Who's the boss?

Jake Peavy picked up his fourth win of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, but it didn’t come easy. He allowed 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings, gave up a 3-0 lead and started carving into his 7-3 lead as well.
Part of me was hoping for a more definitive stinkbomb.  I wanted to see Buehrle start, considering the Rays’ apparent struggles against pitchers who can’t break 90.
But moreover, Guillen allowing Peavy is the continuation of a trend in which people in decision-making positions defer to those less qualified.  Nick Swisher was traded for nothing because the clubhouse didn’t like him, with no effort from the higher-ups to mend fences.  Kenny Williams let Guillen decide whether to pursue a full-time DH.  Guillen lets a guy who recently complained about a tired arm forego a day of rest, only to look mediocre once more.
And who knows who has the authority to hire and fire coaches anymore. Hell, maybe the only person who can fire Greg Walker is Greg Walker.
It’s letting the inmates run the asylum.  Granted, you can go too far in the other direction.  If Jerry Manuel let Mark Buehrle start at Yankee Stadium instead of Neal Cotts, his job might have been spared.
I don’t know if a fire sale is the right way to go, because the guys who could be traded are the guys who won’t net that much.  Yet at this point, I would almost welcome it.  At the very least, an abrupt change of direction would show that somebody wants to man the wheel.
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Speaking of Sunday, I met up with winningugly, the South Side Sox comment leader and (too) infrequent commenter here.  He’s a prince of a guy, and wrote up a recap of the day.
I’ll share some more Trop thoughts after I make my way up the Coast.

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Minor league roundup:

  • Charlotte 8, Indianapolis 4
    • Daniel Hudson allowed three runs on four hits and two walks over five innings, striking out three. He allowed a homer, and his start was cut short by a rain delay.
    • Jordan Danks broke out of a forever slump, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. He was also hit by a pitch.
    • Stefan Gartrell hit a solo shot and added two singles.
    • Dayan Viciedo went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
  • Indianapolis 3, Charlotte 2 (12 innings)
    • Danks continued his rebund, going 3-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
    • No such relief for Tyler Flowers, who went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.
    • Dayan Viciedo hit a solo shot and was hit by a pitch over six plate appearances.
    • Lucas Harrell had a nice game, allowing a run on four hits and two walks while striking out two.
  • Huntsville 6, Birmingham 5 (6 innings)
    • Charlie Shirek allowed four runs on six hits over two innings. One walk, no strikeouts.
    • Brent Morel went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI, and was also hit by a pitch. He committed his eighth error.
  • Kinston 5, Winston-Salem 2
    • Brandon Short drove in both runs with a single. He struck out twice.
    • Eduardo Escobar went 2-for-5 with a strikeout.
    • Jon Gilmore went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
    • Justin Greene singled and walked.
    • Terry Doyle allowed four runs on five hits and three walks over six innings, striking out two.
    • Santos Rodriguez was good (1 IP, 1 K). Dan Remenowsky had a rougher time (1 IP, 1 H, 1 Er, 2 BB, 1 K).
  • Kannapolis 7, Charleston 1 (Game 1, 7 innings)
    • Brady Shoemaker homered twice, drove in five and drew a walk on top of it.
    • Trayce Thompson went 0-for-3; Kyle Colligan went 1-for-2 with a walk and a steal.
    • Miguel Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a strikeout.
    • Cameron Bayne allowed one unearned run over six innings, striking out five.
  • Charleston 10, Kannapolis 6 (Game 2, 7 innings)
    • Colligan went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
    • Thompson doubled and struck out.
    • Andre Rienzo struggled: 3 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
    • Jimmy Ballinger allowed his first two earned runs of the season over 1 1/3 innings of work.
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soxexile

It seemed to me yesterday, as it did Tuesday in Cleveland, that Peavy can’t throw a breaking ball. He also seems to have trouble locating his fastball, so far too often he’s only a fastball/change pitcher. His fastball isn’t good enough to survive on that alone, especially the 3rd time through the lineup. Anybody else have thoughts on what’s wrong with him?

ricksch

Interesting angle on the subject. It is indeed a disturbing trend to have so many people in this organization who clearly can”t do their OWN jobs and yet have the audacity to try their hand at someone else’s.
As you suggest, at least will get a determination on this season soon with AJ and Konerko coming up on their deadlines. It’s better than this torturous mediocrity.

blah

I dunno. I agree with the frustration in the front office deferring to the manager when it comes to building the team, but I don’t think you can fault Ozzie for allowing Peavy to stay in.
One of the biggest strengths (or weaknesses) Ozzie has, is that he relies on the players to tell him if they feel good or not. In ’06 or ’07 Ozzie was so PO’d at Uribe for hiding an injury that he benched him for several days in favor of Alex Cintron. I can’t find the article though, but he has said before his door is open and he relies on the players to come forward about it. Peavy did and said he was gonna start Sunday.
Also, Ozzie has always given the pitchers enough rope to hang themselves. When it works, he looks smart, when it doesn’t, he looks like an idiot.

soxfan1

Count me in for a fire sale. I’d like to see Ozzie step down in frustration (I think he has lost control of the inmates) but the next best thing would be for Kenny to back up the truck. Most of the readers will think I’m crazy (& maybe I am) but here are my thoughts, anyway.
I would make everyone on the team available except for Mark Buehrle (I’d like to see Mark spend his whole career with the Sox). Most teams will not bite on our guys with big contracts. They are untradeable unless we were to pick up huge chunks of money that they are due, and we won’t. My thinking is that we need to change the culture here. Most of these guys are not winners and don’t know how to play fundamental baseball. I am sick and tired of the brand of baseball that we have been playing since 2007 (the 2008 title notwithstanding).
Of course, none of what I’m hoping for will happen. It would be like Kenny admitting he was wrong putting together his last 4 teams!! What WILL happen is not much of anything. Kenny will stand pat except for trying to get rid of Jenks & maybe one other player. He’ll bring up a couple of guys in Sept and the Sox will limp toward the finish line. I’d say we’ll finish something like 72-90. During the winter Ken will then make 4 or 5 relatively minor changes to the position players & bench. All of our starting pitchers will be back. Hey, maybe he can bring back Aparicio & Griffey Jr for 2011!!

ricksch

I agree with you there is something rotten about the culture on this team. I don’t really know what that means, but I think it has something to do with nepotism + arrogance and this idea of “guys we know” vs. “guys we don’t know”. That’s ultimately why I think they stopped chasing Johnny Damon, as close to the definition of “a winner” we had of picking up this offseason. Damon’s not a guy Kenny knows, an ex-Royal or related to Ozzie. Thus, he’s not on our roster.

ricksch

Actually, Damon IS an ex-Royal, but he’s long since gotten that stink off him. I needed to get that in there before BLAH pointed it out.

mechanicalturk

This is kinda unrelated, but

“Getting to Chi could not be hardr flight cancll, switch to another flight delay 2 hours back to Charlotte. So can’t fly out til tomorrow.”
Sounds like Lillibridge is headed to Chicago. I don’t know what he’s doing there, but if it involves baseball I don’t like the sound of it.

blah

Probably means Tea-Bag is hurt.

mechanicalturk

Yeah, I saw later on SSS that it basically confirms rumors of a Teahen trip to the DL. Thanks for sparing me the practically obligatory “crack work, detective.”

hillerichnbragsby

Guillen has no clue on how to handle his starters – period! Apparently, neither does Cooper. As for Walker – he was a mediocre hitter in his day – so why is everyone so surprised at the SOX offense? I think Gregg is a good guy, but he shouldn’t try to change what brought these players to the Major League level. Hitting coaches are way-overrated. Let the guys use their hitting skills honed over years of working up to the bigs. Walker’s carrer stats show that he was a .260 lifetime batter. And HE’s coaching the hitters? How ridiculous is this? The current ballclub was honed by the skillfull (sarcasm) hands of KW & OG, and it reflects their ineptness.