KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Before whispers could turn into rumor, manager Ozzie Guillen squashed it.
With the White Sox dragging their heels on announcing the contract extension for the coaching staff that were expected to be completed last week, as well as rumblings from down in Class AAA Charlotte that Knights hitting coach Gary Ward was preparing for a promotion, Guillen ended any speculation on Monday concerning the immediate future of current big-league hitting coach Greg Walker and his job security.
“Never, nope,’’ Guillen replied, when asked if rumors concerning Walker’s firing were valid. “That’s my decision. That’s a decision I have to make, and my coaches are fine. They work hard. I’m behind them 100 percent.
“Obviously when the team is not hitting, not pitching, not playing defense they all want to blame the coaching staff, but right now, no, that’s not true.’’
Guillen’s message, as it has been the last three years when coaching changes were brought up, was simple: If Sox fans want to blame someone, point the finger at the 25 guys making millions.
“Everything’s out there, the information to help, the opportunity is there [for the players],’’ Guillen continued. “Right now, I mean I’ve fired a couple of coaches because I didn’t think we were on the same page. I didn’t think they were doing the job they should have. The coaching staff I have right now they should be here as long as I will be here.’’
Guillen did admit that he and Walker had a rough patch last season, after Guillen blew up on June 1, following a dismal series with Tampa Bay, and insisted that general manager Ken Williams needed to make changes, including mentioning Walker by name.
The way Walker saw it, he had been thrown under the bus. But after a cooling off period, the two spoke and cleared the air.
“Last year, Walker and I had a little thing going on, and that happens,’’ Guillen said. “That will happen again, hopefully it doesn’t happen the way it did. But no, that’s a guy I like, that’s the one I think is doing the job.’’
As far as Ward, he already had one crack at being the Sox hitting coach from 2001-03, and what a stint it was. By the time he was fired, there were more than a handful of players ready to revolt, including former outfielder Aaron Rowand, who felt Ward has set him back more than helped.
“Did we hire [Ward] to be a big-league coach in case something happened? Well, a lot of people will think he’s more than a Triple-A hitting coach, but no, Walker is OK here,’’ Guillen added. “He’s doing his job, he’s doing what he’s supposed to do, and as long as he does that he will be here with me. Work hard, and as long as the players respect you, that’s what we want.’’