookie Dawkins replaces right fielder Dayan Viciedo, batting 3rd, playing third base.

UPDATE: Merkin:

Nothing more known about Viciedo's departure at this point—
Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) July 24, 2011

UPDATE #2: Nope. Merkin:

Viciedo left last night's game with soreness in his hand. Not serious—
Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) July 24, 2011

It's the right thumb for Viciedo, where he suffered the fracture in Spring Training when Bush hit him with a pitch—
Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) July 24, 2011

Ballantini has more.

Ken Rosenthal says don’t be surprised if the Sox end up sellers

MLBTR transcribes Ken Rosenthal’s latest video:

Don’t be surprised as to see the White Sox end up as sellers, says Rosenthal. They’ve got six starters as it is, so Edwin Jackson could be moved without harming the rotation much. Carlos Quentin could be dealt as well, and be replaced by Dayan Viciedo. Controlled through 2012, Quentin would become one of the hottest chips on the market.

BTW, the “White Sox and Red Sox have done a lot of scouting of one another over the last week,” tweets the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.

Baseball America talks about Dayan Viciedo and Jared Mitchell

Both are mentioned in BA’s ‘Prospect Hot Sheet.’ That sounds good. Unfortunately, it’s the ‘Not so hot sheet’ section for both:

Dayan Viciedo, rf, White Sox. Viciedo went 1-for-4, reached on an error and scored a run in the Triple-A all-star game, but those are just warm memories with the way he’s played since that exhibition game. The 22-year-old masher has done anything but in his last seven games for Charlotte, going 3-for-25 (.120) with nary an extra-base hit. The silver lining: Viciedo has drawn five walks (one intentional) and struck out three times in that timeframe.

Jared Mitchell, cf, White Sox. The 23rd overall pick in 2009, Mitchell won national championships in football and baseball with Louisiana State and took home most outstanding player honors at the ’09 College World Series. He ranked as Chicago’s top prospect heading into 2010 and was one of the most athletic players at White Sox camp that spring—but then he tore a tendon in his left ankle, forcing him to miss all of last season. Now 22, Mitchell has struggled mightily to make contact with high Class A Winston-Salem, striking out 128 times in his first 91 games. He hit rock bottom this past week, going 1-for-22 with 11 strikeouts. Mitchell has shown some pop upon his return—37 of his 77 hits have gone for extra bases—but his speed appears to have tapered off as he is just 6-for-10 in stolen bases. It’s shaping up as an uphill battle for Mitchell to return to elite prospect status.

Smells Like Mascot: Food For Fought

Carl’s latest:

http://smellslikemascot.blogspot.com/2011/07/food-for-fought.html

Other White Sox links:  James looks back on the KC series and sees the 2011 season, J.J. looks on the ‘Adam Dunn to the DL’ rumor, and Brett Ballantini puts together a list of 10 guys in the White Sox Non-Hall of Fame.

White Sox scout Ozzie Guillen doesn’t like the White Sox approach at the plate

Ballantini @ CSN (video):

“There’s nothing more painful than losing the f—— game against Bruce Chen once again,” Guillen spat. “F—— pathetic. [We had] no f—— energy. We just go through the motions. We take the day off today instead of tomorrow.”

“If we go to Cleveland [beginning on Friday] and play the way we did in Kansas City, it’s going to be a f—— long-ass, God—— July. Nothing against Bruce Chen, I have a lot of respect for this kid. But our approach at the plate, that’s not a good club out there. F— it. I’m tired of protecting people … I take my s— back, what I said in Detroit. I take it back. This thing about ‘one day at a time.’ One day we’re good, three days we’re bad. We don’t have energy in the dugout. [We had a] horses— approach at the plate for the 90th time.”

“F—. If we go to Cleveland the way we go [in Kansas City], good luck. We’re wasting our money on this club if we go to Cleveland the way we were here,” Guillen said. “That’s the team we’ve had all year long—that’s the club. [People think] I talk s— because I ‘have’ to talk s—. No, I don’t. I talk s— because of what I see. All I see is very bad. Nothing against Chen, nothing against the Kansas City pitching staff—they’re good. They’ve got a young ballclub.

“But the way we go about our business here [was] horses—. [The team] can say whatever they want to say. If we go to Cleveland that way, and [then] we’ve got to play New York, Boston and Detroit? Good luck.”

“Oh, and John Danks pitched well.”

If only the White Sox had Ozzie as their coach…

Other White Sox links: James says the White Sox are fixing the problems they don’t have because those are easier and links to many Sox-centric stories. The Brandon Allen video is depressing. colin looks at Gordon Beckham, Dan at FutureSox looks at Dayan Viciedo’s progress, and Ramon Castro will be out for 2-3 months, so Tyler Flowers will probably be with the Sox the rest of the year.