Ozzie Guillén has seen many highs and lows in Chicago White Sox baseball the past 40 years, but this might be the most dreadful stretch he’s ever witnessed.
The White Sox lost 2-0 to the Kansas City Royals Monday, collecting only four hits. They’re now 2-14 in 2024, the worst record in MLB.
Guillén, a three-time All-Star shortstop, played 13 seasons for the Sox, then managed them to the World Series title in 2005. This year’s team looks horrendous in the early going, and Guillén could barely hide his feelings Monday during the postgame show on NBC Sports Chicago.
That led Guillén to make an interesting point that left studio host Chuck Garfien momentarily baffled.
The conversation turned to the White Sox’ anemic offense. It’s still early in the season, but the club is averaging just over two runs per game, an historically bad pace.
Guillén pointed to the number of hitters in the White Sox lineup with poor batting averages. He joked the stats made him “want to cry.”
“It’s hard to hit .300,” Guillén said.
“Yes, extremely hard,” Garfien agreed.
“It’s harder to hit .090,” Guillén continued.
“It’s harder to hit .090 than .300? Because …” a skeptical Garfien asked.
“When you hit .300, you’re playing. When you hit .090, you shouldn’t be playing,” Guillén explained.
Ozzie Guillén on the White Sox continued struggles.
"It's hard to hit .300. It's harder to hit .090. When you hit .300, you're playing. When you hit .090, you shouldn't be playing."
"If I was a pitcher, I'd say, 'Skip, can you skip me? I want to face the White Sox?'" pic.twitter.com/HTL8Dto4ZZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 16, 2024
Garfien and Guillén continued with their analysis of the White Sox’ woes, which include six shutouts in their first 16 games. They conceded there have been injuries, but then said other hitters need to step up.
“If I was a pitcher, I’d say, ‘Skip, can you skip me? I want to face the White Sox,'” Guillén joked.
Fans appreciated Guillén’s blunt take on the situation.
This is amazing https://t.co/Z1HhGqJfT0
— Rob DiPietro (@deadpullhitter) April 16, 2024
Ozzie should be the manager https://t.co/cyNypbyZwG
— Steve (@ChiTownSports) April 16, 2024
[@awfulannouncing; Photo Credit: NBC Sports Chicago]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.