Slump-busting blowup dolls in the White Sox locker room: offensive?

One other thought: A team with responsible leadership would have nipped this in the bud before it became public. Managers like Joe Torre, Willie Randolph, Bruce Bochy or Mike Scioscia (to name a few in my wheel house) would have looked at the dolls, smirked or rolled their eyes, and told players to take it elsewhere. A decent media relations rep would do the same. (Yeah, that includes Jay Horwitz, who'd have the sense to realize he doesn't need to clean up another pr disaster.)

Those comments under Carol's column are just another loud and ugly reason why all readers should have to use their full names to post, at the very least. Maybe the anon creep who wrote about things he'd like to do to Carol if he caught her in the locker room wouldn't be so brave if his neighbors knew who he was. See, Shoeless Joe, why I get snippy about this erroneous locker room shit?

 

Does Ozzie Guillen scream "responsible leadership" to you?

 

My point, Doc.
If I wrote the column, that's how I'd frame it. Dolls were a silly, slump-busting idea that could have been worshiped behind closed doors, but instead Ozzie allowed them to become another reason to mock his team. Just play the game, bitch. (Wait, are the bitches the Sox or the Cubs? I'm confused there.)

 

To that end, I submit:

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti/935710,050708mariotti.article

 

Bravo Jay. He trampled through the heart of the matter -- ripping (again) Ozzie's juvenile, offensive management style, and the sycophants who enable him. And he defended Carol -- not that she can't defend herself quite well, but Jay defended her like he'd defend any journalist who had been unfairly picked on for expressing her beliefs.

 

Listen Martha Burk, I was just making a point and apparently like blowup dolls in a baseball locker room somebody got uptight about it.

I can assure you that I've been doing this job for many more years than you ... long enough that I can remember a time when you didn't have to worry about someone whining about players' antics ... and you sure as hell didn't have to worry about a man being offended by it.

 

Joe: You might want to rethink this post, unless you know for fact it's accurate.

ps, now that I've had some coffee: Your second graf was merely ignorant. The first graf confirms gingerbread's original point. You are an idiot.

 

It was extremely tacky, of course, but I agree with Elliotte that, in the end, this sad little episode is just another step in the direction of closed clubhouses.

 

Blow-up dolls with bats strategically placed?
I'd like to know the difference.

 

Can't say I'm totally surprised Mariotti jumped at an opportunity to rip the White Sox. What were the odds of that?

With that said, I agree w/G-bread's point about it being an organizational issue. We all know clubhouses in which players would not even consider something with that level of stupidity. I love Ozzie but his personality is both his best strength and biggest flaw. He's great at engaging and motivating players in that time-honored "us against the world" way but he's not quick on the uptake when it comes down to understanding cultural sensitivities. Let's face it, he's a pretty coarse guy from Venezuela who just happens to have an exceptional baseball aptitude. Ken Williams, who fully understands this dynamic, should be working extra hard at instilling a sense of professionalism in the way the franchise represents itself.

 

My familiarity with the city doesn't really extend to any significant experience with the Sox clubhouse, at least not in recent years. I can't say that I've heard anything extraordinary or unusual about that particular clubhouse.

In this case, you have to look to the manager; it's his clubhouse. Ozzie doesn't see any reason to apologize, fine. But that's a franchise that prides itself on a 'family experience,' and I wouldn't want to be the mom of a kid asking this morning, 'What's a blow up doll?'

If you're not sorry about offending someone in the media, at least have the class to understand and regret embarrassing your franchise.