Maybe he should just say, "Don't call up to the box."

Is O-Cab a D-bag?

Is O-Cab a D-bag?

A-parently. You might as well tell the pitcher, "Hey, your WHIP/ERA needs to be higher."

This sounds like a Bob Newhart bit.

but I don’t think it looks good to his teammates for him to worry about his numbers,

‘’I know I never did that. That’s something the manager or coach should do. I’m not going to say don’t call up to the box, but it looks kind of bad

Last week on XM radio I heard Cal Ripken talking about making barehanded plays. He said Ozzie Guillen once made a barehanded play against him that he thought was unnecessary; so later in the game, Ripken's on second and he asks Guillen why he made the play barehanded, since to Ripken, it seemed like he had plenty of time and Guillen told him "they never give you an error if you barehand the ball."

it seemed like he had plenty of time and Guillen told him "they never give you an error if you barehand the ball."

I've heard Ripken tell this story before. Ozzie seems like the kind of player who would have been hyper-aware of these things. He may not have been, but he sure is thin-skinned as a manager. He's a fine manager, so please don't misconstrue my saying he's thin-skinned as some kind of Ozzie sucks! rant.

How do these guys always know the number of the press box? Is it just posted in the clubhouse? Why?

From ESPN.com:

But more than that, Cabrera believes he doesn't have the backing of Guillen, and said he felt the need to make the calls himself, rather than go to his manager.

"If it happens again, I will call again," Cabrera said Tuesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. "I don't have to do it with other teams because they always had my back. They don't want to do it here, I can take care of my own business. If you have a problem with what I did, come to me and say something. Don't go to the media to send a message, because he didn't send any message."

Ok then.

How do these guys always know the number of the press box? Is it just posted in the clubhouse? Why?

Along with a phone to the bullpen, there's a phone to the press box in the dugout.

I'm hoping this means that Cabrera will be elsewhere in 2009. I've been worried from the start that they would extend him.

Ozzie seems like the kind of player who would have been hyper-aware of these things. He may not have been, but he sure is thin-skinned as a manager

Ozzie's a lot smarter than he lets on.

How do these guys always know the number of the press box? Is it just posted in the clubhouse? Why?

I always wonder this, too. Is it really that easy? Can I just call up there and start arguing with the score keeper?

‘’Obviously, a good player, a Gold Glove winner, you want to have a good season for the free agency, and different guys respond to that stuff differently.’’

Wow, Ozzie thinks errors, stats, and how you play D influences winning a Gold Glove. I guess he's smart as a player, but has a lot to learn as a fan/analyst.

"If it happens again, I will call again," Cabrera said Tuesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. "I don't have to do it with other teams because they always had my back. They don't want to do it here, I can take care of my own business. If you have a problem with what I did, come to me and say something. Don't go to the media to send a message, because he didn't send any message."

So, O-Cab is most definitely a D-Bag. I only hope this inspires a rant from KW.

I always think it's pretty sweet when you get one member of an organization saying to the press about another member of the organization "don't say it to the press, say it to me." This looks like it has the potential to become a huge feud, which would also be pretty sweet. Although Swisher might be able to use his superhuman intangible clubhouse ability to defuse the situation before it gets worse.

We want a shortstop, not a whinestop.

Along with a phone to the bullpen, there's a phone to the press box in the dugout.

I need those digits, pronto!

You know, if I were an official scorer, I would f#ck with Cabrera and have the scoreboard flash an extra e-6 during the game. I'd rescind it later, but I'd let him stew for a few innings. Then I would change one of his hits to an error on the defense, again, enjoying that 24 hour window I had to change the scoring. You could have all kinds of fun with a d-bag like Cabrera that way.

I'm going to go against the grain and defend Cabrera here. Basically, what it comes down to is OC is unhappy about being traded by the Angels. Consider the following:

1) He met his wife during his time with the Angels, which probably gives the team additional meaning on a personal level.

2) Certain impolitic statements he's made since joining the Sox. First, he called the fans in Anaheim "the best fans and baseball." Second, he said that Mike Scioscia was the best manager in the major leagues. One would think that, during your tenure with a new team, a player's most politic response would be "I've been through Montreal, Boston and Anaheim, but the fans on the South Side are far and away the best in the game," or "I really enjoy playing for Ozzie Guillen. His having a shortstop's point of view is definitely an added benefit." Instead, OC went out of his way to complement both the fans and the management in Anaheim.

3) It was generally acknowledged that (aside from Erick Aybar) Vlad's best friend on the team was OC.

4) This behavior seems very unlike OC. During his time in Anaheim he was generally considered to be a "clubhouse leader," and was frequently available to the press after games. Going from glue guy to clubhouse cancer in one year seems like a bit of a stretch.

Does this excuse his behavior? Probably not. But it makes it more understandable: he simply does not feel comfortable in Chicago, and his trying to make sure his individual numbers are good so he can bolt as a free agent.

Along with a phone to the bullpen, there's a phone to the press box in the dugout.

What phone calls between the press box and the dugout (besides the "angry player disagrees with scoring on a play" phone call) necessitate having a dedicated phone line between the two?