The Baseball Column: Guillen Good, Guzman Not So Good
POSTED: 2:55 pm EDT June 16,
2005
UPDATED: 4:42 pm EDT June 16,
2005
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Rant One: Guillen’s Transformation
Last year, Jose Guillen was such a headache for the Anaheim Angels that the team gave him the boot during a heated pennant race. The team’s everyday leftfielder, Guillen was hitting .294 with 27 homers and 104 RBI when the Angels suspended him on Sept. 26 after he threw a tantrum when lifted for a pinch runner the previous day. In November, they dumped him on the newly christened Washington Nationals, his seventh team in nine years.
In our nation’s capitol, Guillen took a page from the president's book, transforming himself from a hot-headed problem child to a compassionate eccentric. In doing so, he has become a team leader and fan favorite. No word on whether Karl Rove was involved.Rant Two: Guzman In Familiar Territory
Cristian Guzman, however, looks like the biggest waste of money since George W. Bush picked up a thesaurus on the taxpayer’s dime. The nonchalant Washington shortstop, whose batting average has been on the wrong side of the Mendoza Line for the bulk of the season, has been one of the worst offensive performing regulars this year. Even with their instability at the position, Minnesota is glad someone else is on the hook for his $4.2 million salary.Rant Three: Where have you gone Rocco Baldelli?
In April of 2003, Tampa's Rocco Baldelli was a rookie sensation and drawing absurd comparisons to Joe DiMaggio. He cooled off, but still managed to post promising numbers in his rookie season (.289, 11 HR, 78 RBI, 27 SB) and finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting. He followed that up with similar numbers in the 2004 campaign (.280, 16 HR, 74 RBI). Solid, but hardly Yankee Clipper-like.Last November, the Rhode Island native drew Aaron Boone comparisons when he tore his left ACL while playing basketball with his brother. The team hoped to have the speedy centerfielder back in the line-up after the All Star break. But that won’t happen. While working out at the teams’ minor league complex earlier this week, Baldelli injured his right elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery. The 23-year-old isn’t expected to return to action until sometime next year.
Last year, Jose Guillen was such a headache for the Anaheim Angels that the team gave him the boot during a heated pennant race. The team’s everyday leftfielder, Guillen was hitting .294 with 27 homers and 104 RBI when the Angels suspended him on Sept. 26 after he threw a tantrum when lifted for a pinch runner the previous day. In November, they dumped him on the newly christened Washington Nationals, his seventh team in nine years.
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Change Record Books?Cristian Guzman, however, looks like the biggest waste of money since George W. Bush picked up a thesaurus on the taxpayer’s dime. The nonchalant Washington shortstop, whose batting average has been on the wrong side of the Mendoza Line for the bulk of the season, has been one of the worst offensive performing regulars this year. Even with their instability at the position, Minnesota is glad someone else is on the hook for his $4.2 million salary.Rant Three: Where have you gone Rocco Baldelli?
In April of 2003, Tampa's Rocco Baldelli was a rookie sensation and drawing absurd comparisons to Joe DiMaggio. He cooled off, but still managed to post promising numbers in his rookie season (.289, 11 HR, 78 RBI, 27 SB) and finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting. He followed that up with similar numbers in the 2004 campaign (.280, 16 HR, 74 RBI). Solid, but hardly Yankee Clipper-like.Last November, the Rhode Island native drew Aaron Boone comparisons when he tore his left ACL while playing basketball with his brother. The team hoped to have the speedy centerfielder back in the line-up after the All Star break. But that won’t happen. While working out at the teams’ minor league complex earlier this week, Baldelli injured his right elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery. The 23-year-old isn’t expected to return to action until sometime next year.
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