This morning, Joe Cowley, off on another one of his wacky goose chases, quotes several "people familiar with the situation" and "someone with knowledge of the situation" as saying Ozzie Guillen will be out as manager of the White Sox after this season.

Cowley says his sources say an extension has been offered to General Manager Kenny Williams and that Williams no longer wants Guillen or his coaching staff.

Cowley offers several scenarios in which Ozzie is sent packing, but the one that seems the most plausible is this: Jerry and Kenny tell Ozzie he can stay, but everyone on his coaching staff, save for Harold Baines and Dr. Don Cooper have to go.  Ozzie is extremely loyal to his coaches and may balk at that suggestion, thus thrusting him into the waiting arms of Jeffery Laurie and the Florida Marlins.

I can tell you from personal experience, it is a management technique where the loyalty of the manager is tested by upper management by making him choose where his own loyalties lie, to the company or to his staff.  It's a tough choice, but those with integrity often pick their staffs and take the bullet themselves.  Those without ingrity are happy to roll their staff under a bus to save their own sorry backside. I think Ozzie will play it as the former.

What's sad is that Williams, the architect of this mess, will be brought back.  Sure, Ozzie could have done a much better job this year, but it was Williams who put this club together and it was Williams who is responsible for three inflexible contracts that are keeping the team from adding players who might be able to help. Personally, I think if the Chairman wants to shoot people, he should shoot them both as they are historically and inevitably joined the hip.

I've said this several times this summer, while Rick Hahn could do Williams' job, who are the Sox going to find to replace Ozzie?  Tony LaRussa is not only past his prime, he's flat out nuts and hated by just about every team in baseball.  Would Kenny reach way out there and hire Bobby V?  Would they promote Joe McEwing, the manager from Charlotte?  Or bring back Chris Chambliss who had some success in the Sox system a few years ago?

And when will this be done?  When the tragic number becomes 0 or after the season is over? One would think that Ozzie will get to manage out the string, but then again, a two week audition for a new guy might be a good way to break them in.  It did wonders for Mike Quade.

I wonder what the players think of all this.  I wonder if Ozzie has lost his voice with them or they respect the fact that he seems to have their backs.  Adam Dunn and Alex Rios were continually given chances that other managers wouldn't have given them, and, in the end, that could be the final nail in the Ozzie's coffin.

Sure, Ozzie will have a gig if the Sox let him go, but for the Sox, it will be a whole new ballgame next year.  And it may be one where you like the results even less than this year.