I know I've told this story before, but I'm going to tell it again.  In 1997, the White Sox were playing the Indians in an exhibition game at Greer Stadium in Nashville.  I was covering the game for WNSR in Nashville.  While I was on the field prior to the game, I saw then Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen sitting by himself in the dugout.

Ozzie was in the last year of his Sox contract and most thought it was his last year with the club (that sad truth would come to fruition in July as the Sox acquired a young shortstop, Mike Caruso from the Giants.)

So, I yelled into the dugout and got his attention.  And then I said "Hey Ozzie.  I'm a Sox fan and I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for the team."  Ozzie got a little choked up and said "Thanks, very much.  I appreciate it."

I do appreciate everything Ozzie has done for the Sox both then and now, but I think that in taking a long, hard look at this season of fail for the White Sox, it's time for a change.  I think Ozzie is a bright and talented manager, but managers are measured in results.  The results since 2008 haven't been there. Even with Adam Dunn, Jake Peavy and Alex Rios having crappy years, there was no excuse for this team to lose the way it has.I'm not saying they are better than Detroit this year, but what I am saying is they are better than where they are now.

And, it seems, that the team doesn't really care that much about it.  Which tells me that Ozzie has lost his voice with the players.  All the outside distractions, the wacky quotes, the profane tirades may be interesting to the media and entertaining for the fans, but the players just tune them out.  It's not to say that Ozzie isn't liked by his players, he is, and maybe that's the biggest problem of all.  This team needed a boot up it's ass in may and Ozzie continued to handle this team with kids gloves.

 The losing streaks this season are not about slumps, they are about bad fundamentals, mental breakdowns and players who just don't play the game right (you know who you are, Alex Rios.)  There are some consistencies since 2005 that shouldn't go unnoticed and even though Ozzie loves his players, he may love them too much.  Leaving a starter in too long or riding the same sorry horse day after day doesn't work for this team.

I've been there, I done that and I own this t-shirt.  You may be the best strategist in the world, but if you don't win, you don't keep your job.  In a lot of less patient, less family type organizations, Ozzie would have been gone after last year.  You are employed to win and if you can't win with a $127 million dollar payroll or at least win 85 games, you shouldn't get to come back and try again next year.

Sadly, It's time for Ozzie to move on to Florida and give someone else a chance to try and get this team back into contention.