The most fascinating new TV character of the 2022 season is Dr. Ozzie, the pseudo-psychologist whose job is to speak a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan off the ledge throughout this anxiety-ridden season.
Ozzie Guillen performs the designated shrink, whereas Chuck Garfien, his cohost on the Sox pregame and postgame exhibits on NBC Sports Chicago, lies on a sofa and performs himself.
I’m unsure how the gamers or supervisor Tony La Russa really feel about NBC Sports Chicago’s choice to have just a little enjoyable at their expense. But if the Sox had been taking part in as much as their talents, there could be no motive for a comedic bit on the struggles which have turned their followers inside out.
Baseball is leisure in spite of everything. We all deserve fun. If the Sox had any humorousness, they might get La Russa to lie on the sofa for an upcoming episode as Dr. Ozzie questions him in regards to the stress he has been beneath on the workplace.
I can already image Dr. Ozzie peering down from his studying glasses and saying, “Are you getting enough sleep, Tony?”
How lengthy the character will final is unknown, however Guillen deserves an Emmy for his efficiency. No one has performed a Chicago psychologist higher on TV since Bob Newhart.
Maybe the Sox will go on a protracted run, take the lead within the American League Central and have the final giggle on everybody, together with Dr. Ozzie.
As loopy because it sounds, it’s potential. They enter Tuesday’s doubleheader in Kansas City trailing the division-leading Minnesota Twins by solely two video games, and the race nobody needs to win might come right down to the ultimate days of the season. Six of the Sox’s last 9 video games are in opposition to the Twins, together with a season-ending, three-game collection at residence Oct. 3-5.
But the Sox haven’t been trending in the precise path for fairly a while. The present stretch of 19 video games in opposition to sub-.500 groups hasn’t gone the way in which they hoped. They’re 7-5 to date in opposition to the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, Royals and Texas Rangers, and so they haven’t been greater than two video games over .500 since they had been 6-3 on April 17. Their excessive level was 4 video games over — a 6-2 report — on April 16.
Thankfully they’ve additionally averted lengthy dropping streaks since an eight-game skid in late April. They can thank Dylan Cease and Johnny Cueto for that.
It has been one lengthy slog, crammed with angst over the batting orders, accidents, baserunning, protection and, in fact, La Russa, who has taken the brunt of criticism for the staff’s poor play. Some of the criticism is excessive, nevertheless it’s nothing he didn’t expertise in his first go-around as Sox supervisor.
Making issues worse, the media hold reminding the Sox they’re in an essential stretch of video games and have most of their gamers wholesome once more. Suggesting that is the turning level has develop into a operating joke the final two months.
“Look, we’re all tired of saying, ‘This is the stretch,’ or, ‘The schedule has turned to this,’ or, ‘The health is at this level,’ or, ‘They had this dramatic win so maybe that’s the turning point,’” common supervisor Rick Hahn mentioned final week after failing to tug off a trade-deadline deal. “So I’m done buying into any prognostications about this or that is the turning point.”
When it occurs, we’ll know. Until then, they’re simply one other underachieving staff that not deserves the good thing about the doubt.
One factor the Sox don’t want, opposite to Hahn’s suggestion, is bringing untimely swagger again to the dugout. The gamers who usually are the swaggiest — Tim Anderson, Lance Lynn and Liam Hendricks — haven’t carried out nicely sufficient on a constant foundation to strut. If they will’t carry out with out the swagger, the Sox are in additional bother than we all know.
Anderson could be the key to the Sox’s probabilities of taking part in in October. He has been in a funk since getting back from a groin harm on June 20, hitting .245 with one residence run and a .287 on-base proportion in his final 39 video games.
He was 0-for-13 with six strikeouts in his final three video games in opposition to the Rangers earlier than beginning his two-game suspension Sunday for making contact with an umpire on July 29. He additionally doesn’t appear like he’s having enjoyable, which isn’t what you want from somebody whose title is synonymous with celebrating.
Anderson is anticipated to return Tuesday within the second sport of the doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium, and possibly the break will likely be an opportunity for him to clear his head and get again to being the straw that stirs the mojito. The Sox can’t win with out their chief and leadoff man doing his factor.
As we await the beginning of one other essential stretch, we will solely hope Dr. Ozzie gives some consolation and laughs in these attempting occasions.
It’s the one factor that retains us from crying.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com