Viva Magglio
12-10-2004, 11:10 PM
I know there are several threads ongoing regarding this subject on this board and the Parking Lot. Yet, since I am one of the first members of White Sox Interactive to incorporate Mágglio Ordóńez's name into my handle, which was originally Maggs30 and now Viva Magglio, I want to post my exclusive series of thoughts on what has been going on between Ordóńez and the baseball team we all love, its leadership and leadership-inspired shortcomings notwithstanding.
It will not be long before I request that WSI's powers that be change my handle to "Viva Medias Blancas." Because I am commonly known as "Viva" in these parts, I want to preserve that part of my handle and make my new desired handle consistent with the Spanish language of which Viva (which means "Long live") is derived. Medias Blancas is White Sox in Spanish.
That last paragraph is an obvious sign to you my loyalty to the Chicago White Sox supersedes the admiration I had (past tense, hmmm) for Mágglio Ordóńez. I have been a White Sox fan before Mágglio Ordóńez came to the White Sox organization on May 18, 1991, and I'll continue to be a White Sox fan long after Mágglio Ordóńez officially joins another organization.
I resigned myself to this fate very well long before this moment, probably years ago knowing our inept ownership would eventually lose him one way or the other. Yet, I am not going to take Mágglio's side against our White Sox family. My thought was that the front office's modus operandi should be "what Mágglio wants Mágglio gets." However, during this past year, I have found myself increasingly alienated by the Ordóńez camp.
Sure, there is at least some blame that should be shared by Jerry Reinsdorf, Ken Williams, and the organization. I have long been critical of Reinsdorf's style of management, his misguided philosophy, and subsequent actions inspired by that misguided philosophy. It has been my desire to see the White Sox run by someone who wants to win, dammit! If I could trade Jerry Reinsdorf to the New York Yankees for George Steinbrenner, I'd make that trade for the Boss (Steinbrenner's term in the NY tabolids) in a New York minute. Sure, the Boss is the Boss, but Steinbrenner shares our strong desire to WIN!
This whole issue of the knee condition is a puzzle. It has become a case of "He said, she said" between the Ordóńez and front office camps. It has been reported that the White Sox team doctor went directly to Ordóńez and recommended the examination in Vienna. Personally, I think this physician should be replaced for leaving the front office out of the loop as has been alleged.
And then there is the matter of the White Sox' contract proposals. Again, it seems to be a case of "He said, she said." However, despite my ongoing distrust of the organization, I am inclined to side with the organizaiton on this matter. I believe that the organization, from Reinsdorf on down, actually had the sense to believe that keeping Ordóńez was the right thing to do. In the Friday papers, Ordóńez claimed that the White Sox would basically only offer a deferred contract over the course of 20 years. Yet, when I was driving home from work late this afternoon, I heard a report that Ken Williams told WSCR baseball reporter George Ofman that several deals were offered. These included a $65M deal non-deferred, if I heard correctly.
While I have serious thoughts about Ken Williams as a general manager, I have always taken KW as a man of his word. And despite our misgivings with Williams, none of us would question his desire to making a winning ballclub for us. I would rather believe what he says than what some greedy simpleton who says what his greedy scumbag agent tells him to say. żComprende?
It was Mágglio Ordóńez's decision to hire Scott Boras as his agent that lost me for good. I never liked Boras. He is a greedy scumbag that turns his clients into greedy simpletons. I think that is what happened with Ordóńez. In fact, in the back of my mind, I wonder if Boras client Alex Rodríguez was an influence in this. Maybe it's complete nonsense, which it may very well be, but the fact that Rodríguez and Ordóńez work out together at the University of Miami during the offseason makes me theorize that Rodríguez put some ideas into Ordóńez's head. I have never held a high regard for Alex Rodriguez, either. And that's dating back to his days as a Seattle Mariner.
It is my opinion that Mágglio Ordóńez has become a treacherous greedy simpleton. As you know, I used to admire him greatly. In our ongoing lack of preference for the institution of the Chicago National League Ballclub, Inc., right fielder Maggs was the perfect saintly alternative to the Evil Empire's right fielder. While the local media continued to sing the praises of one Samuel Sosa and overlooked his evils, now coming to light in the current steriod scandal, Mágglio Ordóńez was virtually responsible for paying the property taxes on Sosa's shadow. On WSI, there have been numerous "#30 vs. #21" threads over the years, all expressing this angst in this eternal crosstown war against our North Side rivals. Alone, these threads were a perfect illustration of this.
As recently as two years ago, Joe Cowley wrote a story in the Daily Southtown about White Sox players who hated the Cubs' guts. I am sure many of you remember it well; even though I have no link to it now. The article focused on José Valentín who actively rooted against the Cubs while watching them on the White Sox clubhouse television set. Oh, what was one other name mentioned? Uh, Mágglio Ordóńez. Yes, our right fielder at that time was reported to have hated the Cubs because of Sammy Sosa, among other things.
Now, we read that Mágglio Ordóńez would like to join the Evil Empire!!! Well, that's about a one-eighty, I would say. While I believe the Cubs' inability to ditch Sosa (and his high salary and sterioid-tainted reputation) will prevent them from signing Ordóńez (yet alone someone like Carlos Beltrán), this expression alone from Ordóńez in Friday's papers makes him no less than Fredo. After the Fredo reference, all I can say is this..."OO-EE-OO...HE'S FRE-DO!"
My bedroom contains a cardbord cutout of Mágglio Ordóńez holding a Pepsi bottle. I also have an eight-by-ten photo he autographed for me at a SoxFest. Both of which will remain in my possession and not shuttered. I bought the cardbord cutout a few years ago at Grandstand, and many of you have undoubtedly seen it during your own visits to Grandstand. In spite of my current feelings for Mágglio Ordóńez, I will keep the cardbord cutout there in my bedroom. That is because I will continue to cherish the era in which Mágglio Ordóńez was truly a "Good Guy that Wore Black." It is not necessarily living in the past, but it will be more of a lasting memorial to the greatness that Mágglio Ordóńez was to our baseball franchise. Was.
Remember, I'm a White Sox fan first. Look, I am a Catholic who has serious issues with the Rome over a number of issues. Yet, I remain an active Catholic who has not missed a Sunday Mass since 1994. The same principle applies here with the White Sox.
ˇViva Medias Blancas!
It will not be long before I request that WSI's powers that be change my handle to "Viva Medias Blancas." Because I am commonly known as "Viva" in these parts, I want to preserve that part of my handle and make my new desired handle consistent with the Spanish language of which Viva (which means "Long live") is derived. Medias Blancas is White Sox in Spanish.
That last paragraph is an obvious sign to you my loyalty to the Chicago White Sox supersedes the admiration I had (past tense, hmmm) for Mágglio Ordóńez. I have been a White Sox fan before Mágglio Ordóńez came to the White Sox organization on May 18, 1991, and I'll continue to be a White Sox fan long after Mágglio Ordóńez officially joins another organization.
I resigned myself to this fate very well long before this moment, probably years ago knowing our inept ownership would eventually lose him one way or the other. Yet, I am not going to take Mágglio's side against our White Sox family. My thought was that the front office's modus operandi should be "what Mágglio wants Mágglio gets." However, during this past year, I have found myself increasingly alienated by the Ordóńez camp.
Sure, there is at least some blame that should be shared by Jerry Reinsdorf, Ken Williams, and the organization. I have long been critical of Reinsdorf's style of management, his misguided philosophy, and subsequent actions inspired by that misguided philosophy. It has been my desire to see the White Sox run by someone who wants to win, dammit! If I could trade Jerry Reinsdorf to the New York Yankees for George Steinbrenner, I'd make that trade for the Boss (Steinbrenner's term in the NY tabolids) in a New York minute. Sure, the Boss is the Boss, but Steinbrenner shares our strong desire to WIN!
This whole issue of the knee condition is a puzzle. It has become a case of "He said, she said" between the Ordóńez and front office camps. It has been reported that the White Sox team doctor went directly to Ordóńez and recommended the examination in Vienna. Personally, I think this physician should be replaced for leaving the front office out of the loop as has been alleged.
And then there is the matter of the White Sox' contract proposals. Again, it seems to be a case of "He said, she said." However, despite my ongoing distrust of the organization, I am inclined to side with the organizaiton on this matter. I believe that the organization, from Reinsdorf on down, actually had the sense to believe that keeping Ordóńez was the right thing to do. In the Friday papers, Ordóńez claimed that the White Sox would basically only offer a deferred contract over the course of 20 years. Yet, when I was driving home from work late this afternoon, I heard a report that Ken Williams told WSCR baseball reporter George Ofman that several deals were offered. These included a $65M deal non-deferred, if I heard correctly.
While I have serious thoughts about Ken Williams as a general manager, I have always taken KW as a man of his word. And despite our misgivings with Williams, none of us would question his desire to making a winning ballclub for us. I would rather believe what he says than what some greedy simpleton who says what his greedy scumbag agent tells him to say. żComprende?
It was Mágglio Ordóńez's decision to hire Scott Boras as his agent that lost me for good. I never liked Boras. He is a greedy scumbag that turns his clients into greedy simpletons. I think that is what happened with Ordóńez. In fact, in the back of my mind, I wonder if Boras client Alex Rodríguez was an influence in this. Maybe it's complete nonsense, which it may very well be, but the fact that Rodríguez and Ordóńez work out together at the University of Miami during the offseason makes me theorize that Rodríguez put some ideas into Ordóńez's head. I have never held a high regard for Alex Rodriguez, either. And that's dating back to his days as a Seattle Mariner.
It is my opinion that Mágglio Ordóńez has become a treacherous greedy simpleton. As you know, I used to admire him greatly. In our ongoing lack of preference for the institution of the Chicago National League Ballclub, Inc., right fielder Maggs was the perfect saintly alternative to the Evil Empire's right fielder. While the local media continued to sing the praises of one Samuel Sosa and overlooked his evils, now coming to light in the current steriod scandal, Mágglio Ordóńez was virtually responsible for paying the property taxes on Sosa's shadow. On WSI, there have been numerous "#30 vs. #21" threads over the years, all expressing this angst in this eternal crosstown war against our North Side rivals. Alone, these threads were a perfect illustration of this.
As recently as two years ago, Joe Cowley wrote a story in the Daily Southtown about White Sox players who hated the Cubs' guts. I am sure many of you remember it well; even though I have no link to it now. The article focused on José Valentín who actively rooted against the Cubs while watching them on the White Sox clubhouse television set. Oh, what was one other name mentioned? Uh, Mágglio Ordóńez. Yes, our right fielder at that time was reported to have hated the Cubs because of Sammy Sosa, among other things.
Now, we read that Mágglio Ordóńez would like to join the Evil Empire!!! Well, that's about a one-eighty, I would say. While I believe the Cubs' inability to ditch Sosa (and his high salary and sterioid-tainted reputation) will prevent them from signing Ordóńez (yet alone someone like Carlos Beltrán), this expression alone from Ordóńez in Friday's papers makes him no less than Fredo. After the Fredo reference, all I can say is this..."OO-EE-OO...HE'S FRE-DO!"
My bedroom contains a cardbord cutout of Mágglio Ordóńez holding a Pepsi bottle. I also have an eight-by-ten photo he autographed for me at a SoxFest. Both of which will remain in my possession and not shuttered. I bought the cardbord cutout a few years ago at Grandstand, and many of you have undoubtedly seen it during your own visits to Grandstand. In spite of my current feelings for Mágglio Ordóńez, I will keep the cardbord cutout there in my bedroom. That is because I will continue to cherish the era in which Mágglio Ordóńez was truly a "Good Guy that Wore Black." It is not necessarily living in the past, but it will be more of a lasting memorial to the greatness that Mágglio Ordóńez was to our baseball franchise. Was.
Remember, I'm a White Sox fan first. Look, I am a Catholic who has serious issues with the Rome over a number of issues. Yet, I remain an active Catholic who has not missed a Sunday Mass since 1994. The same principle applies here with the White Sox.
ˇViva Medias Blancas!