46

My best Cub fan friend asked me the other day if Ozzie was safe. I told him I thought Reinsdorf is so grateful to Oz for the 2005 World Series championship that barring some Michael Vick-type incident, there would be no managerial change for the foreseeable future. I likened Ozzie to former Bull GM Jerry Krause, whom Reinsdorf refused to get rid of even after it was obvious to everyone else that "Crumbs" had to go. After I said it, though, I wasn't sure I was right.

But today's Tribune online has a story reporting that the White Sox are thinking about extending Ozzie's contract beyond the current team option through 2009. Yikes! I'm not saying that one bad season means the manager should be fired, but why in the world would you give him an extension now? Not firing Ozzie tells the players that management doesn't think this disaster is his fault and they'd better shape up. You don't have to saddle yourself with financial obligations like the new deal would likely entail to send that message.

Of course, I'm not a big Ozzie fan and wasn't even during 2005. I just don't like his small ball decisions or his overly blunt style of management (probably a reaction to his treatment of Frank Thomas). So take what I say about him with a grain of salt. But what do the Update readers think? Log on to the blog and let the world know.

In less important news, the Sox won last night behind a high-quality pitching performance from Jon Garland and another save for Bobby Jenks, who finally allowed a couple of base runners before putting out the fire. The win over the Tigers -- too bad the Sox don't play them all the time -- reduces the Magic Number to 46, but leaves the Sox with the second-worst record in all of baseball. Thanks Tampa Bay for sparing us that embarrassment.

The Update is still predicting elimination from the A.L. Central race before the Bears' first game, and with as hot as Cleveland is and a little bit of cooperation from the Sox, that prediction will come to pass -- no pun intended, Rex Grossman. The elimination number is 4, so a couple of Indian wins and Sox losses is all it takes. The Update isn't rooting for it, just predicting it. Go Sox!