Remember the talk about
the importance of a fast start?
"It's going to be better off for us to start the right way and make a
point right away," Guillen said. "We play the first two weeks of the
season against our own [division]. It's not going to decide it, but
it's going to [tell] how we're going to play."
Turns out
it's not that crucial after all:
''The talk about having a quick start, that's for the fans and the
media,'' Guillen added. ''I keep saying it, but it's not how you start,
it's how you finish.''
I don't think that's entirely true, because the finish was the least of the Sox's problems last year. A 15-12 record in September is nothing to sneeze at, and guys like Juan Uribe, Josh Fields, Jerry Owens, Jim Thome and others hit their strides in their last month of work.
The good news is that Paul Konerko, who
resolved to be bolder in his leadership, is starting off on the right foot. He was
defensive of the cold bats last year, but after
Wednesday's loss, he was a bit more forthcoming:
"Obviously coming off of last year, it would be good for everyone
involved on our team and even our fans to see us get off to a good
start and make it look like a nice, fresh year, a new year. From another standpoint, the way
our division is now, it's not like in the past when you could count on
the best team in our division going outside the division and losing
some games to come back to the field."
On one hand, words are just words, and that's especially true with Guillen. Most people assess a situation from different perspectives and weigh pros and cons in their own heads, form a conclusion and
then share it with others. Ozzie, on the other hand, dumps out his internal monologue on his desk in the manager's office. The media transcribes it (a task that's easier said than done), and then we find out at which conclusion he arrived with his decision-making. As a result, he may never actually contradict himself, even if his words say otherwise.
On the other, a player or manager that is consistent with the press should feel pressure to hold himself more accountable. Konerko
didn't accept a moral victory in the opener, and he's holding firm. This could very well because he's the Team Eeyore (
he never changed his tune, either), but I think it's important to have one consistent voice coming out of the Sox clubhouse pressing the need for higher standards.
Why? Because the Sox have a number of ominous signs to contend with, beyond the same 0-2 record against the Indians in the opening series:
No. 1: Shelled starters. Mark Buehrle took
the Opening Day beating instead of Jose Contreras this time around. Javier Vazquez didn't impress in his follow-up. We probably shouldn't expect a Contreras-like collapse from either (
Colin says there's no reason to worry, and I'm holding him to that), but their starts do emphasize the uphill climb John Danks and Gavin Floyd face, trying to mature as pitchers within this division. As Jon Garland proved with
his eight-inning, one-run debut with the Angels, he's going to be a very difficult act to follow.
No. 2: The return of Joey Pop-Up. Joe Crede has popped out to infielders three times in his first two games, and that was the hallmark of his last three frustrating years. Josh Fields entered spring training as the guy who would make the Sox lineup less top-heavy, and now that's Crede's task.
(Although it should be stated once again that A.J. Pierzynski played a helluva game tonight, and his rebound would be a major help.)
No. 3: Playing guys with the least diverse skill sets. Jerry Owens is coming back, and
Ozzie says that he's going back in the lineup, and at the top of the order. If it holds, it's going to be difficult to see
Carlos Quentin getting any playing time. If Owens plays like he did in September (.390 OBP) and March (.378 OBP), that's terrific. If he ends up in Bad Scott Podsednik territory (.330ish OBP), the Sox will be confounded by uneven performances and searching for a switch to flip once again.
No. 4: Relievers awarding free bases. Not counting Nick Magic, the Sox bullpen has racked up five walks and one hit batter in five innings. Boone Logan isn't just the only guy to dominate in a short outing -- he's the only one to escape unscored upon.
On top of it all, Konerko is 0-for-3 in scoops this year.
I'm not sounding off any alarms here, as it's only been two games on the road, and against two of the American League's toughest pitchers. At the same time, it's something that shouldn't be brushed aside, either. Ozzie may call players who fear a 2007 rehashing
"a bunch of losers," but I wouldn't dismiss it so easily.