Blowout: Cubs 13, White Sox 0

by Al Yellon on Feb 28, 2009 5:15 PM CST in Chicago Cubs Recaps

I can hear Ozzie Guillen's head exploding from here, can't you?

Even in a spring training game, no manager, especially one with Ozzie's volatile nature, wants his team to lose 13-0. But that's exactly what happened, a 13-0 Cubs thrashing of their South Side rivals, on another warmer-than-usual for late February, 77-degree day in Mesa. Attendance, buoyed by the weekend date and the matchup, jumped to 13,010, the largest announced crowd in the history of HoHoKam Park (so much for the idea that attendance is "down" this year), breaking the old record of 12,917, set March 30, 2007. The Cubs' spring record is now 4-0.

There weren't a lot of really important things that happened today, as the nine-run rally that turned a 4-0 lead into the 13-0 final margin was mostly created by guys who won't be coming north with the team. Still, it was nice to see Brad Snyder crash the team's second grand slam of the spring. Mostly, what was important today was the outstanding two-inning outing for Aaron Heilman, who struck out four and threw only fifteen pitches (are you paying attention, Z?). Koyie Hill hit a two-run double; Bobby Scales drove in three and Sam Fuld went 2-for-2.

And Micah Hoffpauir drew another walk in addition to his two hits. Maybe he's really figuring out the strike zone. He'll have competition for his spot once the just-signed Corey Koskie returns from the WBC. I think the Koskie signing is a good, low-risk, low-cost move. If nothing else, Koskie goes to Iowa to get his timing down and is a major-league-ready recall if anyone gets hurt.

Two other pitchers who will play key roles this year -- Neal Cotts and Kevin Gregg -- threw scoreless innings. Four other pitchers who likely won't -- David Patton, Ken Kadokura, Jason Waddell and Esmailin Caridad -- also held the White Sox scoreless. In all, Cubs pitchers gave up six hits and two walks and struck out nine.

Tomorrow, MLB Audio returns (it'll be the Padres announcing team), and Ryan Dempster makes his Cactus League debut against some Padres guy whose name starts with "P". Maybe you've heard of him. Was the subject of a trade rumor or two over the winter.

0 recs | 73 comments

Comments

Plus we're going to run out of flags.

Have to resort to the ever popular

znohitter - February 28, 2009 reply

when we keep winning

Fukudometer - February 28, 2009 reply

speaking of pictures

what happened to Bump Bailey?? He’d always post the Milton pic..

Chanman25 - February 28, 2009 reply

Save some of these "W"s for when we get there this weekend!

Then again, if we go 212-0, I’m fine with that…

Zeke - February 28, 2009 reply

Here's to audio!

Emelie - February 28, 2009 reply

What?

Al Yellon - February 28, 2009 reply

I think she's pointing out the return of

Broadcasting to the game tomorrow.

sanantonecub - February 28, 2009 reply

I know..

… I was making a joke, “Here’s to audio!”… response, “What?”

They’re never as good when you have to explain ’em.

Al Yellon - February 28, 2009 reply

Gimme a break...

It’s sunday morning here.

sanantonecub - February 28, 2009 reply

Prior?

D-rose - February 28, 2009 reply

well done

Fukudometer - February 28, 2009 reply

Chris Pyoung?

The P is for “Pounded in the face by D Lee”

Fukudometer - February 28, 2009 reply

I thought he missed?

serbianking33 - February 28, 2009 reply

dagnabit

gonna make the same joke

Chanman25 - February 28, 2009 reply

YEA

Now gonna hear some of that redheaded goodness pitching tomorrow.

puckishcubsfan - February 28, 2009 reply

heilman

did not throw one pitch out of the strike zone today. we have a long way to go in ST, but aaron made a big statement today with regard to his ability/desire/motivation to earn the 5 spot.

brian custer - February 28, 2009 reply

WOW! Ozzie's head pops right off!

Manager Ozzie Guillen tried to hide his laughter after the White Sox were pasted 13-0 by the Cubs.

“Everyone got their work in,” Guillen said before laughing…

“Heading exploding,” & “volatile nature?” Clearly Guillen lost it completely after this February 28th loss to the Cubbies.

And good that by comparison the Cubbies have a mild-tempered, even-keeled manager who never utters a curse word…

DrCrawdad - February 28, 2009 reply

"HEAD exploding," & "volatile nature?"

DrCrawdad - February 28, 2009 reply

Ozzie and Lou

I think they would make a great reality show together or comedy tour.

puckishcubsfan - February 28, 2009 reply

Ozzie & Lou

Are very similar in their volatile personalities.

Par for the course Cubbie fans celebrate Lou’s tantrums but then condemn Ozzie’s tantrums.

DrCrawdad - February 28, 2009 reply

doesn't every fan of every franchise do that?

just like booing a player then cheering him when he signs with your team. that is not a Cub fan only ordeal, and you know it.

Cubbie-Tim - February 28, 2009 reply

exactly perfect example

Jim Edmonds… I hated him when he played for Cards and loved him as Cub.

Madison Cub Fan - March 1, 2009 reply

Ozzie manages the White Sox

Shanghai Badger - March 1, 2009 reply

Not me

I am well known around here for not celebrating Lou on a number of fronts. I find his tantrums calculated but I suppose useful on occaision. I happen to have a soft spot for Ozzie most of the time but when he does things like ruin a rookie pitcher in front of a National TV audience because he is unable to hit a player as instructed I lose my affection. Ozzie gets points for being honest , genuine and very funny but he needs to learn that sometimes it is best not to wear your emotions on your sleeve. Lou on the other hand could learn a lot from Ozzie about managing from the heart and with baseball instincts instead of preconceptions about both players and stats.

Doggie Stalker - March 1, 2009 reply

I agree with your comments about Ozzie.

The picture of Lou’s tantrum of kicking his hat, etc. was a staged, calculated show. I don’t have an opinion about Lou’s in game managerial moves though.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments though. And this season when I watch the Cubbies play I’ll give thought to your observations.

DrCrawdad - March 1, 2009 reply

OK, here's an opinion of Ozzie...

… that’s not knee-jerk anti-White Sox.

I think Ozzie wears his heart on his sleeve a little too much. There’s nothing wrong with being passionate; a leader has to be, and Ozzie definitely has that quality.

But sometimes he should stop and think before he speaks. Clearly, the White Sox have done well under his leadership, but sometimes I shake my head at the bizarre things he says. To take the most recent example, why pick a fight with Ted Lilly? He could disagree once, and then when Lilly came back at him, the wise thing to do would have been to ignore it. By responding, he’s going to have the media revisiting this when the Cubs and Sox play during the regular season. Who needs that?

A friend of mine said when he was hired that it was either the smartest thing Reinsdorf ever did, or the dumbest. So far, it looks pretty smart.

Sometimes, Ozzie needs a muzzle.

Finally, about Lou’s calculated tantrum — it appeared to have the desired effect, didn’t it? The team started winning right afterwards. It wasn’t the only reason, but it helped. Lou’s crazy like a fox; sometimes the goofy things he says in postgame press conferences have useful reasons behind them.

Al Yellon - March 1, 2009 reply

I think you have the Guillen/Lilly wrong...

Guillen commented on steroids and a one year suspension
Lilly responded sarcastically
Guillen responded to Lilly’s sarcastic remark

Seems to me that Lilly is the one who picked a fight. Guillen responded to the sarcastic comments by Ted Lilly, which I think Guillen was right to do. (Screw) Ted Lilly!

Finally, about Lou’s calculated tantrum — it appeared to have the desired effect, didn’t it? The team started winning right afterwards. It wasn’t the only reason, but it helped. Lou’s crazy like a fox; sometimes the goofy things he says in postgame press conferences have useful reasons behind them.

And Lou’s staged tantrum was just one eruption from him. Seems to me that Lou’s just as likely to shoot his mouth off often at his players or one who recently left (see DeRosa) as Guillen.

Regarding the “crazy like a fox” thing, some have said that about Guillen too. Interestingly, Lou’s often praised by THE Hawk (something that might make Cubbie fans think twice of their assessment of Lou).

IMHO Lou & Ozzie are very much the same as regards their emotions, but they have something else in common too. Each has one World Series Championship Title as managers.

DrCrawdad - March 1, 2009 reply

The mature thing for Ozzie to do would have been to ignore Lilly...

… instead of responding. He’s management. By making those sorts of comments, he encourages these things to continue.

I agree with you that Ozzie could be called “crazy like a fox”. He just does it in a different way than Lou does. In some ways, they are quite similar.

Al Yellon - March 1, 2009 reply

Comparable levels of maturity/immaturity in them.

DrCrawdad - March 1, 2009 reply

Something for Guillen to aspire to...

Known for his often aggressive and sometimes explosive behavior, Piniella has been ejected 61 times in his managerial career. Among active managers, only Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa and all-time leader Bobby Cox have received more ejections. He often sends his pitching coach to remove a pitcher from the game. He once got into a clubhouse scuffle with pitcher Rob Dibble while with the Reds, which was caught on video, ending with the two being pulled apart and Lou screaming, “You don’t want to be treated like a man!”

DrCrawdad - March 1, 2009 reply

The Rob Dibble incident?

Sheesh, that was 17 years ago (or 18, I can’t remember which). Think Lou has grown up a little since then?

Al Yellon - March 1, 2009 reply

I dunno... Dibble hasn't. ;-)

ballhawk - March 1, 2009 reply

Well, that goes without saying.

Al Yellon - March 1, 2009 reply

Lou is 20 years older than Ozzie

Sheesh, that was 17 years ago (or 18, I can’t remember which). Think Lou has grown up a little since then?

Exactly! When Lou got into a fist fight with a player he was in the same age range then as Ozzie is now. Ozzie has not done that (yet).

IF Lou is more mature than Ozzie, that’s as it should be. I imagine that in 20 years if Guillen is still managing he’ll have comparably matured.

DrCrawdad - March 1, 2009 reply

Would you defend Ozzie so much if he wasn't the White Sox manager?

Madison Cub Fan - March 1, 2009 reply

It's a pot/kettle issue...

… Cubbie fans talking about Guillen being temperamental while their teams manager is a 66 yr old mercurial hot-head is at least a bit of pot calling the kettle black.

DrCrawdad - March 1, 2009 reply

I freely admit that if Lou wasn't Cub manager

and was the manager of Indians for example, I won’t defend him. I do b/c he is a Cubs managers.

My question is would you defend Ozzie if he managed some random other team? Or do you defend him b/c he is a manager of your favorite team.

Madison Cub Fan - March 2, 2009 reply

"Hot blooded, check and see. Got a fever of a 103..."

I haven’t actually defended Ozzie or excused him. If and when he says something stupid, I’ll call it that and not gloss over it by calling him “smart as a fox.”

The only thing I’ve defended Ozzie in this discussion is the Lily/Guillen exchange and that was much ado about nothing.

As I said in response the first time you brought this up, the comments here about Guillen by Cubbie fans strike me as a pot/kettle issue. If Guillen is a hot-head at 44 years old then you have a similar hot-headed 66 year old manager.

DrCrawdad - March 2, 2009 reply

Plenty of Cubs fans call out Lou on this site

Not just Soxie fans.

Shanghai Badger - March 2, 2009 reply

I think...

… maybe we’re differing in terminology. I don’t necessarily think Ozzie is a “hothead”. Maybe the term “loose cannon” would describe him more accurately.

Al Yellon - March 2, 2009 reply

A little touchy Crawdad.

Rick B - February 28, 2009 reply

Yeah...

… I won’t be able to sleep tonight after this devastating loss.

DrCrawdad - February 28, 2009 reply

Oh Oh Oh...

Is it Padres Single-A pitching PHENOM Pablo Manchaca??? ‘cause if it’s not… I got nothin’.

lswaidz - February 28, 2009 reply

I believe his full name was

Pablo Estrada Alvarez Victor Yosh, but he changed it in 1987 to hide from the local authorities after escaping his home country of Sweeden

Cubbie-Tim - February 28, 2009 reply

Al, is Gameday your source for the pitch counts?

IIRC spring training version of Gameday only shows 3 pitches for a strikeout and 4 pitches for a walk regardless of how many were actually thrown. Something about how it’s easier for whoever is doing it to make the updates. Though today’s lags in updates makes me think the guy was taking a nap or two.

Anyway, Heilman’s performance may not be as efficient as first appears, though clearly it was very effective.

ballhawk - February 28, 2009 reply

I was wondering about that

There seemed to be rather a lot of three-pitch strikeouts and one-pitch outs on gameday today. You don’t usually see pitchers that effective, even in the middle of the season.

Vermont Cubs Fan - February 28, 2009 reply