Playing with fire in Chicago - Baseball

Cito Gaston would have been a safe choice, but the White Sox couldn't play it safe. They remain second-class citizens in the Second City, and the gap threatens to grow wider. That, above all, is why their hiring of Ozzie Guillen as manager makes sense. His passion will transform a fractious team and restless fan base, presuming he is competent enough--and levelheaded enough--to handle the job.

Unlike the Cubs, the White Sox don't have a Mark Prior, a Sammy Sosa, a Dusty Baker. Nor is their ballpark a baseball funhouse such as Wrigley Field. Guillen, 39, never has managed, but he immediately makes the Sox more interesting. He could be a train wreck. He could be the next Tony Pena. Given his outsized personality, there probably won't be an in-between.

At first glance, it seems illogical that the Sox would choose an untested manager over one who won two World Series. But Gaston, 59, would have been too similar to nice-guy former manager Jerry Manuel, evoking a collective yawn from the Sox's players and fans. Guillen, on the other hand, is a human wake-up call--one who might lack a snooze button, judging from his initial in-your-face comments about Frank Thomas.

A manager's introductory news conference often is revealing, but it can be as misleading as his knockout job interview. Guillen never has handled a pitching staff, never shielded slumping players from media scrutiny, never faced the responsibility of persuading self-absorbed veterans to put team interests first. He will need help from his coaches, lots of it.

Then again, Guillen-type energy seems to be the No. 1 prerequisite for a 21st century manager, even above experience. Of the 20 active managers hired since the end of the 2001 season, 12 hadn't managed in the majors. The Red Sox's next manager also could be a first-timer. If that happens, 60 percent of the managers next season will be in their first major league jobs.

Teams increasingly prefer younger communicators, partly because "younger" translates to "cheaper." But the recent successes of the Royals' Pena, the Angels' Mike Scioscia, the Twins' Ron Gardenhire and even Grady Little suggest that major league managing experience isn't necessary.

Guillen is upbeat, intelligent, unafraid. He demonstrated managing potential even as a teenager in the Padres' farm system, but he needs to tone down his act. Some probably wanted to cheer when he challenged Thomas, saying, "I'm sorry, but Frank's going to play my way." But Pena doesn't single out players like that. Neither does Joe Torre nor Bobby Cox. Players bristle at such talk, thinking, "I could be next."

"There may be a guy or two who initially may be put off by his honesty, but I think ultimately you can only respect guys like that," White Sox general manager Ken Williams says.

Perhaps, but Guillen wouldn't be the first manager to think he can impose his will on a club, only to learn otherwise. A manager needs a supportive front office to weed out players who don't fit. He needs veterans with strong character to reinforce his leadership. Most of all, he needs to set a proper, professional tone. Royals G.M. Allard Baird says a manager affects five to 12 games per season tactically but creates a culture that lasts 162 games and beyond.

Guillen is such an effervescent, forceful personality, maybe nothing can stop him. He will inject a positive current into a team that in recent seasons was drained by the negative energy of Thomas, Albert Belle and David Wells. The Sox, lacking better options, are taking a calculated risk. Their ballpark is boring. Their team is uninspiring. Someone has to provide a spark.

(S) For the latest offseason developments in baseball, including free-agent updates and analysis from TSN Insider Ken Rosenthal, go to www.foxsports.com, keyword: MLB.

SPEED READ

* The Billy Wagner trade was fair for both clubs. The Phillies acquired Wagner, a high-strikeout closer they will control for two seasons. The Astros gained financial flexibility by adding righthander Brandon Duckworth and minor-league righthanders Taylor Buchholz and Ezequiel Astacio, each of whom could develop into a middle- to back-of-the-rotation starter.

INSIDE DISH

If the Red Sox had succeeded in their quest to unload LF Manny Ramirez on waivers, their next move might have been to acquire LHP Billy Wagner, a closer, and RF Richard Hidalgo from the Astros. The idea fizzled after Ramirez went unclaimed.... The Astros want to trade not only Hidalgo, but IF Geoff Blum. Purging Blum, who is eligible for salary arbitration, would enable the team to resign free-agent IF Jose Vizcaino.... The Marlins should get decent value if they trade 1B Derrek Lee. "I always thought he was going to be a huge underachiever, but he's a giant waiting to happen," one scout says. "He may hit 50 homers in the right ballpark." ... Diamondbacks 2B Junior Spivey is another attractive trade option, but the cost-conscious club likely will try to include him in a deal with a more highly paid player. Arizona also is receiving calls about Robby Hammock, but the team projects him as its everyday catcher.... Look for the Devil Rays to pursue free-agent RF Jose Cruz Jr., whom they tried to sign last offseason. Cruz is a career .313 hitter at Tropicana Field, with eight homers and 11 doubles in 115 at-bats, and he played for manager Lou Piniella and hitting coach Lee Ella with Seattle.... The Royals are trying to re-sign free-agent LF Raul Ibanez, but he is drawing interest from a number of teams, including his former club, the Mariners.... Two teams interested in free-agent Todd Walker asked if he would play third base. Two others asked if he would play first. Walker, who played almost strictly at second base last season with the Red Sox, is willing to make either move. The Devil Rays are considering him at a variety of positions.--K.R.

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